As my company celebrated its 10th birthday, I reflected on some key moments of my career. A life-changing moment was working in one of my first freelance roles in an agency. Beautiful offices, lovely client list, shiny new computer. When I was given the brief the MD simply said “they just need a website that looks nice, very sleek.”

This went against everything I had been working for. Where was the design process? Where was the research into their business? Who are their clients? What are their key messages? How will people find the website? So many unanswered questions.

And after making a very good-looking website, I never looked back. This was the eureka moment. This project gave me confidence in my own design process. Everyone wants a website to look nice, this is a given. But a website needs to go way beyond this. It needs to emotionally connect with its users, it needs user journeys. It needs hierarchy, it needs to bring out the brand, it needs to be found, explored and enjoyed by users. In order to do this a deep understanding of the business and its audience is required. This is why designers exist, or everything would be templates and stock images.

Collaboration with the client especially at the start of the project is key to my design process. There is no “ta dah” moment in the process. Following a design process where you take a brief, and then come back with some concepts, of course, allowing two rounds of alternations, is common practice. It doesn’t get the best results. Working with your client throughout the process means you can explore concepts and develop ideas, and then focus on what is working. There should not be a clause stating two design iterations, as this is futile, it is a process of change and development until a solution is found.

As technology has evolved, the design process has also had to evolve. I have made this central to my business. Seo, digital marketing, website platforms and design trends are always progressing, and these affect the approach to projects. The design process remains the same, a deep understanding of the client, users and business. The new technologies change the options clients are given depending on their requirements.

Lastly, I do believe the design of the website should be enjoyable. Many of my clients have started the process of airing their dread at having a new website, as the last time it was so awful. I strongly believe that when you are inspired, when the process is smooth and organised, options are given clearly and concisely, and you have confidence in the designer and the process, creating a new website is enjoyable.

Keri is a Design Consultant based in London with over 20 experience designing UX, UI and brand design.