In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses must create websites that reflect their brand, meet user expectations, and provide a seamless experience. However, rushing into the design and development phase without fully understanding your project’s scope and objectives can lead to costly mistakes. This is where a project discovery comes into play.
At its core, a project discovery is a standalone consultancy service that provides the foundation for a successful web project. It involves working with our team of digital experts using the first stages of our process, Explore & Refine, to create a clear, detailed brief that outlines your company’s objectives, functional requirements, and long-term digital strategy
Ultimately, I believe discoveries are essential for your web project’s success and will overall save you time, money, and headaches down the road. I often liken it to the doctor’s consultation before you go fully into surgery…. we don’t want to lose the wrong leg, do we?
How do we deliver our discoveries?
A discovery phase should be the first step of any web project, acting as a roadmap that guides the design and development processes. It’s a hugely collaborative exercise that allows us to understand your business, your goals, and the digital environment in which you operate. More than just a simple consultation, this phase is workshop-based; meaning it’s a hands-on process where key stakeholders from your team and our team work together to shape the vision and strategy for the website together.
Think of it as a small but essential investment in the success of your web project. By involving our experts from different fields, the discovery phase provides you with strategic insights and expert recommendations tailored specifically to your business. This is not just about building a website, but about creating a platform that aligns with your company's growth trajectory and digital aspirations. You’ll also get an insight into working with us before taking the full project plunge – we can get to understand each other’s ways of working, work more collaboratively quicker and build a mutually-beneficial relationship that delivers results and, importantly, lasts.
Why pay for a discovery when some agencies pitch ideas for free?
You may be wondering why the discovery phase is a paid service. The answer is simple: it delivers real, tangible value. We bring the best of the best to the table to ensure you get the most value from your investment with us and an outcome that will be referred to, hopefully, for a number of years.
Yes, some agencies will pitch a whole site structure, some ‘out there’ ideas and design for free – that’s not value, that’s not insight and it's not going to help you. For the most part its guess work. The design is based on interpretation of a brief they’ve not deeply questioned and a lack of background research into the non-digital aspects of your business (remember we didn’t want to lose the wrong leg, did we?). It's trying to show investment from them in you – but to create value the investment needs to be both ways.
Talk it through, review it and discuss it some more…
The discovery phase is most effective when it involves as many key stakeholders as possible from your company (within reason – we’re talking 10 people not 100). As I’ve said, this is a collaborative process that benefits from the insights of everyone involved in the project—marketing teams, sales departments, IT, senior management, and even customer/technical services. Each department has unique knowledge about your business that can contribute to a well-rounded digital strategy. For some clients, we even send out surveys to clients/customers to get feedback directly from the horse’s mouth!
Workshops allow for open discussions and problem-solving on key areas such as:
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Site goals: What do you want the website to achieve? Is it about lead generation, brand awareness, e-commerce, or something else?
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Marketing mix: How will the website fit into your overall marketing strategy? This could involve integration with social media, email marketing, and SEO.
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Site structure: How will the content be organised? What are the essential pages, and how will users navigate through them? What’s missing now and what could be coming in the future?
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Design and UX: What kind of look and feel are you aiming for? Who does it well in and out of sector, who doesn’t? How far are you wishing to push the creativity vs how far the MD is willing to push it…?
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Functional requirements: What specific features are needed, such as CRM integration, eLearning, user portals, personalisation? The list is endless.
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CMS & hosting requirements: What do you need from a CMS and how can a CMS like Umbraco make your life easier? What are the current issues you have? Do you need workflow? What’s the content approval process? Where will it be hosted and what’s the redundancy? How are you PEN-Testing?
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Reporting & analytics: What data do you need to report on? What data do you need but currently can’t get? Other than GA what platforms do you want to review?
Each of these areas is critical to ensuring your website is designed and developed to meet your business's unique needs.
Visualise the possibility
I’ve mentioned about not ‘pitching creative’ without background and insight. Once the main workshops have been completed, for some clients, we then do deliver a design concept. While not always necessary, a design concept can help visualise the proposed approach and ensure that everyone is aligned on the general direction that has been taken.
A well-crafted design concept serves as a bridge between strategy and execution. It also helps engage with stakeholders who weren’t involved (either fully or partly) with the discovery and add a tangible output that budget holders can get behind and understand.
Digital with Direction; the Findings Report
The main outcome of the discovery phase is a comprehensive report that outlines the what's and why's of your web project. This report serves as a blueprint for both you and us, and depending on your individual circumstances, may include:
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A clear set of goals and objectives for the website
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An overview of the current situation; including SWOT analysis
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A confirmation of your marketing mix, offline goals and target audiences
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Site structure and reasonings
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The necessary functionalities and features
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Design direction and user experience insights
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Technical requirements and potential third-party integrations
With this roadmap in hand, both you and our team will have a well-defined project scope. This clarity allows us to provide more accurate quotes and timelines; reducing the risk of unexpected costs or delays. Additionally, this document helps ensure that the entire team is on the same page minimising the chance of miscommunication or misaligned expectations.
But I really don’t want to…
Skipping the discovery phase might seem like an easy way to save money (especially if that agency is still insisting on pitching for free), but in the long run, it often leads to inefficiencies, delays, and extra costs.
Investing in a discovery phase not only helps you avoid these pitfalls but also sets your project (and our working relationship) up for long-term success. You’ll have a website that is aligned with your real-world business goals, designed with your target audience in mind, and built to scale with your company’s growth.
My final say
Let’s not beat around the bush – it’s a hugely competitive digital world these days and taking the time to properly plan and prepare for your web project is critical.
The discovery phase is a key step that should not be overlooked, as it provides a comprehensive roadmap for success for both parties. By collaborating with our experts, defining clear goals, and creating a detailed brief, you’ll be in a much stronger position to build a website that not only looks great but also delivers real value for your business.
So, before you jump into design and development, make sure you invest in a thorough discovery process—it’s one of the best decisions you’ll make for your web project.