How we build · Stage 03
Design
Make it real enough to test before it is expensive to change.
- Typical duration
- 3–8 weeks, usually overlapping Build
- Portal phase
- design
- Stage
- 03 of 08
- CRM stages
- 2
What this stage is for
We design the product as a working system, not a slide deck: flows, states, content, accessibility and a component library engineers can build against directly.
Your part
Review prototypes with real users where possible. Make decisions at the review points.
Activities
What happens
- Information architecture and end-to-end flows
- Interaction design including empty, loading, error and permission states
- Interface design and a documented design system
- Content design and editorial voice
- Accessibility design against WCAG 2.2 AA
- Prototype testing with representative users
Outputs
What you get
- Clickable prototype of the critical journeys
- Design system with tokens, components and usage rules
- Annotated specifications including states and accessibility behaviour
- Research findings and the design changes they caused
Exit criteria
We do not move on until
Written down so neither side has to rely on a feeling that things seem fine.
- Critical journeys are tested and the findings are acted on
- The design system covers every component the first release needs
- Content for the first release is drafted or has an owner and a date
Behind the scenes
How this shows up in our systems
This is not a diagram made for a website. The stage you are reading maps onto literal values in our CRM and the phase label in your client portal.
- CRM pipeline stages
- Won / onboardingSigned. Setting the project up.DeliveryDesign and build are running.
- What you see in the portal
- Your project shows the phase "design", with this stage's purpose and your part written on the project page.
Where it applies
Services that run this stage
Next step
Talk to us about design
The Project Architect asks the questions this stage depends on, and tells you which stage your project should actually start at.