Starting a new digital project can feel daunting. Whether you’re commissioning a website for the first time or rebuilding one that has outgrown its original purpose, it can be hard to know where to begin or how decisions will be made.
At Monogram, we believe the best projects start with clarity, collaboration and curiosity. That’s why every piece of work follows a structured process, designed to give everyone confidence from the first conversation through to launch and beyond.
Here’s how we approach a new project, from brief to build.
Listening first
Every project starts with a conversation.
Sometimes there’s a clear, well-defined brief with agreed goals and scope. Other times it’s looser: a set of ideas, challenges or ambitions that need shaping. Most often, it sits somewhere in between.
Our first job is to listen. We take the time to understand your organisation, your challenges, goals and the reason you are embarking on the project. This helps us see what’s already clear, what still needs defining and how best to move forward.
Discovery
Discovery is a focused period of research and analysis that sets the foundation for the entire project. It’s where we define what success looks like, and how we’ll achieve and measure it.
During discovery, we work closely with key team members and stakeholders to understand your goals, your audience and the context your website needs to operate in. We explore your ‘why’, establish clear objectives and identify the practical requirements needed to achieve them.
Taking this time early helps avoid misaligned goals, incorrect assumptions and wasted time or budget later on. It ensures decisions are grounded in insight, rather than guesswork.
We scope and cost discovery as a fully documented standalone piece of work. Once complete, the discovery documentation is yours to keep, whether you continue the project with us or take it elsewhere. It defines the project scope and the steps and requirements needed to bring it to life.
If you’d like to go deeper into this stage, we’ve written more about why discovery matters and how it sets projects up for long-term success.
Design
With discovery complete, we move into design.
This is where the solution becomes more tangible. We translate what we’ve learned into clear user journeys, content hierarchies and interface concepts that support both visitor needs and business goals.
We begin with low-fidelity wireframes to explore layout and functionality. Once these are agreed, we develop high-fidelity designs that bring the experience to life visually and interactively.
Design at Monogram is both creative and practical. We focus on how people will actually use the site, not just how it looks. Wireframes and designs are shared early and iterated collaboratively, so you can see progress, give feedback and help shape the direction as it evolves. If you’d like to know more about reviewing the design stage, you can read a previous article here.
Build and integration
Once the design is signed off, our development team brings it to life.
We build clean, maintainable code and scalable architectures that make your site fast, secure and easy to manage. Our approach prioritises long-term reliability and scalability over short-term fixes.
Where third-party tools or systems are part of the scope, we integrate them carefully and ensure everything works together seamlessly. We track progress and keep you informed throughout the build process, so there are no surprises when the build is shared for your review.
Testing, refinement and launch
Before launch, we test thoroughly across devices, browsers and typical user journeys. Accessibility, performance and reliability are non-negotiable for us.
We conduct a series of automated and manual tests to check the codebase against our high standards. This includes reviewing performance, appearance, functionality and optimisation to ensure everything works as intended. Once these tests pass, we share the build via a private link so you can thoroughly review it before it goes live.
This phase allows us to refine details and ensure the site performs as expected. When everything is running smoothly and everyone is happy with the site, we deploy it to live and monitor it closely during the initial support period.
Beyond launch: continual improvement
Launch isn’t the end of the process, it’s the start of the next phase.
We support clients with ongoing maintenance, performance monitoring and opportunities to iterate as needs evolve. As organisations grow, technology changes and priorities shift, so digital platforms need to adapt.
The most effective websites are living systems. They evolve over time, informed by actual visitor behaviour and business needs, while remaining aligned with the strategy.
A process built on partnership
Our approach works because it’s built on partnership.
Every project is a collaboration: transparent, structured and human. We combine technical expertise with clear communication, so you always know where we are, why decisions are being made and what comes next.
By investing time upfront and working closely throughout, we turn project briefs into durable, thoughtful digital solutions that stand the test of time. To talk to us about your next project, please get in touch.