A week-by-week account of how we get from an empty file to a live site, and the three decisions that decide whether the date holds.

Week one: the argument

No design. We write the three sentences, agree the sitemap, and pick the one thing the launch has to achieve. Everything after this is execution, and execution is fast when the argument is settled.

Weeks two and three: identity and the first page

Type, colour and the home page designed together, because a brand that only exists in a PDF has not been tested. You see one direction, not three. Three directions is a way of asking the client to do our job.

Weeks four and five: build

Components, CMS, responsive behaviour, and content in place of placeholders. Copy is written against the real layout rather than dropped in at the end, which is where most timelines quietly break.

Week six: the boring week

Performance, accessibility, metadata, redirects, analytics, and a handover session with whoever will own the file. The date holds because this week was planned, not because everyone worked the weekend.