From initial design to launch, we’ll guide you through every step—design approval, training, and final adjustments—to create a polished, user-friendly website ready to shine!
Week 0: Pre-Production
During the pre-production phase, you’ll provide basic information about your site, select your design preferences, and explore available features like the School Manager, Staff Directory, and Announcement tools. Once we receive your information, including your design selection, we’ll officially move forward into Production.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Project timelines begin after a design is chosen!
This is where your vision starts to take shape! Our team will use your selected design options, images, colors, and logos to create the initial look of your website. At the end of this phase, we’ll meet with you for a design review to gather your feedback and ensure we’re on the right track.
NOTE: If you have multiple websites, the initial design is built for the District (Primary) design site first!
Weeks 3–4: Design Approval
After the design review meeting, you’ll have time to discuss the design with your team and provide your feedback.
Here’s an important distinction to keep in mind:
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Design includes:
- Colors and styling across devices (phone, tablet, and desktop).
- Banner height, font choices, and navigation styles.
- Layout decisions, such as the placement of navigation (e.g., left vs. right).
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Content includes:
- Text, images, and page navigation, which you can fully customize using the content editor. Our tools make it easy for you to manage and update your content anytime!
Design Approval:
During the Design Approval phase, we’ll work closely with you to ensure the design, colors, and overall look align with your vision. This is a collaborative process where we gather your feedback and make adjustments as needed.
Once you’re happy with the design, just let us know, and we’ll move forward with scheduling the Navigation Meeting!
NOTE: If you have multiple sites, we'll begin to create the Schools (Secondary) site(s) after the design is approved!
Navigation Meeting
Work one-on-one with a Content and Design Specialist to reorganize and refine your site’s navigation. We'll guide you through the process, ensuring your website is both user-friendly and visually cohesive.
NOTE: Reorganizing your content is the very last step of the implementation process before you gain access to your sites, after the Lock & Load is complete!
Weeks 3–4: Training & Polish
Once you are happy with your design, it's time to move onto training! This phase focuses on helping you unlock the full potential of your new website and explore all the exciting features of your updated template. Here's what you can expect:
Training Session
Our training is designed to guide you through the updated tools and features, making it easy for you to navigate and manage your new site. Topics include:
- Dynamic Columns: Create flexible and engaging layouts for your pages.
- School Manager Access: Simplify updates to homepage icons without needing any HTML.
- Department Page Layouts: Enhance subpages with banners, tailored navigation, and visually appealing designs.
TIP: We provide a recorded copy of your training session, so even if some team members can’t attend live, they can still catch up and participate at their convenience!
Client Polish: Homepage & Navigation
Now it’s your turn to shine! Bring your creativity to life as you start building your homepage and rearranging the navigation. With our intuitive tools, customizing your site is simple and fun!
Weeks 5–6: Lock & Load
Here’s a quick overview of the Lock & Load process, designed to ensure a smooth transition to your new design while preserving your content:
Lock Publishing
During this phase, publishing is temporarily locked to prevent any content from being lost during the transition.
- You can still make changes in the editor once you gain access to the site again, but these changes won’t go live until after the launch.
Load the New Design
Applying the new design gives your website a fresh, modern look!
- The updated template, branding, homepage, and navigation is applied to your sites!
- The transition from Lock & Load to Launch typically takes about 1 week, though this can vary depending on the size of your district.
Content Preservation
We take extra care to preserve your existing content:
- Any unused homepage content is saved on an unpublished page titled OLD Homepage, allowing you to review or repurpose it later.
Week 6: Launch
The launch process for redesigned sites is straightforward and seamless!
- Launch Day is primarily a quality control (QC) day for our team.
- We’ll work closely with you to ensure all outstanding items are addressed or cataloged to guarantee a smooth and successful launch.
Weeks 7–10: Honeymoon Period
The last step in the Redesign Process is the Honeymoon Period! During the first month post-launch, you’ll still have direct access to the implementation team for questions and additional support as everyone explores the new site.
TIP: It’s normal for your team to notice adjustments or have additional requests once they begin interacting with the updated design. Our team is here to help you navigate this exciting period and ensure your site is running smoothly! 🎉