Design draft

How many design drafts do you usually get?

There's no industry-wide standard for the number of design drafts. Broadly, there are two approaches: you get 2–3 drafts in different directions from the start and pick one, or you get one draft in a single direction and refine it several times.

More drafts isn't automatically better. The more drafts there are, the less time goes into each one, so sometimes you end up with several drafts that look much the same. Rather than the count alone, also look at "how many times one draft can be revised."

A business built around photos of its work, like a craft studio, usually does well refining the photo layout of a single draft, while a new business that still needs to define its mood is better off comparing several directions.

Whichever approach you choose, putting the mood you want into words before the first draft speeds things up. Give two or three descriptive phrases, like "warm wood feel" or "clean white background," along with reference sites, and the first draft is much less likely to miss the mark.

In what format do you receive a design draft?

Design drafts usually come as an image file, a share link from a design tool, or a clickable preview link. What you can check depends on the format.

An image draft is quick to view, but it's hard to tell how big the text will actually look on a phone. So if you receive images, also ask for a phone-screen version.

Whatever the format, keep a copy of the draft files or links on your side too. If it's a design tool link, check that it opens without logging in, so you can pull it up right away when you later need to compare against "what we first agreed on."

When the draft comes as a clickable preview link, the gap between the draft and the finished site shrinks, so there are fewer surprises later. The catch is that you should review it closely at this stage, down to every word.

• Image or PDF: opens anywhere, but you can't click through it
• Design tool link: great for zooming in and leaving comments on specific spots
• Preview link: you can scroll and tap buttons on a real phone

What should I check first when I get a design draft?

Start with "Can customers quickly find what they want?" rather than "Is it pretty?" Design taste can be adjusted later, but a structure where information is hard to see loses customers right away.

Check it the way real customers would use it. See whether the text is readable outdoors in bright light with your phone brightness turned down, and whether you can tap the buttons with your thumb while holding the phone in one hand. You'll spot problems that are easy to miss in a screenshot.

When reviewing a draft, separate "my taste" from "my customers' taste." Even if it's not a color you like, it can be a good draft if your main customers find it easy to read and trustworthy.

1. 01Open the draft on your phone and write down what catches your eye in the first 3 seconds.
2. 02Pretend to be a customer and follow an action all the way through, such as "check prices → book."
3. 03Check your business name, phone number, opening hours and prices one by one for accuracy.
4. 04Mark the spots with placeholder photos and decide when you'll send the real ones.
5. 05Sort what you like and what you want changed, and send it all in one go.

What should I prepare before the design draft stage?

The earlier your real materials come in, the closer the draft gets to the finished site. A draft made with placeholder photos can feel different the moment real photos go in, so you often end up reviewing the same draft twice.

For example, a hair salon with photos of each stylist and a price list by service, or a craft studio with photos of its work and a class schedule, gets a much more accurate draft. If you're short on photos, decide which new photos to take before the draft stage.

If it's hard to prepare everything at once, prioritize and send things in order. Even if just the main photo for the first screen and a short introduction of your business come first, the overall mood of the draft can be set close to the real thing.

• Original logo file (ideally one that stays sharp when enlarged)
• Photos of your shop, menu or work (phone photos are fine if they're bright and sharp)
• Price list, opening hours, days closed and parking information
• Two or three lines introducing your business
• 2–3 websites you like, with one line on why

What does approving a design draft mean?

Approving the design draft means agreeing that "the actual website can be built in this design direction." After approval, publishing begins, which turns the draft into code.

If you change the whole color scheme or the page structure after approval, screens already built have to be redone, which can delay the schedule or add costs. Small edits like fixing typos or swapping photos are usually still possible after approval.

It's best to approve in writing, such as by message or email, rather than verbally. That makes it easy for both sides to check later "what was decided and when."

When approving, also make clear whether you're approving the phone and computer versions together. If you approve after seeing only one, feedback on the other tends to come up later.

What should I ask about design drafts before signing a contract?

The design draft is the stage with the biggest impact on the final result, so confirming the approach and scope before signing greatly reduces disputes.

Also ask whether the placeholder photos in the draft can be used as-is on the live site. Placeholder photos may have been added only for review, and using them on the real website may require separate usage rights.

Check the schedule for the draft stage too. Knowing how many days the first draft takes and how many days a revised version takes after feedback lets you set a realistic launch date.

• How many drafts you'll get, and in what format (images or links)
• Whether they also show a separate phone-screen draft
• Whether draft revisions count toward the total number of revisions
• How major changes after approval are handled
• When placeholder photos and text get replaced with your real materials