Write a one-page proposal
A proposal is a short plan you (and your client or teacher) agree on before building. It keeps the project focused and prevents "wait, that's not what I wanted" at the end. It doesn't need to be long — one page covers it.
Goal
One sentence: what is this site for? "Get more reservations." "Show my portfolio to recruiters."
Audience
Who visits and what they want. Everything else flows from this.
Scope
What pages/sections are in — and what's deliberately out (for now).
Timeline
Rough milestones and a launch date, even if it's loose.
What a proposal includes
- Project & goal — the site, and the single most important thing it must achieve.
- Target audience — who they are and what they need (see Step 2).
- Pages & sections — a simple sitemap (Home, About, Contact…).
- Key features — the must-have components (form, gallery, map, cart…).
- Look & feel — a few words on the vibe + any brand colors/fonts.
- Timeline & deliverables — what you'll hand over, and when.
Understand your audience
Every design decision should serve the people who'll actually use the site. A busy parent, a hiring manager, and a teenager gamer want very different things. Picture one real person and design for them.
Who are they?
Age, tech comfort, device (mostly phone?), why they're here.
What do they need?
The top 1–3 things they came to do. Make those effortless.
What's their journey?
How they arrive (search, social, link) and the step you want them to take.
What's their language?
Plain and warm, or technical and precise? Match their tone.
Match components to the audience & topic
Different goals call for different sections. Here are common site types and the components that serve their audience best — each links to a lab where you can build it.
| Site type / topic | Components that fit its audience |
|---|---|
| Restaurant / café | Photo hero, menu, hours + map, gallery, a clear "Reserve" CTA |
| Portfolio | Hero with name/role, project gallery/cards, about, contact |
| Product / SaaS | Hero + value prop, feature cards, pricing, testimonials, sign-up CTA |
| Blog / publication | Article cards, categories, search, readable type, author bio |
| Nonprofit / cause | Mission hero, impact stats, stories, a strong "Donate" CTA |
| Event / conference | Hero with date, schedule timeline, speakers, "Register" CTA |
| Online store | Product grid, filters, quick-view, reviews, cart |
| Dashboard / app | Sidebar nav, stat panels, tables, tabs |
| Landing page | One focused hero, benefits, social proof, a single CTA repeated |