Development Flow
How a project moves from brief to launch — phases, milestones, and what happens at each stage.
Project Phases
Before We Begin
Before development starts, a checklist is completed covering: domain and hosting access, design files, content inventory, third-party credentials (CRM, mailing list, payment gateway), and agreed sitemap.
Brief & Discovery
Review of the project brief, existing site (if applicable), and technical requirements. Clarifying questions are resolved before estimation. If the scope requires access to an existing system to assess properly, this is flagged in the proposal.
Proposal & Agreement
A written proposal is provided with scope, estimated hours, timeline, and payment terms. Work begins after written approval and receipt of the agreed deposit.
Design (if applicable)
For projects involving Ira Ginzburg Studio, UX/UI design is delivered first. Development begins from approved design files. Design revisions requested after development begins may require additional hours.
Development — Staging
Site is built on a staging environment. This includes WordPress setup, plugin installation, theme build, dynamic functionality, and form configuration. The client receives a staging link for review at agreed milestones.
Content Population
Client-supplied content is added to the site. This step requires all content to be ready and approved. Content delays at this stage affect the launch timeline.
Review & Revisions
Client reviews the staging site. Feedback is consolidated — one round of revisions is included in standard scope. Additional rounds and changes outside the original scope are flagged and quoted before implementation.
QA, Performance & SEO
Final quality assurance: cross-browser testing, mobile responsiveness, form submissions, broken links, page speed optimisation, and on-page SEO setup. This step is carried out on the final live hosting environment.
Launch
Site is migrated or deployed to the live domain. DNS is updated, SSL is confirmed, and a post-launch check is carried out. The one-month warranty period begins from this date.
Handoff & Documentation
Client receives admin access, login credentials, and a brief orientation on managing the site. Ongoing maintenance is available via a maintenance plan.
Complex or Unknown Functionality
Some requirements cannot be accurately estimated without first reviewing an existing system, third-party integration, or undocumented custom functionality.