I guarantee that at some point in your web design career you will be asked to redesign an existing site. It’s a fact of life in the web industry: more often than not a new website will simply be an iteration of an old website.
So how do you approach this mammoth task? You’ll not have to wonder long, as here are 5 different ways to approach a redesign.
1. A Redesign
The most basic. A redesign is simply slapping a new face on an old site. Fundamentally the structure stays the same, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
This approach is ideal if you’re happy with the content and structure of the website, but you just feel that the design itself is a little out of date.
2. A Restructuring
As the name suggests, a restructuring involves pretty much leaving the design the same, but changing the way the content of the site is structured.
If you’re happy with your design, but you feel that the structure and flow of your site could be improved, then this is the approach for you.
3. A Rethinking
More drastic than the redesign and restructuring before it, a rethinking really is stopping and revisiting the purpose of your site, and making changes to the design, content, and structure individually to insure that the site stays true to its revised goal.
A rethinking is the web design equivalent of a mid-life crisis, albeit a good, constructive one.
4. A Realignment
This topic has been discussed by many designers in detail, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good one. Realignment involves looking back and remembering the original goal of the site and then making changes to the structure and content to stay true to that original goal.
But it can be so much more than that.
A realignment can also take into consideration the changes that have occurred in the web since the original site was launched.
5. A Rebranding
The most design oriented of the five, a rebranding involves redesigning every bit of your brand. Be this logo, website, business card, letterhead or all of the above, the rebrand is the best way to completely change the way you market the website or business.
Mix and Match
Whether you just want to update some content, or completely re-imagine your site, there’s something here for everyone. However, there can never be one option to fit everyone, just like everything in life, you can take a little bit here and there to make a good match for your website.
I wish you good luck in the redesigning of whatever website you choose, and I hope that however you choose to approach it, it turns out well!
