Here’s a typical, real-world workflow for building a new WordPress website, showing how a designer/developer and a content team work together.
1. Discovery & Strategy (Everyone involved)
Goals
- Understand the client’s business, audience, and success metrics
- Avoid building the wrong thing beautifully
Key Activities
- Stakeholder interviews
- Site goals & KPIs (leads, downloads, sales, SEO)
- Sitemap + page inventory
- Content audit (if redesign)
- Technical constraints (hosting, integrations, compliance)
Outputs
- Sitemap
- Functional requirements
- Content ownership map (who writes what)
- Timeline with dependencies
Common failure: Design starts before content structure is agreed on.
2. Content Planning (Content Team leads)
Goals
- Define what needs to be written before design locks in layouts
Key Activities
- Page outlines (H1s, sections, CTAs)
- SEO keyword mapping
- Tone/voice guidelines
- Content model definitions (what fields exist per page)
Outputs
- Content outlines per page
- Metadata plan (titles, descriptions)
- Structured content plan (important for ACF / blocks)
Developer involvement
- Advises on reusable components (hero, testimonials, FAQs)
- Flags edge cases (long headlines, missing images)
3. Wireframes & UX (Designer leads)
Goals
- Solve layout and hierarchy before visuals
Key Activities
- Low-fidelity wireframes (desktop first, sometimes mobile)
- Navigation and user flow validation
- CTA placement strategy
Outputs
- Wireframes per template (Home, Blog, Landing, etc.)
Content team
- Provides real or “real-ish” content (no lorem ipsum if possible)
Developer
- Confirms feasibility within WordPress block/FSE system
4. Visual Design (Designer)
Goals
- Define look, feel, and brand expression
Key Activities
- Design system (colors, typography, buttons)
- High-fidelity mockups (Figma/Sketch)
- Component states (hover, focus, errors)
Outputs
- Final page designs
- Component library
Common failure: Designs that don’t map cleanly to blocks or reusable components.
5. Technical Architecture (Developer leads)
Goals
- Decide how WordPress will be structured
Key Decisions
- Block theme (FSE) vs classic theme
- Custom blocks vs core blocks + patterns
- ACF field groups and relationships
- CPTs, taxonomies, templates
- Plugin stack (SEO, forms, caching)
Outputs
- Data model
- Template map
- Block/pattern inventory
Content team
- Reviews CMS usability (editing experience matters)
6. Development (Developer)
Goals
- Build a flexible, maintainable site
Key Activities
- Theme setup
- Template creation (FSE templates or PHP)
- Custom blocks / patterns
- Responsive behavior
- Accessibility (WCAG basics)
- Performance optimization
Parallel work
- Content team writes content in Google Docs / CMS staging
- Designer reviews implementation fidelity
7. Content Production & Entry (Content Team)
Goals
- Populate the site correctly and consistently
Key Activities
- Final copywriting
- Image sourcing & optimization
- SEO metadata entry
- Internal linking
- QA for formatting issues
Best practice
- Content is entered into staging, not production
- Use real content early to expose layout issues
8. QA & Testing (Everyone)
Goals
- Catch problems before the client does
Checks
- Responsive layouts
- Cross-browser testing
- Forms & integrations
- Page speed
- SEO basics (indexing, metadata)
- Accessibility checks
- CMS usability
Outputs
- Bug list
- Final polish
9. Client Review & Revisions
Goals
- Validate business needs, not personal preferences
Process
- Structured feedback rounds
- Content freeze before final launch
- Change control (avoid scope creep)
10. Launch & Post-Launch
Developer
- DNS / hosting
- SSL
- Caching & CDN
- Backups
- Redirects (critical for SEO)
Content Team
- Final content check
- Analytics setup
- Search Console submission
Post-launch
- Bug fixes
- Performance tuning
- Content iteration
How High-Functioning Teams Actually Work
Best teams:
- Start content early
- Design for real content
- Build reusable blocks/patterns
- Involve devs before design is final
- Treat WordPress as a CMS, not just a theme
Worst teams:
- Design in isolation
- Write content last
- Over-customize without thinking about editors
- Use lorem ipsum until launch week
Simple Role Summary
| Phase | Designer | Developer | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Support | Support | Lead |
| Planning | Support | Support | Lead |
| UX | Lead | Support | Support |
| Visual Design | Lead | Review | Review |
| Architecture | — | Lead | Review |
| Development | Review | Lead | — |
| Content Entry | — | Support | Lead |
| QA | Support | Lead | Support |
| Launch | — | Lead | Support |
