Initial Workshop
The Initial Workshop: Where Good Website Projects Begin
Most website projects don't fail because of technology. They fail because design starts too early and understanding comes too late. That's why every larger project of mine begins with an initial workshop: a structured half or full day in which we work out together what you really need, before the first line of code is written and before I send you a proposal.
Why start with a workshop?
A proposal written before understanding is a bet, for both sides. The initial workshop replaces the bet with knowledge. We don't talk about templates and features; we talk first about your goals, your audiences and the decisions that will actually shape your project: How should your presence feel? What must it be able to do, and what deliberately not? In which steps will it be built, and how will you measure success?
The result is not a gut feeling but a shared foundation: documented, prioritised and translated into a concrete proposal.
The three goals of the workshop
Understanding
I get to know your project, your organisation and your people: not through a questionnaire, but in conversation, ideally on site, where your project is taking shape.
A shared language
Words like “portal”, “modern” or “accessible” mean something different to everyone. In the workshop we sharpen them until we all mean the same thing. That saves a lot of misunderstandings later.
A basis for decisions
By the end of the day, the big decisions are made or at least clearly named: brand direction, scope, priorities, stages. My proposal is built on this foundation.
The setting
Depending on scope, the initial workshop takes three to six hours and preferably takes place at your premises, where your project is at home. It works just as well remotely. The people who decide should take part, along with the people who will later work with the result; in my experience, two to five participants are ideal.
Two things matter to me here:
An interactive presentation guides us through the day.
Instead of loose slides, I use a purpose-built workshop website that leads us through every topic, chapter by chapter, with clear guiding questions, calm visualisations and deliberate pauses for conversation. You always see where we are and what comes next.
Conversation instead of note-taking.
The workshop is recorded as audio, with your consent and only with your consent. Nobody has to take minutes, everyone stays in the conversation, and no nuance gets lost. The recording is used solely for the evaluation and treated confidentially.
The agenda: eight chapters
Every workshop follows the same structure, adapted to your project and always along eight chapters:
- 01
Goals & mission
Why does your project exist, and how will we know by the evening that the day was worth it?
- 02
Audiences & journeys
Who uses your site, and which journey comes first?
- 03
Brand & tone
How should your presence feel: name, attitude, imagery, voice?
- 04
Scope & features
What must the system be able to do today, and what deliberately only later?
- 05
Content & community
Which stories, images and data already exist, who maintains them, and how does engagement grow?
- 06
Technology, legal & accessibility
The foundation: solid, legally sound and accessible to everyone.
- 07
Roadmap
In which stages will your project be built, and what is the most sensible first step?
- 08
Collaboration & investment
How we work together: transparent, milestone-based, fair.
What you bring
No finished answers; we develop those together. What helps: the people with decision-making authority, existing material (texts, images, previous documents), your open questions and honest expectations. Everything else is on me: the structure, the questions and the experience of knowing which decision is due when.
What you'll hold in your hands afterwards
Within a few days after the workshop, you receive two things:
The documented results
All insights, decisions and open points, structured along the eight chapters and distilled from the conversation.
A proposal that fits your project
Instead of a PDF attachment, you receive a personal link: your proposal as its own web page, with concept, stages, services and investment. That way you can already see how I work while reading the proposal.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an initial workshop take?
Three to six hours, depending on the scope of the project. For complex projects with several subsystems, we plan a full day with breaks.
What does the workshop cost?
The initial workshop is a service in its own right and is agreed transparently in advance, regardless of whether you go on to build the project with me. We clarify the details in a free initial call.
Do we need to prepare?
No. Bring existing material and your open questions; the structure and the questions are on me.
Does the workshop take place at our premises?
Preferably, yes: on site is where I understand your project best. Remote via video call works just as well; the interactive presentation works in both settings.
Who should take part?
The decision-makers, plus the people who will later work with the website or portal every day. Two to five people are ideal.
What happens after the workshop?
I evaluate the conversation and, within a few days, send you the documented results along with your personal proposal as its own web page.
Let's begin with understanding.
Tell me about your project in a free initial call. If it's a good fit, we'll plan your initial workshop.
Book a free initial call