With all this talk of Agile Design and moving straight to HTML/CSS before even touching Photoshop, I’m actually quite interested in creating a design and site from the ground up beginning with code. I’m not saying I won’t be using a graphics editor, but I want the frilly aesthetics to be of secondary concern.

Lots of people disagree with this method, and I’m sure it won’t suit every design requirement. Just thinking out loud, I will most certainly do pencil sketches before going to code, but that will only serve to ascertain the rough layout.

What I envision the benefit of this method will be is that the content will become of primary importance. Certain elements like form widgets will be easier to mockup and you can give your client a user experience workflow demonstration much earlier in the project. We all know that the client is a visual being (on the most part).

I’m sure there will be hickups, but I think it’s worth a bash and I’ll push for my next project to be done in this manner. Perhaps if the client does not have a CI, I can reconsider and hold off, but if it’s an established brand, it will be an interesting exercise.