For a long time web design was really similar to print layouts. A site might be filled with dynamic content populated from a database, but the basic typographic systems of the grid ruled the way sites were designed. Much of our navigation was based on emulating physical systems such as folder tabs or pages. These conventions allowed us to make sites quickly and we all seemed to think everything was working just fine – and it probably was for the most part.

In the last few years everything has grown more interesting, complicated and interactive. From relatively small site designs to multi-layered applications, any interactive design now requires a new level of rapid testing, prototyping, and redesigning before building and launching a solid final product. The need for a designer to be well versed in the constraints and powers of the platform for which they are designing has never been more important. These are new challenges for any designer diving into the waters of interaction, but this is just where things get fun.

#1. Prototyping is essential

Prototyping is not an option. As Hemingway was famous for saying, “The first draft of anything is shit.” If testing or prototyping isn’t a formal part of your process, then in essence your final product is the prototype – and it's probably shit. Timelines and budgets can squeeze copywriting, IA, and prototyping from the fray of must-have’s. In that case, find a way of scaling everything so that you can keep some amount of testing and prototyping in your project. Your client, your team, or your investors will thank you when the return on investment soars.

The opportunity for great returns is an outcome of testing internal, iterating, and making necessary and smart changes to a site or a product before shipping to the public. If you’re not prototyping, then you're showing that you’re willing to let your audience use your product as though it were a prototype – an experience that has the potential to be damaging to your brand and long-term goals.

Read More: http://www.creativebloq.com/design/10-pro-tips-updating-your-web-designs-5126279