What It’s Really Like To Work With A WordPress Developer (A Case Study)

Since I’ve started talking more about how you can collaborate with a developer on your design projects, I’ve heard more and more of your hesitations.

You’re not sure what the process looks like or what to expect. 

You’re worried it will make your design packages too expensive.

You’re not sure if it will actually make the process any easier.

Well, today’s case study is going to put those fears to rest.

I asked designer, Kory Woodard, if she’d be willing to answer some questions about the process of working with me on web design projects. That way, you can see what it’s really like to work with a WordPress developer. From her answers, you’ll be able to see that she went from being frustrated and overwhelmed by the development phase of projects to completely loving web design again.

The before picture

I asked Kory what web design projects were like before we teamed up and here’s what she had to say:

I really enjoy designing for the web, but those projects also tend to be sort of stressful. When I haven’t had the luxury of working with a developer, I have to design around my skillset with coding, which is really frustrating. I like to explore different styles and placement of certain elements with my designs, but when I’ve been responsible for development that’s sometimes not possible.

Development has also caused projects to run late in the past. I can think of one project in particular where I was flying by the seat of my pants with the mobile responsiveness aspect of it. First I didn’t think about it, and then when I was finally working on it, I did it for certain screen sizes not accounting for the huge variety of screen sizes are out there. It caused a lot of frustration on both my end and for the client. I felt horrible and totally relieved when the project was finally over.

I know that you’ve felt the same way about the coding stage of projects. The design portion is a blast, but coding is like a big dark cloud the hangs over the end of the project. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way.

The after picture

I know in the past I’ve told you that teaming up with a developer really isn’t as hard as you think. In fact, I have a free course that lays out the entire process step-by-step. I’ve also mentioned that you will be able to learn to love web design again.

Don’t take my word for it. Here’s what Kory had to say about what it’s been like since we teamed up:

My first experience working with a developer was with you mid-2016 and oh my gosh, I’m so much more excited to work on web design projects when I can hand off the development to you! It’s such a relief to be able to focus on what I’m good at and let you take care of the part that makes me hate my computer 🙂 I’m also a lot more confident in the fact that I know my clients are going to have little to no issues with their site technically, which was hardly the case when I was doing it on my own.

The trickiest part of the process was definitely that I wasn’t sure what you’d need and knowing whether or not the process and way I set my files up would be confusing, but the process was a lot easier than I thought it would be!! You told me exactly what you needed, which eased my worry. It was also nice to be able to look over everything with you to make sure it was all working right and the placements were just right.

Teaming up on projects has helped Kory to enjoy the design process again without having to worry about coding. On top of that, she has far less maintenance to worry about when she’s able to hand off development, specifically responsiveness, to someone who is trained to take care of it.

Kory also found that it’s not nearly as difficult as she though. Each developer is different, but when I collaborate with a designer I create a detailed packet of the steps and an interactive checklist of exactly what I need from them and how they can share it with me. That way, nothing is left for them to worry about not doing the right way – it’s all laid out step-by-step.

So, would she recommend collaborating to someone else?

I asked Kory what she’d say to someone who is thinking about collaborating with a developer for the first time:

It sounds scary and like it’s going to cost you a gazillion dollars, but it doesn’t have to be either of those. If you don’t like coding, then it’s definitely time to start thinking about how you can work a developer.

What do you think?

As you’ve seen, collaborating with a developer doesn’t have to be nearly as scary and intimidating as it may seem. It can actually be the exact opposite. I’ve found that most of my projects have been a blast to work on and that everyone has a nice and smooth experience.

If you’ve been thinking about teaming up with a developer but aren’t sure where to start, be sure to check out my free course, Get Back To Design. You’ll learn about the benefits, each step of the process, and how to find the perfect developer for you. Or, if you have any specific questions about the process, feel free to reach out.

I would recommend Krista to every single person I know. Not only is it a breeze to work with her, but I’m confident in her knowledge and how hard she’ll work to make the project turn out right and make the client happy. What else can you ask for?

– Kory Woodard | Designer at Kory Woodard