Prepare a redesign without losing useful content, working URLs, enquiry forms or the workflows your team relies on.
A redesign does not always benefit from discarding everything. Your current site may contain useful pages, established customer links and workflows the team depends on. Decide what should survive before starting design.
Inventory existing pages
List URLs, titles and each page's purpose. Mark pages to retain, merge or remove. Identify links frequently shared with customers and destinations used in advertising. This inventory connects the old site to the new sitemap.
Distinguish design problems from content problems
A service page may fail to generate enquiries because its scope is unclear, examples are missing or contact is difficult—not just because the colours look dated. Add a specific user problem to each design observation.
Plan destinations for changed URLs
Important pages that move need suitable new destinations. Consider the closest relevant content rather than sending every old URL to the homepage. Check redirects by opening the original links after launch.
Write acceptance checks
Test phone links, quote forms, mobile navigation, search and admin screens using realistic tasks. Confirm content migration is complete. Keep file and database backups and assign responsibility for rollback. A successful redesign preserves working business processes as well as improving presentation.