When you work in marketing, you quickly learn that websites succeed or fail based on the strength of their messaging. Over the years, I have rolled out websites across different companies and internal teams, and I've experienced both content led and design led approaches. After going through enough of these projects, and especially after launching The Marketing Technologists, it became clear to me that content should always come first.
As part of setting up the business, I spent time reading and refining my thinking about what makes a website truly effective. One of the books I read was Graphic Design for Everyone by Cath Caldwell. The early chapters reinforce something that many teams overlook. Good design starts with clear messaging. The purpose, meaning, and hierarchy behind the message are the anchors that guide the entire design system.
That insight aligned perfectly with my own experience. When you design before you define the message, you create friction, rework, and confusion. When you build a website around the content and narrative, everything becomes clearer and more strategic.
Below is a breakdown of both approaches, along with their pros and cons, and why content first consistently leads to better results.
What is a design led website approach?
A design led approach begins with visuals. Designers create wireframes, layouts, and components before the messaging or content is finalised. The narrative is shaped afterwards to fit the visual direction.
Pros of a design led website approach
- Strong visual direction from day one: Stakeholders see early concepts quickly, which can help align on branding and creative direction
- Helpful during rebrands or visual identity updates: If the priority is to reinvent the look and feel, design first can help set the tone
- Easier for some stakeholders to engage with: Visuals can make early conversations feel more exciting and concrete
Cons of a design led website approach
- Content gets forced into design templates: The story has to fit the visuals, instead of visuals supporting the story
- More revisions and slower delivery overall: When messaging evolves (and it always does), the design must be rebuilt to match
- Weaker user journeys: Designers have to guess hierarchy and messaging intent, which leads to misalignment
- Risk of style over substance: The site can look good but lack clarity, consistency, or strategic direction
I have lived through this approach firsthand. When designs came before messaging, we constantly reworked layouts, rewrote content, and adjusted components. What looked efficient at the start became slower and more expensive as the project unfolded.
What is a content led website approach?
A content led approach starts with strategy. You define your messaging, narrative, SEO priorities, user journeys, and information architecture before any design work begins - which is why strategic consulting forms the foundation of our process.
Pros of a content led website approach
- Clear strategy defines structure: You lead with what you want to say and why it matters. This sets the foundation for the entire website
- Better user flow and stronger storytelling: Every page is built around the journey you want the visitor to take
- More efficient design and development: Designers work with clarity. Developers build systems that reflect real content patterns
- SEO is built in from the start: Headings, keywords, structure, and content hierarchy come naturally - essential for effective SEO strategies
- Easy to scale over time: Component systems (especially in Webflow) become cleaner and more future-proof
- More cohesive brand communication: Tone, messaging, visuals, and structure all align with the narrative
Cons of a content led website approach
- Stakeholders see fewer visuals early on: This requires education, because people often expect design mockups straight away
- Requires upfront thinking: Messaging, positioning, and page purpose must be decided before design begins
- Slower at the start, faster at the finish: You spend time defining content early, but save significantly more time later
From my own experience, this approach consistently leads to smoother projects, fewer surprises, and a final website that aligns perfectly with strategy.
Content first vs design first: why messaging should lead website strategy
After reading Caldwell's work and looking back at the website projects I have led, the conclusion is simple. Content first produces better websites. Here are the key reasons.
1. Content defines meaning and purpose
A website exists to communicate. Without clarity of message, design becomes guesswork.
2. Design performs better when it supports a message
Visual hierarchy, spacing, and layout all depend on what needs to be said.
3. Strategy becomes the foundation, not decoration
A content led approach ensures the website reflects your brand story, not just your aesthetic preferences.
4. It reduces rework and speeds up delivery
When content is clear, designers and developers have fewer revisions and better direction.
5. It produces a more cohesive experience
Messaging drives consistency. Design amplifies it. Users feel the difference immediately.
This is why our process at The Marketing Technologists always begins with narrative, messaging, structure, and intent. Our website design and development approach creates websites with direction, rather than a set of visuals looking for a meaning.
Conclusion: a content led website approach creates better outcomes
Both approaches have their strengths, but for marketing driven websites, content led is almost always the smarter path. It creates stronger messaging, clearer user journeys, faster builds, and better long term scalability.
Design still matters, but its job is to enhance the story, not dictate it. When content leads, websites become clearer, more effective, and far more aligned with business goals.
If you want a content led, strategically aligned Webflow website that supports your brand and fuels performance, we can help you plan, build, and optimise it from the ground up.
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