Start with the job of the website
A redesign is easier to evaluate when the team agrees what the website must help people understand, decide, or do. Clarify the priority audiences, the primary actions, and what the business needs to learn after launch.
Separate content problems from interface problems
An elegant page cannot resolve unclear positioning or missing information. Audit the content, proof, decision paths, and publishing workflow before choosing visual patterns.
Define the operating model
Decide who will publish, review, measure, and improve the site. That determines the right CMS model, component flexibility, permissions, and handover.