Collect references, extract a palette, and lock your type choices quickly. Draft a moodboard, then translate it into a component inventory. Build in HTML first to force clarity and semantic structure. Use CSS variables for color and spacing, and define a layout grid early. With these decisions in place, you can move from atmosphere to ship-ready components in hours, not weeks.

  • Create a 3–5 color token set and name them by role.
  • Define a type scale and line-height rules up front.
  • Sketch the hero and one card component; reuse across pages.
  • Prototype interactions in CSS before adding JS.

Keep momentum by shipping a thin vertical slice: a home page with a working header, footer, and one reusable content block. Once the spine is stable, add the blog and contact page. This lean workflow keeps you focused on outcomes while still delivering a stylish, modern website.