A Growth-Driven Design (GDD) wishlist is a prioritised inventory of website features, modules, and design elements based on user data and business goals. Instead of building every feature upfront, marketers use the wishlist to launch a streamlined launchpad website, introducing the remaining features iteratively based on live user behaviour.
The Role of the Wishlist in Agile Web Design
Traditional website design attempts to implement every single feature and design idea in one massive, linear project. This often results in websites that launch late, run over budget, and are built on outdated assumptions.
Growth-Driven Design (GDD) is an agile alternative. It relies on launching a functional, core website quickly and then using hard data to guide continuous improvements. To execute this, development teams must compile a wishlist. The wishlist acts as a strategic backlog of every function, action, or design idea you want your website to eventually include.
Craig Wiltshire, CEO of Struto, highlights why this shift in methodology is critical for modern businesses:
"After witnessing first-hand how ineffectual traditional methods of website design can be, it was clear to me that the processes traditionally defining the way we build websites and maintain them were intrinsically flawed, and that a change in approach and mindset was long overdue. I knew we needed something fresh, effective and innovative, for not only our clients but for ourselves as well."
3 Steps to Creating a Growth-Driven Design Wishlist
Building an effective wishlist requires moving from broad assumptions to targeted, data-backed priorities. Follow these three steps to build and execute your list.
Step 1: Collect Data and Define User Journeys
Your GDD approach should begin with strategic thinking regarding your market. You must ask the hard questions to define your buyer personas: What do they need? What friction points do they experience? What specific actions do you want them to take on your site?
Answer these questions using qualitative and quantitative data from your customer relationship management (CRM) database. Brainstorm every possible website feature that could serve these user journeys and add them all to your master wishlist.
Step 2: Prioritise Features Using the 80/20 Rule
Once you have a comprehensive list of functions, actions, and designs, you must prioritise them. Not every feature is necessary for the website to function effectively on day one.
Review your master wishlist and apply the 80/20 rule. Select the 20% of items from your initial list that will provide 80% of the business impact and user value. These high-priority items become the foundation of your initial build, while the remaining 80% stay on the wishlist for future development phases.
Step 3: Implement, Monitor, and Iterate
Take your highly prioritised list and build your launchpad website. The goal is to deploy quickly so you can start gathering real-world performance data.
When organisations deploy launchpad websites using modular platforms like HubSpot CMS Hub, they typically reach measurable time to value in an average of 32 days.*
Once the site is live, use user behaviour tools like Hotjar and HubSpot Analytics to monitor how visitors respond. Use this live data to validate your initial assumptions. Based on these insights, return to your master wishlist, select the next most impactful feature, and build it into the site during your continuous improvement cycles.
[Results and timelines are based on historical programme data and defined scope. Your outcomes depend on data readiness, resourcing and agreed assumptions. See terms.]
People Also Ask
What is a launchpad website?
A launchpad website is a fully functional, core-feature site launched quickly under the Growth-Driven Design methodology. It is designed to look professional and perform essential functions while allowing teams to start gathering live user data for future iterations.
How do you prioritise a website wishlist?
Website wishlists are prioritised using an impact-versus-effort matrix or the 80/20 rule. Teams identify the core 20% of features that will generate 80% of the immediate value for the user, pushing complex or lower-impact ideas to the backlog for future development.
Why is Growth-Driven Design better than traditional web design?
Traditional web design requires large upfront costs, long development timelines, and relies on untested assumptions. Growth-Driven Design mitigates these risks by launching a smaller, data-driven site quickly, allowing businesses to adapt their digital experience continuously based on real user feedback.
Are you looking to launch a high-performing website without the traditional delays? Book an outcomes consultation to see how Struto builds agile, data-driven digital experiences on HubSpot CMS Hub.
