Website Redesign Assumptions Log
This is a practical guide to building a assumptions log for a website redesign project — a register of the assumptions the plan depends on, to be validated, adapted to the realities of redesigning an existing website.
What a Assumptions Log is
A assumptions log is a register of the assumptions the plan depends on, to be validated. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Project Assumption. On a website redesign project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for a Website Redesign project
Website Redesign projects live or die on redesigning an existing website. A well-built assumptions log gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how website redesign projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Assumption
- Impact if wrong
- Owner
- Validation status
Website Redesign-specific considerations
Tailor the assumptions log to the risks that most often derail website redesign projects:
- Scope creep
- Content migration
- SEO preservation
Example
On a real website redesign project, the assumptions log would be shaped by redesigning an existing website. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — scope creep, content migration, SEO preservation — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.