Why a test drive, not a mockup
Static mockups in Figma or Canva are useful for colour and layout discussions, but they do not tell you how the page actually feels when you navigate it, how fast it loads, or whether the copy reads naturally in context. This step skips straight to the real thing.
From the discussions in step 1 — goals, the existing site, and its complexity — the developer builds an initial version of the Next.js site in Cursor. It lives on a Git branch so you can open it in a browser, click around, and feel how it works. Real feedback surfaces here: pages that need reordering, copy that lands wrong, features that should or should not be there — all before any final agreement or production deploy.
How Cursor is used
Cursor is an AI-assisted code editor — the IDE — where the developer writes and edits the Next.js source directly. The AI model helps write boilerplate, suggest component structures, and speed up refactors. The developer decides what actually goes into the codebase and what gets committed to Git.
There is no WordPress plugin or theme to configure — each component is explicit code in the repository. What you see on the site is a direct product of what is in the source files.
Git branches and commit history
Work happens on a named branch — not directly on the production line. Each meaningful change is committed with a clear message, so the full history of what was done, when, and why is readable and reversible. If something goes wrong, rolling back is straightforward.
$ git checkout -b feature/new-services-page
$ git commit -m "add services page with pricing section"
$ git commit -m "update hero copy per client brief"
$ git push origin feature/new-services-page
Pushing the branch is also what triggers the preview build in step 3 — the host sees the push and creates a shareable URL.
What happens before the contract is signed
The test-drive phase happens before a formal project contract. Both sides can see and react to something real, which makes the scope conversation much more concrete. Once the preview is reviewed and the direction is agreed, that is when the formal agreement is written to match — covering scope, timeline, payment, and ownership.
Signing the contract is the green light to merge toward production. More on that in step 3.