I read the following quote in a NextD conversation with Dr. Betinna von Stamm about innovations in organizations.

If you have found the right designers to work with you on Corporate Identity – and by ‘right’ I mean that they take a strategic approach, challenge your assumptions and want to understand about the company’s culture and ambition before moving on to the actual visuals and communications – you will have experienced the benefits of working with a designer.

The same is true if you hire the right Web developer or Web design firm. The right developer does not simply build. There needs to be a real understanding of the clients goals and ambitions. It’s vital that the client’s assumptions be challenged, because often the client does not know how to manifest a mission into a Web site.