After getting the brief from client, I will start working on the direction, when the direction got approved, I design the rest.
My process: Get brief — Research, analyse and brainstorm to find the right direction — Get feedbacks — Tweak feedbacks and finalize design — Approved — Working on the rest of page and responsive.
*Ideal brief: Tell me about your business/project (application or website), how many pages/screens, content provided, all the elements or requirements relevant to your project (images, type, files, logos, color palette,...), references (your inspiration, which kind of design you are looking for, some links of websites/applications that have the style you like)