What are the steps that I should be taking in order to create an award winning web design?

The exact process will vary slightly from designer to designer, but the basics are the same:

Information Gathering

Planning

Design

Development

Testing and Delivery

Maintenance

get an  idea before developing the website/web app and then u will find the way along. rest the processes design 

First of all, i Do research before share the final design to client and below is the order of create the website  

Step 1 - Steategy - in this step, I will gathering the information from client.

Step 2 - Scope - Understand the scope of the project.

Step 3 - Structure - Create information architecture. 

Step 4 - Sketeton - Create wireframe

Step 5 - Surface - Propose award winning website 

First collect information aboout what you want to design.

Arrange your information

Think of a design

Start your design

Create it neatly

Test it and ask for suggestions from others

then deploy it

Thank you for the invitation

01. Define what success means

02. Put your thoughts on paper first

03. Start sketching a top-level framework

04. Add a grid

05. Choose your typography

06. Select your colour theme

07. Divide the layout

08. Rethink the established

09. Think in motion

10. Prototype, prototype, prototype

11. Challenge yourself

12. Pay attention to the details

13. Refine every component

14. Sharpen your work

15. Tidy up your design files

16. Design the best case; prepare for the worst

17. Obsess over the design until you hate it

18. Share designs with clients early on

19. Be your developer's best friend

20. Present things as clearly as possible 

21. Don't get too attached to your ideas

22. Follow your design into development 

23. Show your work in progress

Develop an  idea before developing the website/web app and then u will find the way along. rest the processes design and continuous improvement is another stage. 

The basics are:

Collection and analysis of information

Planning

the design

Development

Test and delivery

Maintenance work

https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/11/strategic-design-6-steps-for-building-successful-websites/

You need to understand the requirements first and then main focus on an attractive design. This steps are good guidelines

Planning

Design

Development

Testing and Delivery

Maintenance

This about the requirements of your web site or you goal. some websites are very good but can't provide the information for which the user come to that sites, so must be very relatively informative, clean design and simple navigation b/w sections and topics. must be available to all platforms i.e. browsers, tablets and mobile via HTML5 and java techniques

1.ESTABLISH YOUR GOALS

2. IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE

 3.DETERMINE YOUR BRAND IMAGE 

4.focus all the design elements towards meeting those goals