All Posts, Web Design, Web Development
I think its safe to say that each designer has their own way of doing things. When it comes to how to start a new web design project, there are quite a few ways to get started. I’m not going to say that any one way is right or wrong, but each direction does have its own benefits and trials. For example some starting points may take way more time then they need to and delay the actual development process. While others are have too much of a shotgun approach and may leave you doing more cleanup in the long run then necessary had there been more planning at the beginning.
Let me start off with the way we at Design Theory get started with a new web project. Again, no way is right or wrong, this is just a transparent look into our world.
1. Wire frame: Once your contract is signed and a deposit is paid, our graphic design team starts designing a mock home page. Depending on what the client’s needs and requests are, most layouts are pretty standard. We start off with a wire frame of boxes and rectangles as placeholders for content and images. Logo here, banner there, ads here, text and content here, images there. Once this is created for both the home page and at least one sub page, it will be passed on to the client for approval and signing. We don’t move forward unless we get a signed copy back.
2. Designing the Mock-Up: This part is a little fun because you’ll start to bring in some colors and realistic elements using Fireworks or Photoshop. Any design app that allows you to use layers. Then head over to Lipsum to grab some text filler for page body areas. Use the company logo and position it where you think it will best fit. Try some page backgrounds or menu colors and boarders to see how much more live the design looks. You may also want to design a few other sub page variations as well as the contact us page here too. Again, you’ll send this phase to the client for approval and signing.
3. Slicing: Some call this PSD to HTML, but the concept basically is cutting up all those layers and graphical elements from your design into individual graphic files. For example, the logo will now be saved as its own file with a transparent background, and so will the banner, and the menu boxes minus the text. Slice the navigation bar into buttons or formulate a working htm file for dropdown and linking functionality. You’re pretty much breaking down every part of your design to prep the development team to build the site.
4. Development: This is the fun part. Depending on whether or not your a coder I should say. At this stage you’ve got all the right elements sized or scaled to what they’re supposed to be. The functionality of menus and widgets have been explained and demonstrated so you can do everything you need to in a timely manor without any more interaction from the client. During the build process, you’ll also be checking for browser compatibility, what is actually see above the fold, font sizing, CSS, and overall flow of the each page.
5. Double-Checking: Hopefully at this point there are a fresh set of eyes overlooking the project. Check for broken or incorrect links, image alt tags, site map, spelling, grammar, lines and balance and attention to detail. Within our design firm we’re happy to have a content writer who’s not afraid to pick and tear apart our sites during development for inconsistencies and errors where we may have ignored or missed along the way. (Thanks Yvonne!) After this step is when you’ll want to present a semi-polished preview to your client. Having your ducks in a row will save your client from noticing small errors and focusing on the big picture. In my experience this stage is rather crucial because if you can’t get them to focus on the overall design and functionality, they’ll run you crazy on the minor imperfections that you can probably fix just as fast as they find them while on the phone.
That’s a brief run-down of what we do at our design firm. I hope this is helpful to you. If you have another way on how you start your design projects, please share in the comments below!
About Design Theory
There are a bunch of movies in which individuals team up to take on obstacles they never could have faced alone. My absolute favorites are the Lord of the Rings trilogy in which a group of nine set out to destroy a ring and a Dark Lord. While in the movies, the forming of the Fellowship was a bit more of a volunteer effort, the books tell of a more deliberate approach. Each individual was selected for their particular strengths and how they could best accomplish the goal of saving the world.
While creating a web platform for your business might not equate to “saving the world” per se, the fact is that having a good website gives your business a competitive edge that other marketing methods simply can’t. It can help mobile users find you, help reach a global market, and so much more.
While there are individuals that claim to do it all, the fact of the matter is that no one person can do everything well. Even superheroes have holes in their skillset, and that’s okay…unless you need Kryptonite disposal and you’ve hired Superman. You don’t want to end up with a site that isn’t visually pleasing or whose code keeps search engines from ranking you properly.
Here at Design Theory, I’m fortunate enough to work alongside amazing professionals who are awesome at what they do and who work great together. Design is not my strong suite, but I know that I’m working with people who actually know what kerning is or who understand UI design far better than I ever will. That’s better for clients because they get a strong site that fulfills their business goals with an appealing design and clean, valid code.
So next time it feels like your website needs a redesign, contact us at Design Theory. We’ll go to the ends of (Middle) Earth for you.
Who are some of your favorite teams–movie, sports, superhero or otherwise? Let me know in the comments!
All Posts, Content & Copywriting
Charles Dickens was an Englishman, social critic and author of some of the world’s most well-known fiction stories and hailed as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. Great Expectations was set in 1812 and follows the life of Pip, an orphan child who is on an amazing journey of personal growth and character development to become a proper gentleman. Uh, Yvonne…What in the world does this have to do with the business industry? Don’t give up on me yet… The original ending of the book was later revised based on another editorial critic who said that its predecessor was far too sad. So with ego slightly bruised, Dickens rewrote it (Yeah, someone asked Charles Dickens to rewrite one of the most renowned literary pieces in history!) so that Pip marries Estella instead of the original ending which had them passing each other on the street with no apparent love or future in sight. It was then hailed as one of the most brilliant stories and influential literary pieces to be held in ones hands before best-seller lists existed.
Fast forward to 2012. You’ve got this nice small/medium-sized business that’s been running pretty well for several years but with the current “recession” in full swing, you’ve hit a bit of a speed bump (or maybe several nails in 3 tires). You’re sales are down and Abe Lincoln is the reflection of your ROI. You drive to your office wondering if sooner than later your doors will look like one of many that have “Now Leasing” over the door instead of your company sign above it. So what’s a business owner to do when you feel like you can’t spare a nickel, let alone a check with more than (2) 0’s to boost your business and the bottom line? Rethink and re-strategize. Let’s learn from that earlier Dickens example.
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Dickens’ Great Expectations
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Business in Jeopardy
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| An established masterpiece of literature that already had a solid reputation & some notable success |
A well-established but slowly declining business with a seemingly solid clientele but not producing an adequate profit margin. Needing to resort to downsizing personnel, departments or “doing away with” vital parts of your business because of funding. |
| An outside critic thought he could make it better |
Believe it or not, an outside source sometimes can have the best perspective of what your business needs to survive. Sometimes when we’re too close to it, we need a lens adjustment to see outside of what we have been doing and expand our perspective outside of “what we already know”. |
| Considered another outcome. The change embraced and implemented helped the book become one of the greatest among classical literature and Dickens was hailed as a literary genius. |
Maybe it’s a website if you don’t have one. Maybe it’s
rebranding and testing the market with a new look/feel for your online and print marketing materials. Strategize as if it’s business warfare and the life of your business depends on it. Most times how we start is not always how we finish and it’s ok to embrace that. Oftentimes that is the sweetest success and thus the story of getting there! |
Rethink and re-strategize to meet the goal(s) at hand! Don’t be afraid to shift the paradigm or how you think about your business and its road to success!
I’m sure Dickens didn’t expect anyone to come along and tweak his masterpiece but surprisingly, he was open to the idea that someone may just have a better way. The Great Expectations Pip had, were constantly evolving with every ebb and flow of life and unforeseen circumstance. For the sake of the novels success, Dickens was forced to consider the revision if he wanted to see Great Expectations become all that it deserved to be and that which he desired.
What are you willing to do to achieve the Great Expectations you have for your masterpiece?
Web Design
Do you have difficulty getting visitors to come to your website?
The first thought that may go through your mind is that you’re not marketing enough, but you may be overlooking a common problem. Most people who do a search on Google.com don’t spend very much time deciding whether the website they clicked on is where they want to be. Typically, the decision to stay or go will happen within 7 seconds, which is commonly known as the 7 second rule. To ensure visitors are staying on your website after those first 7 seconds your website needs to have:
1. Easily accessible information
2. A user-friendy layout (clear and concise navigation)
3. An attractive design
Here are some examples of websites that DO NOT provide users with these three important design concepts:
Serene-Naturist.com
This website has so many design no-nos, I don’t even know where to begin! First off, all of the extra graphics, such as the butterflies, really distract you from what the website is really about. Secondly, the design does not look professional at all, giving it the impression that it was made by a 10 year old. You definitely don’t want that if you’re going to run a professional business. Also, the page loads very slowly because of the plethora of images and moving graphics that are completely unnecessary.
ChesterTourist.com
This website suffers from what I call “information overload.” The user doesn’t know where to click. There are just way too many links that are placed everywhere and not organized. This website would be a lot easier to navigate if the designer had grouped the links into categories and displayed them in one menu (e.g., a drop down menu).
Those were examples of BAD website design. Here are some examples of GOOD website design:
First Church of the Living God
This website is one of our own (created by the Design Theory team) and highlights some very good aspects of design. Unlike ChesterTourist.com, the navigation is very clear and concise. If you hover over the links on the navigation bar near the top you will see how much easier the website is to navigate with the links grouped into categories and displayed in a drop-down menu, which is what ChesterTourist.com should have done with their links. As you can see, the website is clearly about a church and the information (our services, media, events, etc.) is easily accessible and presented in an attractive, easy-to-read format.
Preston Dental Care
This is another website that we (the Design Theory team) have designed. Again, the navigation is very clear and concise, and easy-to-read. If you want to find out more about what services Preston Dental Care offers, the link for “Services” is right in front of you in large letters.
A very simple, easy-to-read layout is very important for getting more users to come to your website. I think the worst thing you can do is confuse the user. Your business may have the best product or service in the world, but if you don’t present it in a way that is easily accessible on your website, you will have a lot of trouble getting new customers.
Check out our design portfolio if you want to see more examples of GOOD designs 🙂
What about you? Have you seen any websites recently that you loved, or maybe some you wish you hadn’t seen?
All Posts, Marketing, Web Design
So you made the jump from a safe, warm, and cozy job to the freedom of freelancing. You’ve dreamt about it for so long, wondering how the sun feels during the day while you were locked away behind a fluorescent lit cubicle isles and rows from the nearest window. Well you’ve arrived; so now what? How are you going to pay your bills, grow your skills, and market your skills on a shoe-string budget? Keep reading…
One of the more important characteristics of a successful is maintaining a steady flow of work. That work may come from agencies, current, or new clients. To me, each creative will find their own way to attain their own work but below are a few tips to try:
Online Agencies: These are good because most of the risk is on them so long as you hold up your end of the bargain. If you’re great at creating logos, but really don’t like to get into haggling and negotiating prices, these places are for you. You can create a profile, list your skills, and post your rate per hour or project. Then wait for the emails to come in. You’ll want to do some market research though so that you’re not too high or too low that you price yourself out of work or respect.
Network Locally: This one may be a step out of your comfort zone. Yes we have social media now a days and we can hide behind our keyboards, smart phones, and laptops but live networking still is held in high regard. Find out when and where other business professionals are hanging out after hours; then be there with them. Bring your business cards, but don’t pass them out like free tickets. Instead try making conversation first. Ask individuals what they do and repeat it back to them along with points of view while including their name here and there to show that you are paying attention to them. Before you know it, they’ll ask you for your card and then you can tell them about how awesome you are at design and how much fun you have helping people grow their business and brand.
Sponsor a Community Event: Pro-bono may be a great way to start out especially if you’re skittish about how people may appreciate your work. It’s also great experience in dealing with customers. You’ll run into all kinds, and before long you’ll have favorites and you’ll have some you wish you never met. As a self-starter, your reputation is everything so doing a free design or website for a local church could win you a lot of “oooohhhs” and “ahhhhs” from the members who all work in the community. A few thank yous and nice words from some non-profit organizations that rub shoulders with city officials could propel you to great levels. So even though the money may not have been there, you’ll still have new material for your portfolio, highly visible clientele, and letters of recognition you can tout around like trophies.
Embrace Social Media: This one comes with a grain of salt. There are many outlets out there to use. Find two or three that you can really wrap your mind around and feel comfortable using – and use them! Post daily, post often, but keep in mind you’re looking to engage first. The selling of your skills will be evident enough in your bio. Use it to showcase new designs you created. Get people to rate or comment on your work or even offer opinions and feedback. Learn how to strike up good conversations that may provide some great insight to someone’s problem or project and that could land you a job right then and there or not long down the road since you sound like you know what you’re talking about.
Your Portfolio: Well after showing off and practicing your elevator speech, you must have a place for all these people to view your work and vet your skills. Even if you don’t want to set up a full-out 50 page website that has all types of forms, sub pages, and FAQ’s with endless breadcrumbs, you should still have an online presence. I’ve seen some really nice designer websites that were nothing more than full-width graphics stacked, scrolling, or animated with just a contact page with a phone number and 3 line form. Be versatile though with your displays so that businesses of most industries can envision you doing their work and not think you’re just a niche designer. Unless however you want to be tied to a specific industry. Nothing wrong with that. Let me also mention blogging. A great way to provide great tips on your trade that not only shows insight, but proves you are the authority on that subject matter.
Well for those of you who’ve been doing this for some time, why not offer some tips to others in the comments below.
