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Business & Process (Archive)

Page 1 of 5 (45 total articles)
  • December 2, 2008 in Business & Process

    Design Interprets. Design Speaks. Design Matters.

    A couple of weeks ago, I posted an article featuring various Bible designs and explaining how they serve as an interpretive layer on top of the biblical text. This concept of design as interpretation has deep implications for designers. Our work acts as a series of bridges between raw data, solutions, and people. When one of these bridges has a green wire crossed with a red wire, the whole system may fail to accomplish its task. But how do we get it right? What are the rules? Where are our personal tastes legitimate, and where are they harmful? And how can we best ensure that we are we are both interpreting correctly and that our solution matches our interpretation?

  • November 11, 2008 in Business & Process

    What to do When the World Wants to Cut Web Design from the Budget

    It's no secret that marketing and technology budgets are the first to get thrown overboard when money gets tight. The web designer is in the unfortunate position of fitting squarely into both of those categories. Also, unlike our sister graphic design, web design has never seen hard times like we're moving into now. We were in uncharted seas to begin with, and now a storm is coming. But are the results of a tightening belt destined to be only grim? Absolutely not. We will weather this storm and come out the other side all the better as long as we stay long-sighted and stick to a few basic principles.

  • September 24, 2008 in Business & Process

    Designers Beware: 10 Warning Signs of a Bad Client

    No other force has more power to make or break the spirit of the web designer than the all important client. The good ones make us love our work and the bad ones can make us wish we were dead. Sometimes when it gets really bad, we have to fire a client. But wouldn't it be great if we could tell the good ones from the bad ones right away and avoid them like we would bad fruit at the market? I don't think it will ever be quite that simple. There will always be a few bad apples that sneak in under the radar. But over the years I've learned a few warning signs that are dead giveaways for hard-to-please, controlling, whiny and/or needy clients. If you come across a potential client with one of these, think twice about the project. If they have two or three, run the other way.

  • June 25, 2008 in Business & Process

    12 Tools I Use Every Day as an Independent Web Designer

    Every web designer has a list of favorite tools—a set of indispensable programs and resources that we couldn't live a day without. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for us there is constantly a newer, better tool emerging for just about everything a web designer does daily. I thought it would be interesting and helpful to share my current list of die-without-it web design tools. Of course, by the time I actually post this article, the list will probably have changed; but that's the nature of the industry.

  • June 11, 2008 in Business & Process

    Coaxing Web Content: How to Get Your Clients to Get You the Content You Need

    Coaxing web content can be one of the most frustrating parts of being a web designer. It's a part of our work that's completely out of our control; and yet a job is never complete without it. No matter how well you stick to your time-line, or how hard you work to meet deadlines, or how on-top-of-it you are, missing content will shut you down. When you can't finish a project, you can't get paid. And when you can't get paid, potential bad situation start becoming reality. Unless you write copy for your clients, I'm sure you've had a bad experience with web content at one time or another. That's why the art of coaxing content is such a desirable skill. Here are some tips for sharpening that skill and keeping your projects rolling.

  • June 2, 2008 in Business & Process

    The Web Design Cycle: Landing Redesign Jobs with Clients You Love

    After a few years in the web design industry you'll inevitably reach a point where your first clients will be ready for a redesign of your original work. This is a critical stage in the development of a web design business. Every month you progress into this second cycle of business, you have the potential to both procure new clients and revitalize relationships with old ones. It's a time when you either tread water or press ahead. Having been through this cycle several times, I've made plenty of mistakes; but I I've come out the other side with some solid strategies for taking advantage of the redesign cycle. If managed carefully, you can build a lasting business foundation and a client base you love to work for.

  • May 28, 2008 in Business & Process

    Managing a Web Project from Start to Finish

    Every web designer has a process--a sequential order of tasks that is used to guide the development of a website from start to finish. Some of us are deliberate about our process, and some of us follow ingrained habits; but we all have a way we like to do things. I think this subject of web project management is one worth discussing and revisiting frequently as the web design industry grows and matures. Of course, every project is unique and requires some deviation from preconceived road maps and ideal flow. But it helps to consider what steps work best in what order to avoid common pitfalls. Over the last eight years designing websites as a freelancer, I've developed a fairly solid process for building a website. I'll be walking through that process in this article. I welcome comments from other designers who work on teams, under employers, and in other situations.

  • May 5, 2008 in Business & Process

    Web Designer Reputation: Convincing the World You Know What You're Doing

    The legitimacy of web design as a profession is firmly established at this point. But in many ways it's still a vocation in limbo. We're caught somewhere between computer science and art--two fields that have previously been viewed as polar opposites. And specializing in either of them doesn't necessarily qualify you to be a web designer. Some of us work alone managing all the aspects of web design from start to finish. Some of us work on teams where all the little parts of web design process are broken out and divvied up. But in the end we all end up with a similar product--a website. So how do you build up a reputation in an industry that has no real standard--where similar products are being produced by such a diverse group of people with diverse skill sets? In this article, I'm going to list and discuss five areas that require serious consideration if you want a good reputation as a web designer.

  • April 21, 2008 in Business & Process

    Dear Client, You Have a Website, Remember?

    In the past few years, many traditional businesses have started focusing on their website as the primary point for communication and marketing. And it's not surprising; the depth and efficiency that is gained by a well developed website is hard to ignore. At the same time, though, I've found that many of the same business owners and marketing departments are hesitant when it comes to setting budgets and spending time. They've rationally made the switch to web-driven marketing, but the familiarity of the old habits are too ingrained to just drop off and die without a fight. That's where we come in to do battle for our clients. It's a place where we can improve our client's business and increase our own business at the same time. This article is a step-by-step guide to positioning yourself for the victory.

  • April 14, 2008 in Business & Process

    Party Like It's 1989: A Web Designer's Guide to Disconnecting

    I don't remember much about 1989. After all, I was eight. But I do remember that there was a significant difference in the way people communicated. There were times when you just couldn't get hold of someone. Family outings and vacations were automatically acts of disconnection. There was really no way around it. That feeling of removal and seclusion is so foreign in the modern climate of connectedness that it almost seems impossible that it ever existed. And choosing web design as a vocation only heightens the pressure to be connected. Is it even possible for a web worker to unplug? If so, is it appropriate for a web worker to unplug? After all, aren't you doing your clients or employer a disservice by not being available?

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