Thursday, March 25, 2010

Why Web Design Takes Soooooooo Long

Its been a while since my last post for a number of reasons. One being I couldn't think of something pertinent to blog about. While slaving away on a client website I realized something: WEB DESIGN TAKES FOREVER. And that is the subject of today's post.

I'm a graphic designer. Graphic. Not Web. For many companies and individuals looking to hire a freelancer or in-house person, the two jobs become interchangeable. Let me start by saying they are not. Graphic designers tend to be more classically trained in print mediums. Along with our required Adobe courses, we may take illustration classes or painting--and always a font class. Why? Because we start school with the knowledge that most of what we do will end up in a brochure, on a billboard, or some other type of paper. At best we get only one, extremely brief, introduction to web. Web designers have a very different set of problems to face when they sit down to create. They have to worry about accessibility, cross-browser compatibility, usability and any number of other things. Some graphic designers also have training in web design and vice versa, but its rare to find a person who is equally strong in both areas. Armed with all this knowledge, you'd think that I would have re-examined my approach to this project. You'd be wrong. 

Once my client made it clear that I would be the one handling the site re-design, I was excited. Thinking about "how cool" I could make it look over took my entire thought process. I spent hours online daily looking at web design examples from all over the design community. Issue 1: I planned form before function. When designing for print, clients usually know what they want--say a brochure--and may know roughly what they want it to say. Neither the client or the designer has to think about "how will the recipient use this?" because print brochures only have one level of interactivity. You either read it or you don't. Web sites are a different matter. Lesson 1: You have to plan out how your site will work--the navigation, the content, page hierarchy, ect.--before you work on hardcore aesthetics.

After realizing my mistake, I tossed out all the work I'd done so far and started sketching. And sketching. And sketching. Until I came up with a simple, easy to navigate site. Time to start coding. I knew that I didn't want to build too much of the site in Photoshop and that I didn't want heavy Flash either because those take a long time to update and freshness of content is paramount. So what options were there for me? CSS. This markup language would allow me to create an attractive, dynamic easily up-datable site with just one simple page of text. Great! But I didn't know the first thing about typing it up so I Googled it, and got lots and lots of templates and example code. Issue 2: Websites should be treated as individuals. Issue 3: Frankenstein's Monster was a bad idea for a reason. There are a lot of places out there that sell canned websites. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against them--and on occasion have encouraged clients to purchase one as  quick means to an end--but they should never be one-size-fits-all. I tried starting with a template so I could adapt it to my needs. I adapted and tweaked and changed until it was nothing like the template I started with. Lesson 2: If you find yourself looking at templates thinking "I'll leave that off" or "I can change that and that one too" then you're better off starting from scratch. Lesson 3: Never copy a bunch of template parts and paste them together. You won't get a cohesive site.

After throwing everything out and starting yet again, I finally felt like I was well on my way to a great site.That was around a week ago. The site it still in its beginning stages and I've been working on it a few hours every day. Each day I make progress and end up deleting most of it and keeping only one change after hours of work. This may sound like it should be the 4th issue, but its really not. Its Lesson 4: Never be afraid to sacrifice your progress for good work. Granted, time may not always allow you to practically start over every day or to move at a snail's pace, but pushing through sub-par work just because you dread the thought of starting over is unacceptable.

So why does web design take so long? Its because good web designers:
  • Take the time to plan for functionality
  • Craft individual website solutions 
  • Start from scratch building a unique site
  • Test and test and test everything to make sure the user experience is the best possible
  • Start over when they have to
As a bonus, here are some great compilations of exceptional web design. You can bet that none of these were built in a day:

Friday, March 12, 2010

Cost Versus Value

I've been working with a client for a couple months on a print project. Assembling a book for sale is a big deal--especially when you choose to self publish. There are a lot of options out there that will offer new authors on a budget a helping hand, but my guy decided to go to a local print shop. Fair enough, choosing someone local gives you more control over the project. A print agent you can talk to and get real time advice from is an excellent choice for the first time self publisher who has no experience with book assembly. However, the subject of this post is not about the pros and cons of online versus local self publishing (although it might be an interesting topic to entertain at a later date) its about the dynamics of Cost and Value.

Low Cost=Low Value?
We've all heard the old adage "You get what you pay for." I agree. For instance, the offerings at Dollar Tree stores across the nation have expanded drastically in the recent years. Shelves that used to be filled with ceramic knic-knacks and cheap fake flowers now hold some really useful things, like umbrellas when the rain catches you off guard. When you buy an umbrella for a dollar, you don't expect it to be high quality, you don't expect it to last, you just expect it to be a "momentary item"--good for a few uses and completely disposable. After all, you got your money's worth.

Let's go back to my client. He chose a local print shop because of their price--their cheap price. The product he received from that shop looked, well, cheap and he was dissatisfied. In hoping to save money on the production process, my client has actually cost himself more in the long run--he now has to pay to have the book printed over again, and he's stuck with money invested a pile of product he's too displeased with to sell.  When making decisions about your product, or image, or business, remember that it should never be considered a "momentary item." Invest the time and money in yourself and your venture knowing that the value you receive in return makes it worthwhile.

High Cost=High Value?
Times are tight for everyone, and people in my line of work are feeling the crunch just as much as anyone else. Businesses usually cut marketing,and design by extension, to save money in their budgets. There are a million reasons why you shouldn't, and only one reason I can think of that you should--Cost>Value.

There's a particular clothing store that specializes in young female 20-somethings. I really liked their clothes. Yep, past tense. The price tags prohibited me from buying most things, but it was just my luck to catch a sale. I'd purchased a short sleeved casual jacket to dress up my sleeveless tops when meeting clients. I was able to get three wears out of it before the buttons, the nice buttons, came off in the wash--all of them. Granted, they are just buttons. I could go to any fabric store and pick up some plain replacements, but its the principle of the matter. I paid extra for that jacket perceiving it to be of higher quality than a Wal-Mart knock off. I was under the impression that I was making an investment and that the jacket would last until I had gotten my money's worth--the value equaled the cost. It didn't. I learned that just because something is expensive, that doesn't make it better; a very different lesson from the above paragraph but one to be taken to heart.

When examining your efforts, production, marketing, ect, be sure to evaluate what you're actually getting. Track where your business is coming from to make sure you aren't wasting marketing dollars. Shop around for manufactures to compare production costs. Re-evaluate your relationships with other businesses to make sure any partnerships really are mutually benificial. The list is endless. Just make sure that your cost doesn't out weight your value because in the end, you'll end up passing that cost along to customers and they may not be so willing to pay.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Lessons in the Life of a Business Card

I've been struggling for a long time to create a personal brand. You'd think I'd sit down and take the time to figure out how I would want to represent myself and the image I want to portray. And I have. The only thing is, I've been at this for a few years now, and I'm not the same person I was when I started. I look back at some of those designs now and am so glad I trashed them.

It all started with Japan. I wouldn't describe myself as an Asian Addict, but I've always held that country in high esteem and my early designs reflect that. As I describe my brief journey to the card I'm using now, please remember NOT to do any of these things and take it all in as a lesson of what to avoid.

Sanada Kyuu
Say that name. Its pronounced Sah-Nah-Dah Kee-you. Does that bring anything to mind? No? Exactly my point. That name doesn't mean anything. It doesn't tell you what I'm about, what I do, or who I am. Its not my first name, my last name or my middle name. Its not an animal, vegetable or mineral. Plain and simple it was a bad idea for a brand. Lesson 1: If you're going to brand yourself, pick a name that is relevant and makes sense.(side note: Sanada is the last name of a famous Japanese historical figure. Kyuu is the word for "ten"...it still doesn't make sense does it?)

Fresh
This was at the beginning of my foray into grunge. My business card was all black with white writing on it and a piece of sushi as the logo/icon. What? Exactly. I'm not a sushi chef. I don't own or work at a restaurant. I do eat sushi but that isn't something a potential client cares about. I couldn't tell you why I thought it was a good idea, I'm just glad I realized it in time. Lesson 2: Don't be misleading, intentionally or unintentionally.

Kitsune Creative
I was going through another phase, but this time I was into abstract looking images. At the same time I was doing some research for a series of fictional stories I was working on. The combination of those two things was, well, unfortunate. During my research, I found out that the etymology of the word "Kitsune", which means fox in Japanese, apparently came from an ancient Japanese folklore story. I immediately thought "fox, huh. Clever as a fox....great!" Obviously, I'd forgotten that I live in America and that the average person wouldn't speak Japanese at all let alone know anything about ancient folklore stories. Lesson 3: If you have to explain it, you may need to rethink it.

The Ox
This pretty much brings us up to present day. I've always been incredibly proud of the fact I was born in the Year of the Ox, I mean we have some pretty great attributes. I thought I should brand myself with something that was a part of me, so I began working on an icon/logo for myself. This big orange giant was my first attempt. Its a bit abstract, but I liked it. I used it for a while with a lukewarm reception. I thought "these people just don't get it" and chalked it up to their "lack of cool"--that was until a friend of mine saw it and said bluntly "what is that? It looks like a blob." Wow. Lesson 4: Your image conveys a message. If they don't get the image, they wont get the message.

So I moved on to the next ox in my life. I'd been creating a Kamon (Japanese style crest/icon) for a friend of mine to use on his business card and thought that an ox kamon would be perfect for me. Again I had the bright idea to combine elements of my two signs into one icon. That's how the "Ox under Moon" came about (I'm a Cancer, our governing planet is the moon). Not bad. But still not the modern bold statement I was looking for, plus it didn't test well. Lesson 5: Test. Test. Test. Try it out on a few people before making a big debut.

I hope my follies in business card design helped some of you out there. If you're interested in seeing the current card I'm using now, read my up coming post Design Log 1: 639. And if you have a minute, check out some of my business card designs on Zazzle. I'm always open to feed back. Remember: test, test, test! For additional reading, check out this blog post: The Basics of Business Card Design

Monday, March 8, 2010

Education of a Girl: A Lesson from the Stage and Stardom

Because of my quiet nature around others, most people don't know that I have a background in Theater. Throughout my high school years I participated in lots of plays and took classes. Once I started college, I began to re-evaluate whether or not a place on stage was for me. Ultimately, I decided against it. Even though I don't aspire to be a leading lady any longer, the lessons from that time have manifested themselves in interesting ways--which just happen to be the subject of today's post.

During my time as a Thespian, I had quite a few friends that were really talented. One in particular was a Triple Threat--he could sing, was a great tap dancer and had a certain charm about him when acting. He could do it all and do it well. It takes a special kind of business to be able to take on the attributes of a Triple Threat. More often than not, business owners that try to, expand in ways that don't connect with one another or try to do too many things at once.

A Triple Threat, in the classic sense, does the three things that are important for an actor to be able to get work--ideally on Broadway.They have their end goal and have the skills (singing, dancing and acting) necessary to make an attempt at that goal feasible. What a Triple Threat isn't is an actor, make up artist and set builder. These are not linear skills because two of the three listed are back stage jobs, a completely different line of work.

When a business ventures to add more products or services, trying to appeal to or gain more customers, they enter dangerous territory when they don't go linear. For example: a bakery could also be a coffee shop. Baked goods + coffee=good. A bakery could serve light lunches as well. Baked goods + lunch=cafe. Also good. However, a bakery should never join forces with a butchers. Even though they both sell food, baked goods + raw meat=bad. If you're thinking about expanding your offerings in order to cater to a wider range of customers, take the next logical step and keep it linear.

Believe it or not, competition was pretty stiff in high school. As with anything, there were a few overachievers who had decided early on that the stage was their calling. In hopes of standing out, some of the girls were not only good singers and actors, they specialized in more than one type of dance, or took an interest in gymnastics or learned to sing in other languages. Granted those are all admirable skills to have, but in all reality, they should have just worked on their acting. In trying to be a "Jack of all Trades" they made themselves "The Master of None" and effectively lost sight of what they were hoping to accomplish--being famous for their acting.

Some business owners fall into this same trap. They tack on so many new services that they can't do any one thing exceptionally well. The first example that comes to mind is Miami Subs. We used to have a Miami Subs here in Tallahassee. Until I actually visited the fast food chain, I had assumed that they were like Larry's Giant Subs or a Subway. I was totally wrong. Yes they had sandwiches but their menu goes on for days! They even went so far as to carry Kenny Roger's Chicken and Nathan's Hot Dogs at one point. With a menu that all over the place, it was hard for them to stand out for one delicious dish that would keep customers coming back--so they didn't come back.

The next example is a success story of sorts. Hardee's used to have a menu just as horrible as Miami Subs. When they realized that a more linear approach would help them attract new customers, they ditched the fried chicken and focused on being a better burger joint. With their ThickBugers leading the way, the franchise that was on the brink of food oblivion is now enjoying measurable success. The important point here is: it is better to be known for one great thing than a thousand mediocre attempts.

For my last example, I really wanted to drive my point home with a "phenomenon" we can all relate to: the Singer-Turned-Actor. Some singers and pop idols try their hand at acting, hoping that their celebrity will help rocket them to the top. Cases include: Jessica Simpson, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Mos Def, Jennifer Hudson, and Mandy Moore. Good first step, after all it is linear skill. However, taking a linear step does not always equate to talent on the other end. Whether or not someone is "good" at acting is all a matter of opinion; the point I want to make here is we've all had the thought "why did he/she think they could act" regardless of whose new movie we were watching. Just because you do one thing very well, don't assume you can do everything very well, whether it happens to be a linear skill or not.

It all comes down to evaluating your strengths and weaknesses before expanding your business. Build on your strengths, expand with your strengths, strengthen your weaknesses but never assume collecting a lot of weaknesses will make you stronger.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Creative Briefs

It took me a few days to get back in a posting mood. I've been working and working on getting part 2 of the "Lifestyle" post ready but its still forming and not ready for its debut. With nothing but side projects going on I wasn't sure what to post about today, then I thought about my totally awesome friend Dan Volkens. Dan is a web designer by profession but we met through his blog because we both have a love of all things Volkswagen.

I was working away on a web re-design for one of my freelance clients and had hit a wall. I drew sketch after sketch, looked at a bunch of examples, tried a few things and still wasn't happy. After a few weeks of spinning my wheels and getting nowhere I thought "I should really get some help on this." Luckily, I remembered Dan. He was nice enough to take the time to help me out by pointing me to resources I could actually use.

Although there are a lot of things I could talk about because I learned so much, I'll focus on one thing at a time. Today is the most important thing I took away from Dan's advice:

Do a Creative Brief. Silly me, I'd forgotten all about this. When I proposed a re-design to my client as a part of their marketing effort, I never thought I would be doing it. I was excited initially to be able to have so much control over the project and started searching the web for other websites that looked cool. I foolishly assumed I could take all the best parts from other websites, mash them together and come out on top with the best site on the web. FAIL. The more I tried to imitate other sites the more I hated the end result. I started to think that I was missing something...but what?? Duh. I was missing what the site was supposed to be all about. I hadn't sat down and fleshed out what I wanted to accomplish beyond just having a trendy looking site. Take my advice and don't skip this step for any creative project, web or otherwise. Here are 4 simple questions to get you on the right track:
  1. What am I trying to accomplish? (i.e. to inform, to entertain, to persuade)
  2. What is my message? What do I want people to know?
  3. Who am I talking too?
  4. How will I communicate my message?
I concluded that 1.) I'm trying to inform people with the website. 2.) I want people to know about the nightly specials at this night club. I want them to know that the club is also for rent for special events. I want them to know where the night club is. 3.) I'm talking to Tallahassee college students who like to go to dance clubs 4.) I will communicate my message online with a website that lists the specials, has a calendar of upcoming events, has a form for requesting space rental, has "share this" options, and has Google map links for directions.

Now that I know what my goal for the site is I can now focus on the design elements that will make the site function the way I want it to but that's a post for another day :) For now, if you want to learn more about Creative Briefs, read this article on Graphic Define. Its great!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Give Your Customers Credit: Examining a Thin Line

I know that I've been talking about customer service a lot lately. So sue me. I'm a customer and I love it when I get good service. Today I'm going to talk about the tight rope business owners walk when courting their customers.

I'm just going to come right out and say it, convenience is important to customers--but you already knew that. Thinking about it logically, if you make it hard for your customers to patronize your business because of weird hours, a crazy location or any number of things, then they will take their business elsewhere. However, in an effort to make things easy for the customer, business owners end up mollycoddling them.

Give your customer some credit. (1)They can handle it if you aren't open every day. Case in point, boutique cafes are usually closed on Mondays. No big deal. If the service is good and the food is amazing, customers will make the extra effort to make time to eat there. Managing "open door" days can help you manage overhead and give your shop a more "exclusive" feel, just make sure you keep to a regular schedule. (2) They like you for you. Meaning, you don't have to reinvent yourself constantly to keep them interested. A little "tuck and tighten" to keep things fresh is always welcome but if you enjoy loyal clientele and make steady money then a radical change is dangerous. You risk alienating your regulars and potentially picking a direction that turns everyone off--including new customers. (3) They want to be on your side. Don't mess this up. I speak this from personal experience. When I patronize a place I want them to succeed--at least initially. If I receive good service and good product (or food if its a restaurant) I want to come back. I want to recommend it to friends. I want to host parties there. I want to be on their team. Some business owners approach every customer as a challenge to be overcome when they should be approached as a friend to be won.

With everyone holding on to their purse strings a little tighter these days, customer service is getting more attention even in big companies, but small companies still have the advantage. They can walk this thin line between customer respect and just being patronizing. Pop out that umbrella, take a deep breath and give it a try.