"To be prepared is half the victory."
January 27, 2011
When someone hires me to make a site, they often expect a mockup right away. While it is possible to jump immediately into the design, I don't recommend it. As Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra says, "To be prepared is half the victory." Creating a website is more than just design–it's about organizing your information, targeting your audience, communicating effectively, and being consistent with your brand identity. In order to effectively address these points I go through a step-by-step process involving the following elements:
A site map
Simply put, a site map is a map of your navigation and all your pages. You can think of it as an outline to your entire site. When done early on, it enhances and helps manage project efficiency and client expectation. Your site map will not only act as a solid base of reference throughout the development of your site, it will also be your go-to for updating and evolving your website. A site map also helps you, the client, create the content you need for your site. By knowing exactly what pages will exist on your site, you can create content appropriate for each page. This avoids unnecessary duplication of content and more focused communication on each page. Of course, a site map is flexible and can change throughout the process. The closer we are to one that is just right, however, the more efficient the whole process will be.
Wireframes
Wireframes are basic sketches of the elements for each page. This is incredibly useful for focusing on the content of each page without being distracted by the design. At this stage I like to make sure we have appropriate headlines, appropriate copy, effective call to actions, and the necessary elements to make each page's user interface effective, complete, and easy-to-use. By using wireframes we focus on determining the best information design for each page for an effectively functioning web site with a positive user experience.
At last! The mockups
Now we are ready to apply design to our blueprint and foundation! We can focus on design knowing that everything else is taken care of and accounted for. Usually I create a mockup for a basic page before working on more pages. Once I receive client approval on the design, I'll code out most, if not all, of the site. The client will then have an opportunity to try out the site and make sure everything is in place before making it live.
By using this process you can rest assured that your website will be fabulous!
Teaching makes perfect, or not.
October 11, 2010
This semester I have been teaching as an adjunct professor at Randolph Community College in the Graphic Design Department. I teach 2 classes: Intro to Computer Graphics and Multimedia I. The Multimedia course has been great for my personal professional development. I've used the opportunity to learn more about Fireworks and have encouraged my students to use it for web design. Being that I am also fairly new at it (Photoshop being my program of choice for web design), there have been several moments where I have been unable to answer questions. So, what do I do? I encourage the students to google it and figure it out for themselves, because ultimately, they are going to have to know how to problem solve on their own. Then, I go back to my desk and google it myself so that I can help the student later if need be and, of course, for my own knowledge.
Last week I started a unit on web development. Teaching a bunch of code to aspiring designers who think visually is quite a challenge. I was forced to think about how to translate a technical language into a visual language. The challenge for me is wrapping my head around skills I use everyday and take for granted, thus forcing me to evaluate exactly what it is I'm doing. This has led me to realize some inconsistencies and some unecessary habits I've picked up. By having to teach these skills to my students I have become more efficient in my own practice.
I know I will not be an expert on everything I teach. My co-worker told me that it takes some 10,000 hours of practice to become "an expert". What I do know, however, is that teaching will make me more efficient. Besides, my students need guidance of a skilled professional more than an expert. They need to learn how to problem solve on their own so that one day, they too can teach a class full of wide-eyed students.
What's the point of a blog?
July 05, 2010
Amy Rouse over at Backyard Remedies hired an agency to create a brand for her new business. They did a great job with her mark, collateral and website. But they totally missed the point on her blog. What I don't understand is why they even bothered to use Wordpress as a platform.
Here's an image from their blog when I got my hands on it:
In case it's not obvious, let me lay out where these folks missed the boat. There's no way to search the archives, the posts and photos are in tiny iframes making them hard to see, there's no way to post comments and pingbacks, and there's no sidebar for Amy to add widgets like an RSS feed. I mean, really, I just don't get it. Why did they use Wordpress as a platform if they weren't going to use all the advantages of Wordpress?
So Amy hired me to go in and fix the situation. I used graphical elements from the rest of the website and applied it to a more functional blog that does all the things you want a WP blog to do. Here's an image of how it looked after I turned it back over to Amy:
Now Amy has alot more mobility and freedom in her blog to post photos in a slideshow, highlight featured products and post upcoming events, encourage conversation through comments and social media such as Facebook.
It's important to use your tools well.
Welcome to my new site!
April 29, 2010
So you may have noticed... I just launched my brand new website! I'm pretty excited about this launch. I wanted a new site that would allow me to better present my portfolio with a more personal touch. I'm also excited about my sidekick, Gigi "the poodle". Wondering what the deal with that is? Some folks pronounce my name as if I were french, as in "XiXi". I get that quite a lot. It makes me feel like a little, pink poodle. And while I have nothing against poodles, I don't think of myself as one.
Take a walk around and let me know what you think about my work and new site!
