Tailor-Made

The truth is that as a designer there is no way to completely predict everyone and in every way they will use your web site. As a result some strong arguments for a “context-aware” approach have been made. Designer/Coder Jeff Croft challenges responsive web design by saying:

“By and large, mobile users want different things from your product than desktop users do. If you’re a restaurant, desktop users may want photos of your place, a complete menu, and some information about your history. But mobile users probably just want your address and operating hours.”

This argument is well-founded and definitely can be proven to be the best solution for some design problems given certain circumstances. There is a time and place for a sharp focus and expansion of certain features or content types. Some would argue that that’s where a “context-aware” web experience comes in.
Coming from background of designing web apps and more recently native mobile and desktop applications there is often one question I wrestle with. Is there enough need, features, and user requirements to necessitate a full native application? Or, could the same benefit be gleaned from an improved and more flexible web experience? The same holds true for the question of whether a device-specific, “context-aware” web site is necessary. Is it worth the extra time and effort to build, when maybe half of the effort would be needed to improve and adapt your web site for mobile users? It might turn out that you have the need, but not the time to create your vision of what a tailored mobile web experience is. Enter the shining beacon of light that is responsive design.

Responsively Agnostic

A recent and recommended read of mine by Ethan Marcotte, Responsive Web Design, explains the world of fluid grids, media queries, and designing a sites with a “flexible foundation”. Essentially he suggests that you should design something (one thing) that will “work” on most devices that you anticipate it being viewed on. More than likely you won’t be able to hit every possible requirement for every Windows Phone 7 user (for example), but you’ll be able to get to most of your users what they need.
Marcotte’s approach is efficient and in the long run can save time for designers and developers alike. This device/platform agnostic approach doesn’t just serve as a “quick fix” solution to check off your “mobile presence” requirement, but it gives you a bridge to the next step. As mentioned earlier you have to examine the need and in many cases you’ll find that the needs of a designer to reach mobile users can be met with a responsive, device agnostic solution.
With the power of media queries, determining the way your site is displayed is fairly straightforward. It’s like getting a desktop, tablet, and mobile web sites all-in-one.

It Works!

The number of designers and developers using responsive web design techniques seems to be growing. This becomes evident when you visit their personal websites. Speaking as one who has been meaning to “mobile” my site for quite some time now the personal sites of “cool kid” designers such as Meagan Fischer are rather inspiring.

Her site adheres to these ideas to a tee. At most common screen resolutions she has designed a layout that best displays her content in a legible and visually pleasing fashion. By my count there are 4 different layouts: one for desktop viewing, one for larger portrait-oriented tablets, one for smaller portrait-oriented tablets, and one for phones. You can experience all of these layouts by going to her site and and resizing your window to different sizes. Thanks to media queries it is possible for her site to know what layout to display.

A Responsive Bridge to the Future

It’s nearly impossible to keep up with every new device and web browser being created, but with a responsive design, some research, a savvy developer, and perhaps a little luck you can help make the growing pains that come with testing for new things a little easier. I’m not saying that responsive web design is ultimately the best solution for every situation, but what I am saying is that it can definitely serve a useful purpose in most cases. With it you empower yourself and your website to be better experienced by most people that come across it. Even if you have the eventual need for a dedicated mobile website, a well-designed and planned responsive site buys you time to make it great with fairly minimal effort. It gives you a means to something, whatever it is you need it to be.

Originally Posted by Max Foundry – http://maxfoundry.com/blog/2011/12/07/responsive-web-design-a-means-to-something/

I had to stifle a squeal of child-like glee when I returned from lunch, and before getting back to work, I logged onto Facebook and discovered that FINALLY, after about of week of anticipation my account reflected the new UI re-design. Here I am geeking out about new simplified and more usable header and sidebars, but I know full-well that it’s only a matter of time until it starts. What starts? You might ask. Well, it seems that it’s inevitable that in the next few hours someone will log-on and be so taken-a-back by the appearance of the new FB that they will start their revolt; just as it seems to happen every time that FB makes a significant change or improvement. The page for the FB group “Bring Back The Old Facebook!” is already, showing comments from newly discontented users. It’s funny.

In a nut shell, I totally get where they’re coming from but I also know they they just don’t get it. Things like FB start to become familiar comforts for people and just like when something is disrupted in their environment the change is often not welcomed. Obviously some take it worse than others. I’m totally that way too when it comes to other areas of life. I just get settled in and unpacked(sort of) and in a few weeks I’m moving again! I’ve also learned that no matter how much of an adjustment/inconvenience something can be, probably 98.3% of the time there’s a greater side benefit that results. In this example: Moving = Inconvenience/Hate My Life + New Place = More space = Overall Improved Quality of Life. The same applies to Facebook’s annual UI face-lift (no pun intended). It may take some getting used to but like any other product or service FB is constantly examining and re-examining itself. The funny part is that in a few weeks I’d bet the same people complaining about the new UI will become used to it and a year from now grovel over another change, wishing it were the way it is now.

Maybe I just have stars in my eyes for Facebook, I’m a fanboy. I like the new UI. Now if only they could do something about all those annoying Farmville and Mafia Wars notifications.

Recently we (Abidesco) launched a web site re-design for Abilene, TX-based marriage and family therapist Kurt Boyland’s counseling practice, Cedar Creek Counseling Service. My IA and mark-up development support fellow Abidesco partner Ryan Feerer’s simple, single-page design.

Our challenge was simple, to design a site that featured information about Kurt, what he does, what his clients are saying about him, and was easy to update for him. Our solution was built on WordPress and featured a jQuery-driven acnhor-tag navigation, and a killer wood-panel background.

I’ve heard both sides of the debate about whether a “web designer” should be able to code his own designs. I know the reasons for and against, and frankly it worries me. I’ll be the first to admit that nothing puts my mind at ease more than knowing that the design that I’ve put together in Fireworks will be marked-up with highest level of accuracy and care the the developer (me). But, I know this is unrealistic. I don’t have time to do it all my own, nor do I know everything, I need help. Try as I may, I am a designer first, developer, a distant second, and I’m okay with it. What worries me is the disturbing trend that I keep seeing on places like craigslist and job boards everywhere; ads that read more like a entrepreneur’s Christmas wish list than a job description:

“Looking for a web designer to finish an online shopping site that is under construction now. MUST have at least 3 years experience building online shopping sites. MUST have deep knowledge of methods and ways of search engine optimization, customers database, shopping carts….etc. After finish building site position might be available to maintain and upgrade site all the time.

Compsensation: $14-15/hr”

The line between web developer an and web designer have become a bit blurred as of late. I can’t tell you how many times I see people call themselves web designers that are really only developers who how know just enough photoshop to themselves into trouble. The result is well developed site with sub-par design, for less money than if a true designer had been involved. Side-effect being that the potential client pool on both sides now has an overall diminished perception of quality and lower acceptable price-point . This in-turn devalues every designer and developer’s work.

Let me be clear designers are just as guilty of this, I’m just as guilty of this at times. I can, at times write pretty some ugly css, I know it I admit it, and I’m working on it. What I don’t do is tell a client that I am a be-all, end-all, without-a-doubt, full-fledged developer. I can do a lot of things, but not all, and I’m okay with that. I don’t use Terminal to write my code, I use Code and have to use Firebug to make sure my page matches as close as possible to what I did in my design comp. I code like a designer, and I advertise myself as such.

But the damage has already been done. Perhaps it’s a result of the 1990′s mentality of the internet, specifically web design and development being overly technical and unaccessible to a lot of people especially those of the “50 and better” persuasion i.e. potential clients with money to spend. The shrewd business man (and now AARP member) does more with less and the idea of a utility man- web designer is very appealing. This has lead the way for companies like elance.com to further lower competitive prices for design and dev. work by promoting low-priced, foreign vendors. Also, the door has been opened for services that offer bargin-basement prices on bottom-of-the-barrel web site design and development.

Welcome to my nightmare:

None the less its still healthy to dream big, push yourself and expand your skill set, its the only way things get better. Good, true hybrids do exist, but are not as common as you may think. I want to be one when I grow up.

In my relatively short career, there is one over-arching lesson that I have learned. It being that the word “no” is not a “four-letter word”. It isn’t (since it has two letters), especially when dealing with a client. Slowly, I have and continue to learn that word’s importance my relationship with clients. Being (as I have recently been describe) a natural-born “yes-man” it goes against my very nature to say no. For many creatives who are truly passionate about what they do this is a very easy trap to fall into.

Managing Expectations is hard to do.

It goes without saying, managing client expectations is at the core of the client-designer relationship. Educating your clients as to why something takes as long as it does, why something is done a certain way, etc. are all parts of the job that you sometimes don’t think about when starting a new project. For many of us who have worked in the world of project managers and account reps, we enjoy a level of insulation from the the client and his needs/expectations. We take their requirements (often already filtered and negotiated) and do our thing. This is especially true for young designers who have everything monitored and checked by two or three people before a client ever lays eyes on their design. It is often a crash-course in client relations the first time that you work on your own project for your own client. As most savvy business people go, your client will most likely try to get as much work, time and product out of you for the least amount of cost to them. And, if expectations on what they are getting, when they get it and for how much are not clearly set from the beginning, then you will have problems. I have learned that the best way to keep everybody (mostly) happy is to have a clear, explicit contract that both parties have agreed upon, before the first pixel is pushed. With that place you will always have back-up in the event that you do have to use the “n” word.

Like A Mule

Sufficive to say, you’ve had or will have a client with a bad idea for something related to the project at hand. As with anything, consistency and sticking to your guns is imperative. I’m not saying that you should stubbornly argue for cobalt blue if your client prefers perry winkle, but stubbornness does have it’s place. I like to think of myself of as much a teacher to my clients as I am designer. Your client has hired you because as at some point down the line he recognized that you have a knack for design, and they don’t. Sometimes they need to be reminded of this and to trust your judgment. This isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Speaking as a chronic, life-long conflict-avoider this rings especially true for me. The idea of openly and vehemently disagreeing with the person paying me is hard to swallow sometimes, but completely necessary. You should take a cue from so many terrible corporate training videos and stand by your convictions especially when you know you are right. When thoughtfully argued, you further establish yourself as an authority, who is worth the money they are paying you, even if you don’t win the “battle”.

The Optimistic Naysayer

When it comes to actually saying no, obviously it’s important how you say it. The hardest lesson that I continue to have to learn is how to respond to bad idea or ridiculous request with patience and positivity. It’s all simple manners, letting people finish their thought before chiming in. It’s something that I kind of suck at, but is key to really getting your point across. In the end though, I’ve found that the best argument is not what will go wrong if I do something I advise against, but rather, what amazing thing will be accomplished if my idea is executed. Learning to spin things positively is always valuable, especially when saying no.

Pick Up The Pieces

I would hardly consider myself an expert on dealing with customers and have made my fair share of mistakes, mismanaged expectations, and gotten myself in over my head on many occasions. But, I’m learning. I’m finding that the secret to having happy customers and clients is knowing what to say and how to say it. It takes finesse, patience and nerves of steel. Though in the end, if handled correctly both client and designer usually emerge pleased with the results.

All of my life I’ve been involved in the eternal struggle between due process and due personal logic. That to mean my way of doing things VS the way prescribed by given “expert”, text, or authority. I’m finding more and more as I get older that the adage about cat skinning wasn’t too far off. As a designer I am charged with the task of coming up with a solution to a given problem in the best manner that exists and when one doesn’t exist, to create one that does, then if after much trial and error no suitable one rears it’s head (ugly or other wise) then resort to the next best compromise. The creative process for me, much like many other things that I get myself into is not an easy or clean one. I used to like to describe it like this:

There are all these chunks of idea floating around and then some of the meet (bang!). Then the zygotal idea begins to grow and grow until it forms a concept. Finally when the concept is fully developed it comes out. Out of the loins of my mind.

It seems like the the biggest misconception of what I do is that I spend forty to sixty percent of my time everyday just goofing of online and the sixty to forty making a few pixel and opacity adjustments on an idea that I took way too long to come up with. I know it may be hard to believe, but the moment when you walk into my office an I’m browsing good.is, I’m not just reading up on how the U.S. lags in environmental performance (which is a bit concerning) but I am studying the way the site’s designers chose to display related articles and recent comments. Just like when I was a kid and my Dad and I would get into arguments over the best practices for mowing the lawn (front of the yard first or the back of the yard first), my idea of what methods make sense are is a good use of time often differs from what those in my senior feel. It would be very easy to declare victory on a given design challenge after thirty minutes of fumbling around on a Fireworks document but what’s the fun in that? I’m quite certain that I’m not alone on this.

I remember a few years ago hearing a What-A-Burger commercial that flaunted the fact that they made all of their burgers by hand and as a result were a “model of inefficiency”, but also totally worth waiting for. I was sold. On the flip side, I could site times when I’ve been known in times of extreme time shortage to produce works of greatness, but there more to that than meets the eye. There were many hours of research and exploration before that made it possible. I have a bag of tricks that I’ve collected on deck should I need them at a moments notice. Despite what it might seem like, nothing good is every created quickly.