Good Designer Debate (pt 2)

So the second part of my Good Designers Come a Dime a Dozen came faster then I expected. This blog post for Codero is about eyepath and usability software. I hope that you find it interesting and enlightening. Please feel free to wander over to Codero when you get a change to read Good Designers Come a Dime a Dozen pt 2 or you can start with part one.

Good Designers Debate

I know it has been a while since I have written on my own blog but I have written a couple articles over on Codero, a dedicated and managed hosting company. This particular blog post is about the difference between a good designer and a great designer. It is entitled Good Designers Come a Dime a Dozen pt.1. Go a head and swing by the Codero blog if you get a chance, remember it is just the first of a series.

Tags: design, good designers, great designers, other blog posts

Creative Mind Exercises, Part 2

Just a reminder that this post is part of a series for post about Creative Exercises from a book called Caffeine for the Creative Mind by Stefan Mamaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield.

Today I chose to do two different activities. The first one is called “Haiku-a-gogo”. This activity is ask you to write a basic 5-7-5 Haiku about one of the following Your Typical Day, Your Boss, Grape Jelly, Country Music, The Eraser, Garbage, or Cheese. I chose to write one about Garbage.

My Haiku is as follows:
Ode to the Garbage
Old friend the bear
You must go in the garbage
Your time is over

The second activity is called “My Words Caught a Fly.” The instructions were to look around your immediate area and write down a brand name and write it in the center of a piece of paper. From there write 6 words and then 6 more words off of each of those (mind mapping) Continue this until you have 4 levels to your mind map. Then chose one word from the outer web a relate it to the original brand. I have attached the my mind map.

Mind Map about LG

The company that I chose was LG and I will relate it to “Shiny”. LG is related to shiny in that it is new technology and is always cutting edge when it comes to the new technology. LG technology tends to be glossy and sleek which plays into the Shiny idea of the LG relation. Although I don’t believe I would use Shiny to directly relate to the LG brand it fits in an odd way.

If you disagree or complete your own version of this activity feel free to post it below.

Creative Mind Excercises, Part 1

Due to personal reasons I have decided to take a week off of my full time job. This week I have chosen to start doing creative excercises from a book called Caffeine For The Creative Mind by Stefan Mamaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield. The book is fantastic and I decided that it would be a great idea to document my process through the book.

I started with an activity called “What Day Is It?” The idea is to rename the days of the week in a way that applies to modern society and the only requirement was that the days still end with the word “day”.

I decided to go about this by listing all of the days of the week and coming up with some words for each day of the week.  I have attached my thought process please take a look at the notes.

Notes for Days of the week renaming

This is how I chose to rename the days of the week:

Monday- Gripiday
Due to the fact that everyone gripes and complains about Monday’s
Tuesday- Blasiday
This is one of those days that everyone just forgets and doesn’t really think about it
Wednesday- Partday
The halfway through the week day.
Thursday- Sailday
This day always files buy
Friday- Wittiday
Friday has a way of being just one witty day. It is usually a day that a lot gets completed but it is still fun.
Saturday- Yenday
A Fun day where you can do what you want to do.
Sunday- Laziday
This is just one of those days you don’t want to do anything and you are most likely to stay in bed.
If you would like to join me in renaming the days of the week or in my journey through Caffeine for the Creative Mind please post your attempts of each days activity below.

Tags: creative, exercises, inspiration

Great Site Design: Now What?

When I design a site I have a tendency to not think about the copy that needs to go in the website. However, it really comes done to… if there isn’t any good copy on your website then it renders the site design, however attractive, useless. In order, to stop wasting your time and effort on great design with nothing to say you should take into consideration the following tips for writing good website copy.

1. Use basic language. Write for a 7th to 9th grade
2. Cut out all of the fluff. There is no reason to add descriptive words if they aren’t necessary for the message.
3. Don’t assume your customers will get “it” just because you do. Spell every product out for your clients.
4. Your strongest point should be written out at least 3 times because  people don’t always get what you are trying to say the first time.
5. People skim on the internet, so use bolding to get your point across.
6. Use only content that applies to YOUR customer base.
7. Use standardize font variations for the same type of content on your website. This helps people find information on your website easily and improves scanability (see above).
8. Highlight important words for the selling of a product. These are also known as Call to Actions.
9. Make sure that the content on your website creates an emotion in your buyer. When people are emotionally involved they tend to take action.
10. SPELL CHECK YOUR CONTENT… “fake”sites don’t care about spelling legitimate sites should and will.

These are just some of the basics but they will make your website more creditable to your customers. If I have missed anything please feel free comment about it.

Tags: body text, design, good website copy, website copy

Design: Commodity or Requirement

Design is a commodity that is unnecessary for the success of any business. ~anon

Whether you agree Obama  should be there or not that is no disputing that he already changed the communication style of the United States government about and hour after he was sworn in. The website team that so lovingly crafted Obama’s online identity, left their mark on the whitehouse.gov website. The website is already cleaner and easier to navigate then any of it’s predecessors. It you are interested in a more through history of the whitehouse.gov site check out the ReadWebWrite blog.
As we move forward the government has also added recovery.gov to track the recovery efforts of the  United States Government. This is giving the citizens of the USA that they didn’t previously have and surveys are saying people want this disclosure and information from the government and other businesses that they are dealing with.
The lesson that companies need to take away from this: Design matters, usability matters, and getting to your public in positive way is imperative. For corporations to survive in the current market they need to start evaluating their websites, identities, and branding and see if the strength of their branding can withstand the current economic situation. Even the government gave itself a face lift to get people interested again.

“To design is to communicate clearly by whatever means you can control or master.” ~Milton Glaser

Tags: commodity, control, design, government, graphic design, obama

Why do Non-profits Get it First?

In my quest to educate the world on the usefulness of great design I have discovered one thing. Non-profit organizations learned about 10 years ago that good design is imperative to your business.  Provocative imagery and well designed pamphlets are the staple for non-profits. Check out this site for an example of what a for profit business wouldn’t have the guts to show http://cli.gs/JbmS96 but it is very effective in getting the message out there. Or you can take a look at the newest campaign against tabacco, “the truth” although their site is not been well designed, their games, commercials, and viral marketing has been amazing. Check out the truth at http://cli.gs/USzaYb.

I think that all for profit businesses need to take a look at what non-profit organizations are doing to raise awareness and money for their cause. They seem to have realized that great design makes people open their pocket books even wider. So if people get nothing for giving money to a non-profit but are willing to give money  to them, then why haven’t for profit businesses followed their business plan. This includes hiring a designer to get the message of your company out there.

Tags: awareness, design, great design, Making Things Better, non-profit, profit business, tabacco, viral marketing

FOWD Conference- Client Types

I know the Future of Web Design was last week but it has been a hectic week. I was typing up my notes this morning and I realized that it would be the prefect intro post to FOWD. I will be posting a couple more things from FOWD but this is great information. What the different types of website clients we see and how to spot them. Hope you enjoy.

Types of the Clients

1. Existing Client
   You need to be positive with the client. Excitement in the clients project is key. QUOTE experts- your relationship with the client may be too familiar for them to remember that you are an expert.
2. No Clue Client
   You need to take control of the decision process (Make sure you are taking their needs in prospective).
   Clients don’t know anything about design but they are not STUPID don’t treat them like they are. Be Forceful in the decision making process without being over bearing. Reassure the client that you are the expert in the relationship
3. Micro Manager
   Make sure that the instruction and direction is clear from the beginning. This best done with follow up emails to the client after meetings. If the Client starts to go off track Refocus the Client by asking them “WHY” (this is to get them to think about what they are asking, instead of it being spur of the moment decision) FOCUS on the Problem. An explanation of the perceived problem (on the clients end) can lead to a better solution for what they originally stated they needed
4. Marketeer
   Make them see the difference between web and print. Most marketers have worked with printers and print designers and think the process is the same. IT IS NOT! Use their language (ie. Call to Action, eye path, customer conversion)

Just Remember the following and it will be easier to communicate with clients.
Clients are NOT STUPID, they are just DESIGN stupid, so
YOU ARE THE EXPERT ACT LIKE ONE and
EDUCATE CLIENTS TO SAY YES

Tags: Client Work, Clients, graphic design, web design

Warning to Non-designers

I realize that it is hard for people that are not designers to understand what a designer does. But… PLEASE STOP THINKING ALL WE DO IS MAKE THINGS LOOK PRETTY! A good graphic designer, or visual communicator will have usabilty and reason behind designing a product.

For instance package designers need to think about how people interact with the package, how the package will function on the shelf, and how the product will look inside the package. The end result will be (should be) a beautiful package design the showcases the industrial designers product.

My second example is a brand designer (business cards, logo, letterhead, envelopes, etc.) designs a memorable icon (text, image and text, or just an image) for a consumer to remember. Making something pretty won’t convince the client you are a reliable product. A company without a solid brand won’t last. When you think Windows you visualize the logo for the product. That is customer loyalty you can’t buy, you need to earn it.

People see images and associate images with products and memories. This can be utilized by companies more effectively when a designer takes a look at what the company wants to achieve and designs an image for the product.

Designers have gone through training on design and usability for people. A good designer will also people able to tell you psychological effects of a design on a client. In short, a designer’s job is to inspire in people a trigger to buy a product or service and make things look good while doing it.

If you would like to know more about this topic please check out this website.

Tags: Designers, Frustration, Making Things Better

Finally it is up

I wanted to use this blog for just design related things. However, I was so excited that I finally got the website up and running. Not that there is not a lot more to go, but none the less.

I do want to know why we can get a clients website and designs out in the world in two or more weeks but when it comes to pieces for us (designers) it takes forever? If anyone has the answer to that question please enlighten me on this topic. I know that it was a question that was asked often in college and I still don’t have an answer.

Tags: random thoughts