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The more you work at any job, the more little things and lessons you learn. This is no different with web design. As a web designer for the past six years, I have learned a great deal about how to work clients to come up with the best designed possible for them up. Sometimes you won?t always love the designed, but as long as the client does, it is a job well done. I?d like to share just a few best practices that I?ve developed over many years of doing web designed for a wide range of clients.
My absolute best practice, which I highly recommend to every designer, is to ask the client to provide you with a document that displays a few of their favorite web sites. Underneath each URL, ask them to provide a paragraph or two of why they like the site so much. Tell them to be as specific as possible. Also, have them include any bits about the site that they actually don?t like. This document will help you greatly in crafting your design for the client. By receiving this, you are getting a glimpse at the client?s tastes; you?re seeing exactly what they like and can tailor your design to what they like.
Just as I capture their favorite websites in the same niche, I also have them provide in the same document a list of the other sites in the same niche and that they do not like. This does the opposite for me, it lets me know the design elements that they do not like. Again, they provide a paragraph or two about why they do not like those sites. These documents are so valuable because even before you have started to design you already know of some of the things that the client really likes and that the client really does not like.
My final best practice focuses on the navigation. The navigation is critical for the web site. If your client has put together a navigation layout be sure you thoroughly review it and understand it. You?ll have likely done many more web sites than they have, and you can provide tips and information on how to better organize their content. Once you have done this, you can help them lock down the navigation. Locking down the navigation helps you because you can then determine how to best layout the website. This helps to determine whether you want to implement a left side navigation, right side navigation, or navigation that runs across the top.
These are just a few tips for you to think about. They certainly are not things that I was thinking about when I first started out as a designer. Now, they are some of the first things that I think about and talk to the client about. These few simple things have drastically reduced the number of revisions I?ve had to do because I already have a good idea of the client?s likes and dislikes.
My absolute best practice, which I highly recommend to every designer, is to ask the client to provide you with a document that displays a few of their favorite web sites. Underneath each URL, ask them to provide a paragraph or two of why they like the site so much. Tell them to be as specific as possible. Also, have them include any bits about the site that they actually don?t like. This document will help you greatly in crafting your design for the client. By receiving this, you are getting a glimpse at the client?s tastes; you?re seeing exactly what they like and can tailor your design to what they like.
Just as I capture their favorite websites in the same niche, I also have them provide in the same document a list of the other sites in the same niche and that they do not like. This does the opposite for me, it lets me know the design elements that they do not like. Again, they provide a paragraph or two about why they do not like those sites. These documents are so valuable because even before you have started to design you already know of some of the things that the client really likes and that the client really does not like.
My final best practice focuses on the navigation. The navigation is critical for the web site. If your client has put together a navigation layout be sure you thoroughly review it and understand it. You?ll have likely done many more web sites than they have, and you can provide tips and information on how to better organize their content. Once you have done this, you can help them lock down the navigation. Locking down the navigation helps you because you can then determine how to best layout the website. This helps to determine whether you want to implement a left side navigation, right side navigation, or navigation that runs across the top.
These are just a few tips for you to think about. They certainly are not things that I was thinking about when I first started out as a designer. Now, they are some of the first things that I think about and talk to the client about. These few simple things have drastically reduced the number of revisions I?ve had to do because I already have a good idea of the client?s likes and dislikes.
About the Author:
Virginia Web Designers are a dime-a-dozen. There are tons of them. If you want to stand out, hire the absolute best in Mangoco.
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