This Month's News
Building A Proper Website
April 07, 2011
Do you want to know how to really grab the attention of a user? How about how to get that person who's surfing your site not to bounce 7 seconds after they've landed? Well then, I'm going to provide you with a few tips that should help you with the answers.
As a graphic designer for nearly a decade now, 4 of those years as a web designer, one of the biggest and most commonly made mistakes with website design is that companies seem to disregard the data that can be collected in order identify problems in which a properly structured and well designed site can solve. In order for your site to be truly successful in reaching its goals, the data and design must correlate. So to help I have broken down into 3 categories some information that I have gathered over the years. Keep in mind these are just a few tactics you should use in order to better engage the user, but overall they are probably some of the most important ones.
1) User Engagement
When a user visits a site they are usually in a state of curiosity, of wanting, of needing, of urgency or of action. There are of course other reasons someone would visit a site, but more often then not it will be because they would be experiencing one of these states, and with each state a user has a very specific expectation. So it's up to a designer or design team to ensure that those expectations are met. This is best accomplished with making sure whatever it is you are providing to your users that you address the state they will be arriving in with a design that will grab and hold that users attention. According to most statistics you will have to grab a users attention and provide them with what they where searching for within 7 seconds. If not you will most likely loose that customer to a competitor site within that timeframe. Quick, yes it is. How can you counter this, keep reading and you'll find out.
2) Providing Content
As mentioned before, you usually have less then 10 seconds (around 7 on average) to grab the attention of a user. Letting the users know they are in the right place is key with web design as well as web content, so flooding it with too much information will only confuse the user causing them to bounce from that page or the site altogether. For example, statistically the average adult user reads at 250 words a minute. So lets say then that the information you are providing on your home page or internal page on your website has over 500 words in it, then that would mean it would take the user nearly 2 minutes to read the information on that page. It doesn't seem like very long, but if the average time a user spends on a page is 7 seconds, and you have a high bounce rate for that page, then the information you are providing isn't engaging the user. Either that or you are providing too much information and the user no longer has the time or wants to see what else you have to offer. Of course this usually does not apply to informational sites, but it can if the writing is poorly executed. So, keep it short, sweet and to the point. Engage the user and make them want to click that "more" link.
3) Website Design
Your landing page is one of the most important pages of your site. So consistency, well designed, and clearly understood information is key to helping your user to understand they have found the information that they were searching for. Branding guidelines is the best way to ensure this will happen. This means keeping font sizes, layout structure from page to page, your colors and overall page design consistent across the board, as well as creating a design that delivers the message using clear and appropriate visual aids, strong headlines and minimal copy (as mentioned above). Grabbing the users attention will raise their curiosity to want more information about what you are offering, which in return will get them to drill down to the next page of your site (your internal page). That is one of the main goals of a home page. So make sure your user knows where they are using these methods above in order to grab and hold their attention and to ensure them that they have come to the right place.
In conclusion you should trust that if your designer and design team know what they are doing, then they probably know what needs to be done. Versus trusting what you think needs to be done or something that you think you want to be done. That is to say if your needs and wants don't see eye to eye.
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Portfolio Prep 101
April 30, 2010
It seems like graphic design jobs are very hard to come by these days. Even if you do find one, the competition is fierce. So it is important that you prepare for any design job interview you might be blessed enough to land. By creating an amazing portfolio, you have a greater chance of standing out against the competition. And believe me, there is more competition these days than ever before. On average, for each design job posted, over 200 applicants apply within the first week (with more to follow the second week). Then you figure in that out of those 200 applicants, that at least 50 are qualified. From there the employers have to decide which 5 to 10 applicants to bring in for an interview. Get the idea yet? Good, so don't get caught with your portfolio unzipped and consider the five key tips below to help you be more prepared for your next design job interview.
1) Build a Website
A website displaying your work is a must. If you don't have one, then take the time to create one. Make sure it's not a template website, and that it is custom designed. If you don't know how to code, find someone that does and then do some trade work or pay them for their services. Having a website will put you leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, and shows your future employer that you can keep up within your own industry.
2) Update your portfolio
Updating your portfolio is key in wining over the hearts of those are interested in your skills and talents. Make sure all your pieces are current and up to date and tailored specifically to the job your applying for, both online and print. Remember, just because a design piece you did five years ago was considered “da bomb” does not mean it could hold it is own up against a more current piece. If you are growing as a designer, then your work should be as well.
3) Update your resume
This may seem like common sense, but you would be surprised how many designers forget to do this. Make sure to only include relevant information concerning the job you are interviewing for. For instance, it is not necessary to list your job at Taco Bell last summer unless there is some skill or ability you learned there that you could use to your advantage (but most likely not).
4) Prepare your elevator speech
What is an elevator pitch you ask? Image you are in an elevator and you just met the Design Director for the largest design firm in your city. As you enter the elevator he turns, says hello and asks you “so what do you do for a living?” The average designer responds, “I am a graphic designer,” leaving nothing for the other person to engage with. What if instead you said, “I take peoples words, and turn them into art.” That leaves the person you are speaking with a huge fat questions mark over their head, and causes them to engage asking more about this amazing talent of yours. Be creative, in actions and words.
5) Prepare to interview them
People always forget that if you made it to an interview, the chances are they need you just as much as you need them. You should always do your research on the company you want to work for, and prepare a list of questions to interview the person who is interviewing you. It not only shows your knowledge of the company, and desire to know more, but it also show them that you are confident (not cocky) in what you do and lets them know you want to find the right fit for you. Remember, you are important too.
Well, there you have it. Those are the five most basic and important tips. The last bit of advice I have is to remember to breathe. You made it this far. Now relax. Breathe, be confident (not cocky), be prepared, and remember that no matter what happens everyone has their place in this world and you will end up at the job you were meant to end up at.
The Great Confusion
November 08, 2009
There seems to be some growing concerns within the design world today, ones that are causing a lot of stress, frustration, and even anger among many of us designers. These concerns are the grouping and miss categorization of our job descriptions. It seems that so many companies don't understand the difference between a graphic designer, web designer, and web developer.
Most of the frustration is coming from the job postings online. For instance: some companies these days are posting jobs online for "Graphic Designers". So as hundreds of us out of work graphic designers become full of excitement as we click on the link and begin reading the job posting, we soon find out what they are really looking for is a web designer; sometimes even web developer. Soon after this realization sinks in, the frustration begins to take over. They want one designer to do the job of two different types of designers, and a developer! The same goes for web designers and web developers. Some companies seem to be just mixing it all in the pot, stirring it up, and calling it whatever sounds good to them.
So how do we get some of these companies to realize, and understand, the difference between a graphic designer (print design), a web designer (user interface/graphic web design), and a web developer (html/css production)? Each uses a different side of the brain; one uses the right/creative side and the other the left/analytical side. Therefore it is very difficult to find someone who is excellent at both, or all three for that matter. Even if you did find a web designer (who are sometimes educated in both graphics and production) the chances are they are almost always going to be better at one then the other, which means either the visuals are going to suffer or the functionality will. So tell us, how is this providing your clients with the best?
Bjones'n Redesigned
August 08, 2009
It's that time of the year again, website redesign time! Yes, every two to three years I redesign my website... as should every good designer. Keeping your image up to date could really help you land that next job. It's sad though how many designers keep the same site that they designed four, five, six, (or more) years ago. It not only shows your potential employer that you are not current in today's industry, giving them their first reason not to hire you, but also that you don't care enough to take the time to prove yourself to them (or the world) that you got skills. With the economy the way it is today, you need all the help you can get. So hop on your Mac (or I guess a PC), get your site up to date, and show the world what you got!
Feel free to check out my old site here, and see the difference from 3 years ago, and then compare it to what I have today.
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