The sea was the most amazing colour. It looked truly beautiful.
My world is more than web design. This is where I post it.
What are you looking for in a portfolio that would set one designer apart from another?
Originality. Somebody who is drawing his or inspiration from beyond the web. Too many portfolios look very similar with designs that are seen on hundreds of websites.
I also want to see work done for real projects and for real clients. This shows that the designer can work within a brief and deliver an appropriate solution. The portfolio should tell me something of the back story and approach taken.
I am also looking for somebody who can articulate the approach they have taken towards the work in their portfolio. It’s important to be able to explain why you have done what you have.
I don’t go to web events because A) I can’t afford them and B) I don’t really like meeting new people and feel awkward. Do you have any advice?
Start with smaller events such as one of the many free meetups that happen all the time. It’s much easier to get talking to people at these.
I would also say that you are not alone in finding social situations like this difficult. I think a lot of web designers do. You are almost certain to meet other likeminded people at these smaller events.
Give it a try. It is worth the effort. You will come away encouraged, motivated and you are guaranteed to learn something new.
What a thrilling time to be alive! Let’s proceed with great enthusiasm and a commitment to designing a future that is meaningful, peaceful, and staggeringly exciting.
The tests on high profile charity websites did find some issues in general website usability, which Nielsen calls ‘donation killers’. This included:
53% of donation killers related to poor content, unclear writing, missing information etc, which meant that users couldn’t find out about the aims of charities and how their money would be used.
The other 47% were usability issues related to page and site design, including cluttered pages and confusing navigation. More seriously, on 17% of sites, testers couldn’t find out where to donate.
Designing a website to be usable is like baking a cake to be edible. It’s simply not enough. A usable website should be the minimum requirement, it should go without saying that a website should be absolutely usable. It’s time to look beyond that.
Collect ‘finds’ to use and inspire later. Collect photos. Travel. Choose a different way home.
Sometimes it seems like a lack of (design) understanding gives the client an upper hand. The difference between you and your client’s neighbor’s friend’s 13-yr-old kid with a copy of Photoshop is that they have to pay you more. Which really means that unfortunately to many clients you are both the same.
This quote sums up the problem with our client relationships. If we cannot articulate our design decisions we are no better than a 13 year old kid with a copy of Photoshop
