Archives March 2013

The Ever-Changing Web Design Challenge

Think the life of a web designer is an easy one?  Check out this article from Creative Bloq on “10 Ways The Role Of Web Designer Is Changing”:

http://www.creativebloq.com/web-design/role-changing-3132193

One of the often pre-supposed tenets of web design (that I quickly learned was false) is that once you have mastered the skill set necessary to create a website, you can use those same exact skills to create the next website, and the next one, and so on. Sooooo not true!  Not only do the needs of each client differ so widely that almost no two websites are ever alike, the amount of time that passes between the start and completion of each project, even if only a few weeks, often means that something new has arrived in the world of web design, necessitating yet another skill set that needs to be learned.  It is a constant enhancing and refining process, but at least it keeps the job challenging — and yes, at times somewhat TOO challenging!

saynotodweaverAs the author of the article, Sush Kelly, states: “Things move so quickly now that the modern web designer needs to be able to spread their skills across several areas in order to achieve their client’s goals. It’s no longer enough to have an eye for design and a copy of Dreamweaver. Web designers, possibly more than any other design occupation, have to constantly update their skills. The web doesn’t stand still for one second.”  And the article doesn’t even mention social media, or SEO, or other similar tools of the trade that go beyond just the design aspect, yet also need to be learned by the web designer to craft a truly effective product.

Oh, and don’t get me started on Dreamweaver.  If you overhear ANYONE mention that their website was built with Dreamweaver, a) bash them over the head with the nearest hard object, and 2) give them our contact information once they recover consciousness!  There are so many things wrong with Dreamweaver-built sites that it is well worth the investment to have them redesigned and updated to the 21st century — EVEN if the visual design of the site isn’t changed one bit.  (Though I can pretty much guarantee that it ought to be updated as well!)  A former Dreamweaver client is a happy client, and we LOVE happy clients.  Remember, at Diamond Mind Web Design, our time is on your side!

 

Pinterest For Business? Interesting!

If you’ve been on Google today, you’ve probably noticed that it is International Women’s Day.  In honor, we’re posting this infographic from Prestige Marketing on the use of Pinterest for business, as 79% of Pinterest users are female.  If  your business targets female consumers, you seriously need to consider a presence on Pinterest.

Even if that’s not the case, Pinterest is still worthy of consideration, as it’s almost totally a visual medium, and very few (if any!) businesses can’t be well-represented visually.  As this article from The Content Strategist states, “The value in Pinterest is that it’s beautiful, transforming ordinary content into a visually stunning format.”

Read through the infographic (warning: it’s big!) and if something strikes your interest (pun intended), give us a call at Diamond Mind Web Design to see how we can explore using Pinterest as part of your social media presence.

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