As a company, we often deal with clients who wish to redesign their existing websites (in some cases their logos & identities as well). Perhaps the website is not serving the purpose the client initially had in mind. It may also very well be that those responsible for its design and implementation did not take a few key aspects into consideration.
These days, having mobile-friendly websites is not only clever, but also becoming increasingly essential. When mobile phones were first introduced in the 90s, it was hard to believe that one day we might be able to access the internet by a touch of a button. These days, a smartphone isn’t so smart if it can’t load webpages and browse the internet.
When I have nightmares as a designer, I dream of designing the perfect website – everything is well balanced, the colour scheme is impeccable and there is a beautiful big slider in the header. Then suddenly the client gives me low resolution, poorly masked, badly cropped photos to use for the slider! I wake up screaming, but sadly this really happens on an everyday basis…
When a company, start-up or individual approaches a designer of any discipline (let alone a web-designer), they do so because of a need. The need for someone with the relevant skills and knowledge to commit to their project, understand the requirements and bring forth the deliverables with poise. Yet, many people hire web/graphic-designers, wait until the first drafts of a project are completed, then proceed to engage in a lengthy and drawn out process of to-and-fro between what the designer produces and what the client ‘suggests’ (and in many cases, demands). This usually continues until the designer provides the client with exactly what they think they want, instead of what the respective market needs.
It happens to the best of us. So many cold winter evenings go by where we sit for hours next to our favourite window watching the heavens cry. Still we can’t seem to find the answer to one of life’s great mysteries…
For those of you who are not yet in the loop — a blog is a powerful corporate tool for communicating with customers or employees to share knowledge and expertise online. By creating another platform for interacting with your market, they get to know the heart of your business and the identity of your brand. A blog can just be the added value your customers have been looking for and the competitive edge your business needs…
Creating a brand identity is like a car picking up speed. It doesn’t jump from zero to 120 in one step (not usually anyway). It starts off with a client’s personal preference, but other building blocks soon get added.
Here’s a list of what happens between the start and finish line, from a designer’s perspective.
Ever felt to just ‘smile and wave’ when someone mentioned the word ‘browser’? Allow us to enlighten you…
Imagine your brand was a person and you met him for the first time. Would you find him exciting, friendly, enjoyable and interesting? This is probably how your brand makes clients feel. Do they enjoy your brand? Your brand can be seen as your company’s personality. It either leaves a good, lasting impression or none at all.
With more than thirty years that have passed since the advent of the worldwide internet (1982), there are business owners and organisation leaders who still doubt the value of establishing an online presence – when it can be very rewarding.
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