After a potential client  initial call or email, I send them the Pre-Project Questionnaire. For the dotp redesign, I’ve filled one out and included it here>.

Design Options

If a potential client sends the Questionnaire back, which often times they won’t because it’s pretty extensive, then I offer them some design options in an email. Usually these design options provide a range of solutions based on their requirements and budget.  I don’t flesh all the solutions out, I just give them a general idea of what they can expect and what a ballpark cost will be. It looks something like this:

…………………………………………………………………………………………..
DESIGN ON A DIME OPTION
MINIMUM FUNCTIONALITY | NO SOCIAL NETWORKING | LOW RISK | LEAST DEVELOPMENT TIME
LOW COST $###
……………………………………………………………………………………...... Keep reading

It all starts with a phone call or email or chat on the soccer field. Someone wants a website for their personal use, their business, their organization, their band, their whatever. Usually I’ll get about ten sentences of information about what they want to do and it usually looks like this:

“I want it to be like the Nike site. Really cutting edge, 2.0 type stuff. I don’t want Flash; it’s bad. I really like bold colors, maybe green and purple. Award winning too. And what’s the soonest you can have it done? I’d like to have it done in a week or as soon as possible. I’m on a tight budget but if you do a good job, I’ve got future projects.”

Notice there is no mention of a budget. I have no idea how the site fit’s into anything their trying to accomplish and their expectations for time versus quality design are unrealistic. At this point, I usually send them my Pre-Project Questionnaire (see attached below) and never hear back from them again. Not a very good business move, eh? After years of dealing with clients, this strategy has helped both the client and myself avoid disaster before we even begin. Why?

I don’t expect clients to know how to design and build websites. That’s why their coming to me. I do expect them to understand who they are and what the website is trying to achieve. More often than not, they don’t, and they want to jump right into the design and dictate content, ...... Keep reading

One of the most common challenges designers face is educating their clients about the design process. Design is not like construction, where you can drive by at any point in the process and see how the structure is made. People perceive design a bit like magic: We step behind a curtain, say some magic words and out comes a website. They have no idea what happened out of site, they only see the finished product. And designers have, by and large, liked keeping their trade a bit secretive. Unfortunately, this practice, purposeful or not, dumbs clients down and creates unrealistic expectations that design is easy, cheap and quick. Add the accessibility of design software tools to everyone and their brother, and professional designers have a real challenge on their hands keeping their trade secrets while educating clients about the value of their expertise. The basis for the value of their expertise doesn’t reside in a designer’s ability to pick the right colors or come up with the coolest concept, the value lies in their disciplined design process. So, I’m going to open the magic curtain of design and allow everyone to see my interactive design process.

For the last year, I’ve been wanting to redesign my own site. It was a temporary site to begin with, and I’ve not had the time or creative energy to readdress it. It’s not right to tell clients, “Do as I say, not as I do” with regard to my own site.  I’ll be redesigning...... Keep reading

When you’re a pioneer, your brand ages fast.

This happened to the Elijah Company, one of the oldest home school resource companies in the country. Over a period of 20 years, the company’s mission expanded to include counseling, seminars, travel and publishing. Their visual identity and collateral were stuck in the 1980’s. We crafted a new identity to reflect their new mission.

OUR PART
· Brand strategy
· Logo and identity design

When you see a skater on the streets, you see a troubled youth.

We wanted to help the skatepark association communicate to city officials that skaters are unique individuals with talents and dreams. So we asked local skaters to create a work of art on skateboard “grip” tape. We pasted a flyer on the back of each piece of art and sent them to local businesses and community leaders.

OUR PART
· Flyer concept and design
· Copywriting
· Direct mail campaign...... Keep reading

There’s nothing a little duct tape can’t cure.

We helped the Crossville Skatepark Association develop an online presence by designing a common entrance for their existing websites. The online petition form was a big hit and gave them the ammunition they needed  to get city  approval for a larger skate park. Note: These sites were developed before web standards.

OUR PART
· Site design
· T-shirt design
· Blog design
· Integration...... Keep reading