Spicy Web Designer Interview with Jon Brousseau

Jon Brousseau is a web designer and an associate creative director from Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. After studying at The Art Institute of Boston and earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, Jon was hired by an interactive agency that focused on web design, application interfaces and mobile devices. He has been designing websites for the past 8 years professionally. He has earned various awards for his design work including being on the Dean’s List 4 times during his education at the Art Institute of Boston. He recently completed his Master in Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Boston University in 2008 and is working for Boston University as an Associate Creative Director.

1. How did you get started in web design?

My first job out of college was for an interactive agency where I focused on design for web sites, application interfaces, and mobile devices. I had the opportunity to work with some talented folks there and was exposed to technologies which I knew little about. It was a great learning experience for me.

2. When did you start designing websites?

My last year of college in 1999. I got interested in web design and taught myself the basics and put together my first concept site for a college project. My first professional site was in 2000 for a company I worked for at the time.

3. What are the biggest challenges that you face in the web design currently?

Ha! Internet Explorer 6! Seriously, understanding a client’s needs and being able to see long-term goals and how they coincide with the scalability of a project is always a learning process. Add to the mix project management and coordination among different vendors and the challenges increase.

4. Do you refer to yourself as a Front-end developer or a web designer? Do you code any of the web sites that you design currently?  If so, what language(s) do you code in?

I prefer web designer because ultimately it’s about the design. For me the development portion is a means to an end – I learned the technical aspects so I wouldn’t be limited by them and I wanted to be able to bring my designs to life myself. I do my own development and hand-code the CSS, XHTML, and integrate with PHP, JavaScript, databases, etc as needed. I’m using WordPress a lot these days and have learned how to manipulate it to suit my needs. There’s quite a bit to be said for taking a project from concept to completion – I enjoy being involved in all aspects of a project.

5. Where did you go to school and has it helped you become a better web design professional?

I graduated from the Art Institute of Boston in 1999 with a BFA in design. From there I worked primarily in the interactive field and started my graduate degree in design at Boston University in 2006. I received my MFA in 2008.

My education definitely informed my work. Since I had a few years of experience before going to graduate school I knew which questions to ask and which specific things I wanted to work on as a designer. While at grad school I stayed away from interactive design altogether and focused solely on design itself, doing projects on which I normally don’t get the opportunity to work, such as identity and brand; book covers; publication design; and posters. What’s amazing to me is how much these types of projects inform what I do in the interactive world.

6. Since you first started how has the web design industry changed? Has it changed for the better? If so, how? If not, please explain?

Things have certainly changed in web design since I started. For one, there’s much more of a focus on user-syndicated content. Folks like having control over information themselves and relying less on having it generated for to them. There is also more of an awareness of good usability and functionality. Users expect information to be easily and quickly available, without the marketing speak that was so dominant in 1999-2000. Folks who know little about how technology works still have an understanding about how it should function, and there’s a very low tolerance for things that fail to deliver.

In terms of aesthetics, design is less experimental too, dropping gratuitous imagery and design elements in favor of more meaningful and useful design. You can see this ideal reinforced across different types of devices as well, such as mobile devices, interfaces on digital cameras, etc.

These things combined help to make the web (and any device that requires an interface) more user-friendly and ultimately provide a better user experience. While we have a long way to go, I feel it keeps getting better and more interesting all the time.

7. What are your favorite tools to use when designing a website? Why are they your favorite tools?

For design there’s pen and paper during concept, then there’s Photoshop and Illustrator for finalizing the design. For development I use BB Edit and Coda. I love the control these applications afford me and I’m a bug for neatly commented and formatted code. I prefer the hand-coding tools over WYSIWYGs because I don’t want to be limited to any program’s interpretation of the language – I want complete control over it myself.

8. In your most recent role as an associate creative director, how has your involvement on web design projects changed?

I’m now accountable for projects on which I’m not directly working! I have the opportunity to work more closely with other designers in my office, which is a great opportunity – I work with some truly talented individuals. It’s too easy to have “tunnel vision” when working on a project, and working with others fosters a more collaborative environment, one where we all learn from each other. The ultimate result is more informed, stronger work.