Spicy Web Designer Interview with Brandon Stewart

Brandon Stewart is a web designer from Wellington in New Zealand. Until recently, he has been working in the UK for Warner Music, Procter & Gamble and Ministry of Sound on various web projects and now he is back in New Zealand and has been freelancing since January 2009. He studied at the Massey University Design School in Visual Communications Design Studies and later he graduated in 2004 from the program. Brandon has been working professionally since 2005 in graphic design and switched over to later in 2006 that he moved into a solid web design career.

1. How did you get started in web design?

I studied web design at University, so I was pretty much on the right track from there. The only thing left was to decide on a specialized subject in which I chose interactivity and interface design. After university in 2004 I had a short stint as a freelance graphic designer but quickly came back to web design where I was more comfortable.

2. When did you start designing websites?

I started doing website design on the side of graphic design jobs in 2005. It was a pretty mixed bag doing all sorts from graphic design to photo retouching and web design during the early stages of my career. It wasn’t until late 2006 that I decided to settle into a solid web design career.

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

Well I’m starting my own business in design. I haven’t completely jumped in the deep end yet, but I look to work with fellow designers and developers in a collaborative way. So… to answer the question, the biggest challenge right now is finding clients. I believe that once I’m off the ground I’ll be just fine but it’s that initial push that I’m concerned about right now.

4. Do you code any of the web sites that you design currently? If so, what language(s) do you code in?

I do a bit of front end in most of my websites. I do all of the XHTML/CSS and some jQuery implementation but when it comes to writing code and getting stuck in, I get guys that know their stuff.

5. How has your education from Massey University Design School in Visual Communications Design Studies helped you become a better web design professional?  What other skills has it helped you to gain and what else has it taught you about design in general?

If I think hard about it, University was about setting the foundation. It taught me all the technical knowledge and gave me the tools I use on a daily basis. Learning the history of design is something that I also found important and still do to this day.

6. What are your favorite tools to use when designing a web project? Why are they your favorite tools?

I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite but I use a well set up PSD that has all the basic grid systems and a browser window image (in layers so I can manipulate the stage) in it so I can quickly get started on my designs. It’s also great because I no longer start on a blank canvas which used to stop me in my tracks for about an hour before I’d get up the nerve to start adding my first line to the page.

When I’m coding I use the 960.gs framework and a template html/css file so I’m not writing out code over and over again.

7. I was reading your resume and i saw that your an expert when it comes to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.  What are some of the most useful techniques that any web designer should know how to do in Photoshop and Illustrator?

My top tip in Photoshop is to know your ‘layer styles’. You can create nice buttons and effects on a single layer without going to the lengths of using multiple layers to pull of the same thing.

8. How has your 3 years work experience in England helped you to solidify your skills in web design?

I have been fortunate enough to work in some of the country’s top agencies and have learnt my most valuable skills which aren’t directly related to visual design. The most important of these is the ability to manage and lead projects while communicating the ideas to the client. Clients can send you a curve ball sometimes and you have to be ready for it, this is what makes it both challenging and exciting. I love it!