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!

Martin Hipp is a web designer from Rotorua in New Zealand. He first started designing websites professionally in 2004 and has been designing ever since. Martin is self taught in web design and is currently considering going back to university to study graphic design. The primary web technologies that he currently works in are CSS, XHTML and PHP to handle server side scripting.

1. How did you get started in web design?

My father introduced me to the web in 2000 when he gave me a book on basic HTML and CSS design. It was not until much later that I realized it would lead me to a career.

2. When did you start designing websites?

I started designing websites professionally late last year, but I have been designing websites for myself since 2004.

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

I would have to say competition and time management. So many designers are trying to make a name for themselves any way they can, and as a freelancer you find yourself working at times when other people are doing the complete opposite.

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 refer to myself as a web designer. I design, then code using XHTML & CSS and for any server-side scripting I tend to use PHP.

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

I graduated from high school last year and have yet to go to University to study. I am considering doing a degree or diploma in Graphic Design.

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?

The demand for web design has definitely changed the industry for the better. The use of web standards is becoming more widespread, and accessibility & usability have become major factors in any web design project.

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

I use Photoshop and Illustrator for any design work, then hand-code using TextMate.

Tony Xia is a web designer from New Zealand. He started designing websites 2 years ago. He showcases some of his design skills at ShadowGem which is his portfolio and it also works with a web developer by the name of Alan Peng at MadeByCool, a web design studio based in New Zealand. Originally Tony went to university at the University of Auckland for Computer Science and later went on to study Digital Media with Merit from Media Design School. One of his latest projects is called “FeedWeaver”, an RSS service that allows you to create your own personalized RSS Feeds.

1. How did you get started in web design?

When I was a child I love drawing stuff and paint them with different colors which is why I took the media design course because I know that is the right thing for me to do. Before I become a web designer I was also a banking advisor, and a programmer.

2. When did you start designing websites?

2 years ago, was trying to do a website for my friend. That site I did was terrible by the way, but every time I look at it, it always makes me laugh.

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

Industry wise, I think getting new clients is the hardest job right now. I guess the recession really drags us down a bit; however the good thing is because we are small, and we need very little amount of money to run the company (made by cool).

Design wise, I think is how to get inspiration for your projects. Of course someone will tell you “go check these web galleries”, however I still think that is not good enough. I always believe you can get inspiration from anything anywhere, e.g. check your local art galley, go to the park you like, go out grab your camera and shoot at anything you like…

4. Do you code on any of your web design projects? And if so, do you consider yourself a “Front-End Coder”? Why or Why Not?

Yup, I do all the front-end coding and design; Alan is our developer who is responsible for all the back-end stuff.

“Front-end Coder” hmm, I guess you can say so. Here are my couple thoughts, a web designer these days should be able to do the design and coding, and personally I won’t do any PSD/FW to HTML sort stuff for someone else, I think this should be done by the same person (lots of people might disagree with me on this lol).

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

I went to Media Design School, it is one of the best design schools in New Zealand, the most expensive one for sure ^_^. I think the time I spent there was totally worth it, awesome tutor, great peers which really helped me grow and develop.

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?

Web design industry has changed a lot. We have experienced several different design approaches, from glossy button to grungy texture style, furthermore web 2.0 really shined, lots of awesome web based applications, social community based websites came out. We are certainly heading towards to a brighter future, and I still believe we only explored the 30% of the internet, there are still plenty room for us to explore. If you have an idea, do not be afraid to try, you site could be the next Digg or YouTube….

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

I use Fireworks for all my websites. I was a loyal Photoshop user before; however after I tried Fireworks I simply can not live without it anymore. It is great for web design.

First, fireworks is designed for web design, not like Photoshop; Second, much easier to control the size of different elements, and great for grid based layout; Third, smaller file size.

8. How have you found building a web studio called MadebyCool with the help of Alan Peng?  Do you hire outside talent or is it a two-man team?

It’s been great so far, we are very good friends in real life, and we work well together, I would say we are the perfect fit. Alan is very talented; I know he is the one when I first met him at university.

Yes, we do have couple others work as contractor with us.

Richard (he also goes by Rich) McCoy is a freelance web designer and Art Director whose work is extensive working for everyone since 1995. He has worked for a variety of agencies, blue chip companies and publishers and continues to work in Art Direction on many projects. He is based on Waiheke Island, just off the coast of Auckland in New Zealand. He received his education from University of Gloucestershire in Fine Arts and he is very passionate about Art, Marketing and Programming and Project Management, all skills that make you a valuable asset on high level website projects.

1. You’ve got a very extensive work experience from working with design agencies, various companies and publishers. How has becoming a freelance web designer changed your life?

It for the most part allows me to sail my own ships rather than sitting on someone else’s and stops me moaning about where they are sailing, it affords me time to spend with my family when I need it and work my own hours. For the most part I’m less stressed.

2. As I read on your site you are an explorer of music. Do you like to design in silence? If not, what is in your music player now that you enjoy listening to while you design?

Hell no, I tend to put music on that is of a similar aesthetic to that in which I am working, or in the case of if something needed quickly I put on upbeat tunes, if I need to take time and wallow in a design I put on something chilled. However I do tend to research & type in relative silence.

3. I was looking at your “skills and competencies” section of your website and I am wondering how you conduct usability audits? Can you show me an example of your usability audit structure?

I conduct Usability Audits using a fair mix of experience, intuition and common sense plus a few on-line tools, I have no hard and fast written framework as most sites are very different and like most problems having a framework to adhere to hinders choosing the right path (Chuckle that sounds very pretentious).

4. I find it refreshing that you say that you are not a master of all things web design and that you have contacts that source work to for things like SEO and affiliate marketing. What caused you to take this approach towards how you conduct your business?

The Internet is a huge and complicated thing, I have my areas of expertise and others have there’s, the thing is I know enough about the web to know that its bigger then I or anyone could ever master every aspect, anyone who claims otherwise pretty much is a fool.

5. How does pricing a project work for you on a web design project? Do you turn away work because you simply know that you cannot take on every project that you receive?

I tend to price on a time and materials basis, I find this rewards the better more responsive clients as they pay less because they waste less time. I do like to know what he budget is so that I have an idea of what to throw out of a brief as it won’t be achievable in the time frame. Yes I do turn work away either because I don’t have the time, I don’t agree ethically with the business or I get a hunch that the client will be awkward to work with, words like “A bit like facebook”, “we want a bit of WOW” & “we can’t pay much but will have lots of work in the future” usually decide it for me.

6. I enjoyed the website that you built for Duchamp of London. In your role as an Art Director who did you work with to bring this project together? How were you involved in the overall design of this project?

I didn’t build the current site for Duchamp of London, I supplied a suite of concepts at the request of their agency, I tend to get requested to do that kind of thing a lot, I think it’s to help fuel the fires but to be honest I don’t ask to many questions as to why I get commissioned to do stuff that never gets made live.

7. When I read “Art Director” on your projects as the position that you were involved in the project does that mean that you are actually designing the website? Or are you instructing a team on how to create the website?

Generally speaking in my role as “Art director” I usually create the initial concepts and look and feel than hand these over to either an internal team or a set of freelance designers and they then implement it and just pop in every now and again to see if the integrity has remained.

More about this Web Designer

URL: McCoy.co.uk

Email/Contact: rich@mccoy.co.uk

Phone: +64 (0) 2121 482 46

Skype: mccoydotcodotuk