Website Inspiration Blog | SpicyWebDesigners.com by Luc Arnold

Michael Heald is a web designer from England in the United Kingdom and he is the guy behind “Fully Illustrated” a creative agency he built from the ground up.  With over 10 years of professional experience in design, Michael has really created a style that is all his own.

He has been featured in .NET magazine and Web Designer Magazine and has won a lot of awards.  Some of his achievements to date include…

• Michael’s Creative Agency “Fully Illustrated” is named 1 of only 99 top ranked creative agencies in the world
• His design work has been featured in the “Web Designers Idea Book” by Patrick McNeil and “Websites 2” by Zeixs
• Countless web and graphic design awards from various sites like CSSMania, CSS Crème, Web 360 award and Daily Slurp to name a couple.

Even though he started off in print design when he first got out of university he was introduced to web design on a few projects and since then he has expanded his skill set into 3D and motion design with game development on an online game called “Super Turbo Action Pig”.  There is no doubt that Michael Heald is an expert in what he does and I really enjoyed having a chance to hear from him about his experiences in design.

Luc asks: I know it’s been about 10 years for you since you started your career but i wanted to ask how and where did you start your career?

Michael says: I think my career officially started when my mum and dad bought me my Commodore 64!  I was into games in a big way and deep down wanted to spend my life surrounded by games in one way or another.  Ok, on a serious note, my career started when I left Uni and started working in a local 5 man design company.  I was a graduate on a steep learning curve and managed to work on a great mix of projects including branding, web design, exhibition stand design and then later a little illustration.  It was after my first taste of commercial illustration that I wanted to move on, I had the bug!  I soon found an advert for a position as an illustrator, applied and got the job!  So for the following 5 years I spent most of time drawing characters, with a little time spent doing web/application design and then later 3D modeling/animation.  After this I moved onto a dedicated web design position for a large international web agency where after 3 years I decided to move into business on my own offering all the disciplines I’d learned over the previous 8 years.

Luc asks:  How long have you been designing for the web?

Michael says: I’ve been designing for the web almost as long as I’ve been designing.  When I started out in my first job doing mainly print, it was around the time that the web industry was in its infancy and thus, I got the chance to design a couple of sites right at the beginning of my career.  Thankfully those sites are no longer online (he laughs to himself)

Luc asks: I see that your creative agency has been named of the best in the world.  Was it a surprise to you when you first heard about it?  And, what do you think makes “Fully Illustrated” a world class creative agency?

Michael says: Yeah it was big surprise!  I never thought that a small one man design company could ever be shortlisted for a place in the top 100, let alone actually win a place!  As far as what I think makes my work worthy, wow, that’s a tough one for me to answer.  I know that I love what I do, and look forward to starting work every day and if I don’t have a project on hand, there is always something I want to experiment with myself, so this must translate though to my work in some way.  Passion would sum it up I guess.

Luc asks: What magazines, websites and other materials do you read to stay on top of the latest trends in design?

Michael says: My sources of inspiration are vast to say the least and strangely, don’t include much in the way of design related sites, in fact, I can’t even think of any off the top of my head.  I actually spend my time looking at sites dedicated to 3D, motion graphics, games, concept art and photography, as I seem to draw all my inspiration from much less direct subjects.  I’ll often walk out of a movie full of ideas for a design, it’s weird I guess.

Luc asks: With so many accomplishments in your past already where do you hope to be in 5 years from now?

Michael says: Where do I want to be in 5 years time…hmmm, continuing to do what I love, only doing it much better

Luc asks: What is the one thing that you love most about what you do for a living?

Michael says: the fact that I want to get out of bed to do it, it’s that simple.  I’ve always loved my job, from the first day of my first job, to this day writing this article.  If you can get up in a morning and get paid for something you love doing, then that is one of the best things in life, as let’s face it, you’ll spend most of your life working than doing anything else.  Oh, and the fact that I get to play and create games might have something to do with it too

Luc asks: Tell me a few things about yourself that most people wouldn’t know about you if they met you on the street.

Michael says: Oh good question.  Hmm, how about…I originally started out life wanting to be a fighter pilot for the RAF.  Oh, and I farted really loud in school assembly when I was 12   There you go, not many people know those two facts

With well over a decade of web development experience, Simon Young, a front-end web developer from Chester, England in the United Kingdom has a lot to say about his experiences to date in web design.

Even though he is selective at times with the work that he takes on he is highly skilled in WordPress, Magento and Ruby on Rails development and goes by the title of “Front-end web developer”.  Because of his experience he works on a number of projects with varying scopes from planning the build of an ecommerce site to doing layouts in CSS and XHTML.

Simon mentions how much the average project he is willing to take on which clears up a lot confusion when it comes to pricing out his services in this excerpt from his site…

“To set your expectations accordingly, in most circumstances (i.e. unless you are a charity or other volunteer project) I’m usually unable to work on projects with a budget of lower than £2000.”

Whether you are interested in working with him on your next web design project or you are interested to know more about what he does and how he got to where he is today feel free to read on and learn more about this well-versed web design professional…

Luc asks: Simon, since you first started about 12 years ago what are your favorite things that have happened in web design?

Simon says: I think the most significant development during this period has been the advancement of web standards and continued exploration as to what is possible in the browser. From a personal point of view, after many years of working on Microsoft technologies, in 2006 I moved to working on a Mac and mainly using open source web technologies such as WordPress, Rails and Magento.  In retrospect, I wish I’d done this a lot sooner as I’ve found the flexibility of open source and the ease of use of Mac are the perfect combination for web development.

Luc asks: I see that you do a fair amount of web development using Ruby, Magento Commerce and WordPress and I wanted to ask what is your favorite platform/framework to work with and why is it your favorite?

Simon says: The three all have very different strengths and weaknesses and so I go through phases of which I prefer although I would say now that 90%+ of my work is done on one of the three.  I love WordPress because it is the ideal content management solution for many small businesses and it’s incredibly feature rich these days.  Whilst there are lots of more complex CMS products on the market few are as instantly accessible and flexible and for many small businesses it’s likely to be all they will ever need to create a really solid online presence.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Magento.  The feature set is phenomenal for an open source ecommerce project and there is very little that it can’t do out of the box or with an extension and the template system, while initially daunting, is incredibly powerful.  On the downside, the extensive feature set and powerful template system means there is a huge amount of lines of code within the project and so if something goes wrong or you really need to alter a small piece of functionality it can be tough to track down what you are looking for.

I think my favorite platform is Ruby on Rails and I use this for all of the web application builds I am involved in.  The concept of convention over configuration works really well for me and the in-built functionality is supplemented by so much great code in the community too.  I’m still really a beginner in many aspects of Rails but I just love the fact that every day you spend with it you come out at the end of the day with real progress and new knowledge.  Very few frameworks can offer you that!

Luc asks: As a front-end web developer fill in the blank about this sentence “_______ is the most important technology that i use as a front-end developer”

Simon says: “XHTML/CSS” is the most important technology that i use as a front-end developer.

Luc asks: I ask this of all front-end developers, do you prefer designing or developing (coding) websites and do you have any experience developing in the back-end or is your experience solely front-end development?

Simon says: I started off mainly on the design side as most sites were static when I first got in to the industry however now I find myself spending most of my time either coding layouts and integrating with WordPress/Magento or doing back-end development such as Rails.  I’d still class myself primarily as a front-end developer but I’m definitely picking up more back-end development experience at the moment.

Luc asks: Being a professional with more than 10 years of experience in the areas of web design and development are you more selective of which clients you take on or is anyone welcome?

Simon says: I’m selective to an extent.  I generally look out for clients who are going to be rewarding to work with and are keen to benefit from my expertise and with whom I can get along.  I like clients who pay on time too!

Luc asks: How much do you charge for an average project currently and what does this normally include?

Simon says: I don’t know that there is such a thing as an average project!  The charges will vary depending on whether I’m working through a larger digital agency in Manchester or London (where typically I’ll charge a day rate) or whether I’m doing a fixed price project for a small local business.  My involvement can be anything from just bringing PSD files to life as XHTML/CSS layouts right through to a full e-commerce plan, design and build.

David Curran is a freelance web designer based in Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom. David originally studied Geography at the University of London and graduated in 2005 and later fell into web design by accident. In 2008, he started designing websites on a freelance basis and recently went full time designing websites. When I interviewed David he talked about how he started in web design, what it takes to make user friendly websites and his experiences working with various CMS systems.

Luc @ SWD: David, how did you first start designing website and how long have you been building them professionally?

David says: I first started building websites when working for a small computer firm in my local town, I was also servicing and building PC’s but I began to get more business for the websites so started teaching myself web design. I never had any training and pretty much taught myself through reading web articles and a few books. I still have a lot to learn and continue to teach myself from searching Google and checking the source code of sites I like. My first few sites were from using WYSIWYG editors but quickly saw the limitations to such programs, I now try to hand code sites as much as possible and use a minimal amount of standards compliant markup.

After a couple of years with the computer firm I started taking on clients outside of the business and eventually went freelance in 2008 and have been full time designing websites since then.

Luc @ SWD: Where and what did you study at college/university?

David says: I actually studied Geography and received a BSC from the University of London in 2005. At the time I had no idea I wanted to do web design and just sort of fell in to it a couple of years after university. I didn’t even know anything about computers when studying!

Luc @ SWD: How do you go about designing and building a website that is “user friendly”? Do your clients ever want things that aren’t as user friendly in a web design project and how do you deal with that when it comes up?

David says: I always try to design sites that are hopefully ‘user friendly’ by creating clear and simple layouts. Often using a minimal layout only displaying the information necessary to that page means that users don’t get confused as to what they are reading. I try to use traditional and familiar techniques, like descriptive headers, which are both useful for spiders and for visitors to understand the hierarchy of the page and to read the information as it should be read. In terms of clients ever wanting sites that aren’t as user friendly, I have never really had to deal with this as most of the people who approach me for a website do so because they have seen my portfolio and want a clear, simple and user friendly site!

Luc @ SWD: David, I see that you work with CMS (Content Management Systems) in your daily web design work.  Which CMS is your favorite to use or do you have a custom CMS that you use currently?

David says: The first few CMS’s I have worked with were custom built (through an outsourcing website) and these have been successful. Unfortunately I still haven’t much experience with PHP and other such languages used to build CMS’s so have to outsource such systems, although I am trying to teach myself PHP (but find it quite boring!). More recently I have built a couple of sites using Joomla and found that this is a great system which is very customizable. I am currently in the process of building a social networking/directory website and am doing so using Joomla so my client can have full control of the content after the site is built, and hopefully I will learn a lot about Joomla in the process.

Luc @ SWD: What are your favorite web design tools to use when designing?

David says: I mainly use Photoshop to sketch out layout ideas and then hand code in Dreamweaver. I know Dreamweaver, like many WYSIWYG programs does have a tendency to do create unnecessary markup but I do find it useful to hand code in and it has some very intuitive features.

Web design is something that has always been in Chris Godby’s blood. This web designer from Surrey, England in the United Kingdom got his start in web design while he was studying at Portsmouth University where he and a few friends had the idea to start a web design company. The company may have since been dissolved but this experience gave Chris the skills he needed to go out on his own as a freelance designer. While at Portsmouth University, Chris studied Computer Animation and wrote his dissertation on Search Engine Optimization so he is very knowledgeable on the topic and suggests to his clients to analyze the competition and coaches his clients on off-site optimization techniques since he does the on-site optimization himself. Chris Godby had some things to say when it comes to his experience of starting a company with a few friends from school, how he helps his clients with SEO, his experiences at school and how he likes to do business…

Luc @ SWD: Chris, i see that you started a web design company with a few friends and i wanted to ask what did this teach you about the web design business? Do you currently work for this company?

Chris says: I started the web design company as part of my degree (to use in my dissertation) mainly as an experiment.  In the end it was an extremely useful way of learning the ropes of the web design business, and business in general.  I now work as a sole trader, but running an Ltd company is quite different.  We’ve since dissolved the company but it mainly taught me; the portfolio is everything, you have to be very motivated and make sure you’re surrounded by equally motivated people otherwise it will fall flat on its face! And of course to not quit even when business is slow (as it always will be in the beginning).

Luc @ SWD: Did studying Computer Animation at Portsmouth University help you with your web design skills?  Why did you choose to go into computer animation and not a more web related course of study?

Chris says: Coming straight out of school and having to make the decision that’ll affect the rest of your life is always tough. I originally wanted to go into marketing, but I saw the head of 3D Animation doing a presentation and it sounded like it was for me, so I signed up there and then!  The course had a little web design in it, and it covered flash animation which is always handy.  My passion for web design really sparked during the course so I pursued it myself, pretty much taught myself over the summer.  That’s the great thing about web design, thanks to such an outstanding community, there are tons of free resources around to teach you the skills required.

Luc @ SWD: Considering that you did your dissertation on Search Engine Optimization what tips do you give clients about good SEO practices and how do you stay knowledgeable about new SEO trends?

Chris says: Plenty! I find half the battle is teaching them how important it is and that it isn’t a onetime thing – it’s ongoing.  My main tips are off-site as I tend to optimize any sites I create.  I always say; keep an eye on your competition, analyze what they are doing and do better.  Build relevant, preferably one-way links. I’ve found building a blog with great content people will want to read is loved but search engines and users alike and is a natural way of building traffic.

To stay knowledgeable about SEO I’m a member of a number of SEO/Web forums and resources such as SEOMoz, SEOChat, and grokdotcom to name a few.  The sheer number of SEO related resources can be pretty intimidating so I’m sure everyone has their favorites!

Luc @ SWD: How did you first start designing websites? What are the benefits of hand-coding web pages in your own opinion?

Chris says: Haha well I guess it was back in school with an early version of Dreamweaver and a teacher telling us all about tables and how great they were..

I think hand-coding gives you a lot more control over the medium.  It’s also much easier to find errors if you’ve entered every piece of code by hand.  I tend to mix it up with Dreamweaver and notepad plus to get the best of both worlds!

Luc @ SWD: How do you usually approach a web design project? Do you prefer to meet the client face-to-face or does that sort of thing matter to you?

Chris says: I love meeting face to face, much preferred over phone or email, but sometimes this just isn’t possible or productive.  I work with clients all over the world so sometimes we just have to make do with Skype or email, and sometimes Basecamp.

Kean Richmond is a web designer and developer from North Yorkshire, England in the United Kingdom. He first started designing websites using FrontPage and quickly moved up from there. Today his work in web design, web development and front end development is very professional largely in thanks to the education and his drive to learn more about web design. In 5 years from now, Kean wants to be doing what he does currently but better and that’s not to say his websites are bad or not high quality because they are. When asked about how he started web design and how it feels like to work in a company where he is the only designer here is what he had to say.

Luc @ SWD: How did you first discover web design?

Kean says: I don’t quite think this is when I discovered web design but the first site I ever built was one I’d built as part of my ICT course at college. We had to build a site using FrontPage; I think it had something to do with Pirates or Treasure. Of course being a newbie I covered the website in loud colors and odd DHTML animations.

Luc @ SWD: When did you first charge for your services as a web designer?  What was the web design project all about?

Kean says: I was on placement at IBM, which I did as part of my University course. My then manager’s son was part of a band and he asked me to build them a website. The site was a fairly simple one, though it did push my Photoshop skills. Half way through the process one of the band members left so had to be removed from the group photos they have professionally done. Luckily for me the site has since disappeared, and unfortunately I think so has the band.

Luc @ SWD: Kean how has your educational experience at Teesside University helped you to become a better and more confident web designer?

Kean says: Before going to University I didn’t know enough about Web Design to go straight into a job and lacked the drive to learn at home so University was where I felt I had to start. I’m don’t think University made me a better designer but without going to Uni I don’t think I’d be a Web Designer at all. In fact if it wasn’t for Teesside offering a full web course I could have gone on to do any IT related course, as at the time I was certain I was going to University but not sure about what to study.

Luc @ SWD: Where do you want to be in 5 years? Still in web design? Why or why not?

Kean says: Definitely. In 5 years I hope to be doing pretty much doing what I do now just hopefully better. I love the work I do so all I would want to happen is to do more stuff that compliments that. I’ve always liked the idea of getting more involved with clients as well as involved in the larger web design community. I like the idea of being able to pass on the stuff I’ve learnt to others just starting out.

Luc @ SWD: In terms of tools that you love to use, what are your favorites?

Kean says: I don’t tend to use that many different tools, mainly because I don’t work on a Mac where most fun apps live. Instead I tend to just use Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Firefox. These are pretty much all I need and they compliment how I work.

I started using Photoshop and Dreamweaver as they seemed the industry standard at the time. Changing from these would just make simple jobs harder to do as I learnt new software. Firefox I use mainly for the plug-ins, I have stuff like Firebug, Echofon, ColorZilla, MeasureIt and more all installed that make building sites a lot easier.

Luc @ SWD: In your work experience as the lone designer at a company do you find it hard to talk about what it is you do with other colleagues?

Kean says: Probably Yes. Though the people I work with are awesome and really know their stuff I can’t imagine having conversations over border-radius or the 960 Grid System. I don’t think it affects my work though, being the only designer forces me to push my own skills as I’m responsible for ensuring all the design work we do is usable and is a high standard.