Web Design Inspiration Blog | SpicyWebDesigners.com

Ryan Scherf is a web designer and developer from Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States of America. This designer from Minneapolis loves creating brands from scratch, showcasing his skills in the latest tutorials on WebDesignTuts+ and has dabbled in entrepreneurial endeavors most recently founding SixCentral.

Ryan has been designing for the web over the last decade; he is a seasoned professional who graduated from the University of Minnesota from their Computer Science program. What Ryan found when he got out of school and was hired as a Java programmer was that he hated it and with that decided to focus on front-end design and he has been designing ever since.

Though he does hold down a full-time day job as a Senior User Interface Engineer he has always enjoyed freelancing on web design projects as it allows him a creative outlet to hone and perfect his design skills. He currently runs RyanScherf.net and he currently posts updates on his twitter account.

I recently had the chance to ask Ryan about how he first got introduced to web design, the advice he’d give anyone starting in this chosen career path and some questions about his experiences and this is what he had to say…

Luc asks: Ryan, how did you first get started designing websites and how long have you been a web designer?

Ryan says: The first website I ever designed for profit was almost 10 years ago, and it’s still up today (poorly coded of course – http://lomag.net). I got my start by designing websites for small internet companies selling hosting and shell accounts. After a short hiatus during my time at college between 2002-2006, I really had only done small 1-2 page designs. My first larger project was in the winter of 2006 for an e-mail start-up that fell flat. At this point, I only had a few designs that I could showcase in my portfolio, and wasn’t really getting a lot of leads. I started doing some on-the-side slicing from which the owner hired me to do a few design jobs, and that’s really when it all took off. This was probably in early 2007.

Luc asks: What was the most challenging client you’ve ever worked for and why was it a challenge?

Ryan says: I’ve definitely had my fair share of challenging and frustrating clients. Some that wouldn’t pay (even after the work was completed) and others that were far too demanding. The most challenging client I’ve ever had was for a NYC start-up that dealt with Broadway shows. The client rejected 2-3 designs in a row, and provided poor direction for every single iteration. I’m fortunate now that I’m able to identify troublesome clients from the very first e-mail exchanges, so I’ve been lucky to avoid situations like this over the last few years.

Luc asks: Ryan, I noticed that you currently work full-time and that you also freelance. How do you manage between being a full-time employee?

Ryan says: That’s right — my entire freelance career has been nights/weekends apart from full-time jobs. For me, freelancing is a great creative outlet that is a lot less limiting than what I do as an in-house designer. The draw of freelancing for me is the ability to work on brand new designs every few weeks, and not having to work in the constraints of a rigid system. Fortunately, the last two full-time jobs I’ve had have been health care start-ups, so not only was there a ton of work to do, but the start-up community has been a lot of fun. The hard part is not overbooking myself, as the line between fun and burning out is very fine. I’ve been fortunate so far, but we’ll see how it goes in the future.

Luc asks: I see that you studied Computer Sciences when you went to university at the University of Minnesota. Being from a computer science educational background do you feel that you are a strong graphic designer or is this a skill that you feel you are working at? Do you prefer coding to the visual design work that your work offers you?

Ryan says: I always felt that I had to work harder at being a designer, than I did at being a programmer. I sort of fell into the Computer Science degree, as I always had an interest in computers and that felt like the next step after high school. The first job I took while in my last year at the university was as a Java developer intern, and I hated every second of it. That was really the moment I realized that I wanted to be creative in a different way. Within 6 months, I had moved to another department where I was able to do more front-end work and I never looked back.

Coming from a Computer Science background has helped me understand the limitations (and possibilities) of systems much more than I would have by just pursuing the graphic design course.

Luc asks: What piece of advice would you give a novice web designer looking to break into the industry?

Ryan says: Get your work out there. The design community is truly one of the most helpful communities around, and by putting yourself out there, you’re certain to get very constructive feedback from a group of passionate people for free. I haven’t met one designer that wouldn’t offer up feedback — all you have to do is ask. Just by putting your work out for others to critique shows the type of person you are. Also, always remember to not take criticism personal. Design is such a subjective topic, especially from the untrained eye that has no idea what they’re looking at. I was at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC a few years ago, and there was a small piece of gold foil in the middle of a huge room. I didn’t get it (and thought it was ridiculously stupid), but once again, it was only my opinion. Obviously somebody thought it was artistic enough to get into the Guggenheim — I’ve never had anything displayed in there.

The second bit of advice I’d give is to stick to it. There will always be designers that are better. Instead of beating yourself up about it, strive to do what they do. I can remember mimicking styles of really great designs to learn. Then, once I found my own style, I just went with it.

Luc asks: I see that you’ve published a number of tutorials on industry leading sites like WebDesignTuts+. How did you get into writing tutorials and why do you find it important to share your knowledge?

Ryan says: I was approached by the editor of PSDTuts last year to write a tutorial, and I thought it would be a great way to drive some traffic to my portfolio as well as share a little knowledge. I’ll admit, the first time writing a tutorial was pretty difficult and I almost gave up midway through after about 10 hours. Once I saw how helpful it was to the readers, I became addicted, and I’m trying to commit to writing a tutorial once a month (I haven’t been good about it just yet).

The message I wanted to get across to the readers is that you’re only limited by your own creativity. Creating the designs in Photoshop is pretty simple. Honestly, all of the techniques I used to create the elements of a design are probably beginner level, but the trick is mixing and matching all of them to produce a great result.

Christine Pham has been a web designer and front-end developer for over five years and currently works in Massachusetts in the United States. She is completely self taught as a web designer, having never finished college or university; however, she takes every advantage to improve her skills and knowledge. When we talked to her, she spoke to us about what keeps her passionate about web design, how she got into becoming a web designer, and her preferences between coding and designing. Please read on about Christine Pham…

Luc Asks: You said that you are completely self taught, Christine.  Did you study something else at university or college before deciding on web design?

Christine says: I come from a pretty strict family, so going to college wasn’t optional after I graduated from high school. I did spend two years in college, switching majors frequently but eventually dropped out. I think I really only attended about a quarter of my scheduled classes each semester. I skipped classes all the time, even in high school, which was a total waste of money. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m the type of learner who can benefit from everything a classroom can offer. I learn more kinetically; by actually doing things myself and solving problems in a practical work environment. Maybe one day I will go get my degree… I’ve thought about it, but I’m really trying to focus on my work right now.

Luc Asks: With over 5 years of experience designing for the web, what is it that still keeps you passionate about web design?

Christine says: Even though I haven’t had the most sparkling history of being a great student, I do like to learn as many things as I can, and as often as I can. I love that the nature of this industry offers me the opportunity to keep doing that. You have to keep learning to be successful in this field; you’ve got to get your hands on as much as you can, because if you stop educating yourself for just a year… well, you’ll wake up and realize that you’re already two years behind. I’ve been teaching myself about web design since I was 15, and I still have a lot more to learn. Needless to say, I do a lot of “googling”.

Luc Asks: When it comes to typography in your projects do you use pre-built fonts or do you do your own typographic design work?

Christine says: Fonts are like boys to me; I always have a flavor of the week. Just kidding, I’m not that popular with the boys. I do purchase and download fonts for use in my projects, and I go through phases where I like a certain slab font (Rockwell and I had a long term relationship), and then I’ll switch to a script, and then maybe to a sans serif. I love that web technology has evolved to the point that I now have more interesting options than your run-of-the-mill web fonts. I love playing with typography in my layouts.

Luc Asks: Looking at your work experience i see that you’ve jumped around a fair amount since you started your web design career.  Do you think that this is fairly common in the web design career path?

Christine says: I think it’s common for most creatives – in any industry – to jump from job to job, at least in the beginning years of their career. I think a lot of it has to do with ego, to be honest. I suppose a lot of it also had to do with the fact that I was so young and naive that I didn’t realize how much my skills were actually worth. I went through a lot of periods where I’d have to reevaluate my worth and what my salary was at the time. I think I’ve grown up since then – I have gotten to a point in my career where I’m looking for security and stability. I work at a great company now that offers that (shout out to Edvisors!). And I also have a lot of other work that I do at home to satisfy my other needs… so it all balances out.

Luc Asks: Do you consider yourself a stronger coder or designer?

Christine says: I started out as more of a graphic designer – I did a lot of print as well as web design at my first job. But I think now I’m definitely more of a developer. I’m learning PHP right now – I’ve known basic PHP for a couple years, but I’m really learning more advanced things these days. I have some friends that are backend coders and even they tell me that I have a programmer’s head. Being able to code also gives you the opportunity to make sure your designs retain their creative integrity when the final product is made. I am really anal about making sure that the website rings true to my original design. I consider myself a Front End Developer with a strong eye and background in design.

Luc Asks: What web design project are you most proud of in your career to date and why?

Christine says: That’s sort of like choosing between my babies, isn’t it? I guess, if I had to choose, it would be a project that I’m currently working on with my developer friend, Stela, called myCosmeticBag. It’s still in development, so there’s not much I can show for it, other than our blog; but it’s basically a site where girls can come together and talk and learn about makeup, as well as manage the items in their makeup collection. Users will be able to post reviews on their favorite cosmetics products, or read reviews before they choose whether or not to make a purchase. It’s also kind of like my playground for learning PHP and experimenting with HTML 5 and other new technologies. I consider this project my true baby because it’s our own concept, and it’s not a site that I’m just designing for a client. I guess that would make my other projects like adopted children!

Some more of Christine Pham’s Web Design Work:

Adelina Green is a web and graphic designer from Washington State in America.  Before she received her associate’s degrees in Graphic and Web Design she spent over 8 years designing and learning Photoshop and honing her design skills.  After moving from Moldova to the United States she was able to finally achieve her dreams and work towards becoming a respected and professional designer.  Please take a moment to read some more about her experiences in print and web design to date…

Luc asks: Where did you study Web and Graphic design?  Are you currently still studying or did you graduate?

Adelina says: My dad bought me Adobe Photoshop 8 years ago, when I was in high-school, and fell in love with it since. My only source of learning was online tutorials that became my everyday apprehension of using the Photoshop tools. Because of the lack of graphic design education in my home country (Moldova), I had to move to USA to follow my dream of becoming a professional graphic and web designer. Graduated Everett Community College with Associate Degrees in Graphic and Web Design few months ago and was blessed with the best teachers.

Luc asks: Adelina, you’ve been designing in Photoshop for the past eight years.  What tools, plugins or add-ons do you like to work within your design projects the most currently?

Adelina says: In my opinion the ability of using everything Photoshop can offer can result in wonderful designs. You have to know small details and tools that can give that exclusive and professional look. I don’t focus on certain add-ons or plugins, combining everything is the key. Also including Adobe Illustrator can definitely make your life easier and can lead to a better outcome.

Luc asks: When reading the “about” page on your portfolio you break down your creative process into a very logical set of steps from “Defining the Problem” to “Choosing the best solution”.  Do you consider yourself more logical or creative by nature?

Adelina says: I definitely consider myself very logical and a problem solving individual. When I started to learn HTML and CSS I found myself very intrigued and challenged by the way designs can be manipulated with coding. But being able to keep up with the everyday progress is a dedication test for every designer. Being organized and planning every move are not qualities that every person has, but is the key to success.

Luc asks: Where do you draw inspiration from as a designer?

Adelina says: Inspiration is one of first steps in every project. My inspiration comes from great designers that push the boundaries through beautiful typography, good color choice, interesting layouts and great solutions. Also I like to put myself in the viewer’s shoes to find a better solution. Every web and graphic designer has to understand know their public first before starting any design.

Luc asks: Adelina, in the design projects you currently work on do you currently code your design work?  If so, what languages do you currently work with?

Adelina says: Using great programs like Dreamweaver helps a lot, but I use it more as a spell check since there can be situation when I won’t have it close. In our days employers like to see hand coding and that’s what I push myself to do. Also since the recession web developers and web designers seem to merge into one job, that’s why knowledge of jQuery, PHP and Java Script is required.

Hank Toet is a web designer and art director from Los Angeles, California in the United States.  With over 10 years of experience in the field of design he has worked in various positions from “web designer”, “graphic designer” to a “Lead Designer” and most recently an “Art Director” but he received his education in Business Administration.  In one way or another he has been designing for the web since 1996 when Hank discovered websites and wanted to learn how to design and program them.

Hank recently got together with SpicyWebDesigners.com to talk about his experiences in design, why he loves designing for the web and his views on formally educated designers versus self taught designers.

Luc asks: Hank, with your extensive design experiences, how long have you been designing websites?

Hank says: I first started playing around with Micrograpx Picture Publisher around 1996.

I enjoyed browsing around the web and wanted to learn how to design and program websites.

I used Microsoft Front page to put together my websites but when I got my first job working as an html editor I was forced to stop using Front Page and learn how to code by hand. I’m happy I did because Front Page sucked!

Soon after that I left my PC behind and got my first Mac, haven’t look back since!

Luc asks: Are you formally educated in design or self taught?  Do you feel it’s better for a designer to have a formal education or be a self taught designer?

Hank says: Back when I started designing websites there were really no courses you could take or schools you could go to, to learn how to be a web designer.

I really wanted to learn but didn’t know where to go so I was forced to figure it out for myself. In hindsight I think it would have been nice to have had some formal education but the benefit of being self taught is that I’ve never had to unlearn the rules that are imposed on you with a formal design education. I was free to do whatever I wanted which allowed for a lot of experimentation and probably led me to solutions I would not have thought of if I was formally trained.

Luc asks: Why do you love being a web designer?

Hank says: Growing up I never really knew what I wanted to do in life but I always had a strong interest in design, I loved graffiti culture, urban design, underground music and the style that goes

along with that. When the internet started to become popular and I started to design for it. It was like all the puzzle pieces fell into place and I finally found something that was me. Whenever I sit down in front of Photoshop and look at an empty canvas I get this rush and anything is possible. It’s being excited about the possibilities and trying to do the best you can and hopefully being proud with the results when you are done. I also feel this process of learning and getting better at what you do will never stop. At least not for me, I want to keep doing this until the day I die.
Luc asks: I see that you have experience working on mobile design projects, what are your major concerns or considerations you make when designing a project for a mobile device?

Hank says: My main concern is UI; there are a lot of applications out there that just don’t make any sense. It’s easy to make something look good but it has to be usable.

Adam McCombs is a web designer and developer based in Texas in the United States of America.  He has been freelancing for almost the past 10 years and he has held a number of web design and development positions.  In this time, Adam has had the opportunity to work with and design for many types of website development platforms from WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal, Expression Engine and he has also working with various ecommerce platforms including Magento, Shopify, Virtuemart and osCommerce.   He started off freelancing and eventually started his own company called “McCombs Creative” while working in a number of full-time design positions.

One of Adam’s latest projects has involved authoring a book called “The Definitive Guide to Magento” and he talked about his experience doing this and being contacted by an editor at the publishing company via twitter.  The book was later released in December of 2009.  Adam is a big fan and supporter of the Magento Commerce platform and really enjoys working with it and designing for it and he’s been working with it since January 2009.  In this interview, Adam McCombs, has a chance to talk about his experiences designing for the web, working with Magento Commerce and authoring his book “The Definitive Guide to Magento”.

Luc asks: Adam, how long have you been professionally designing and developing on the web and when did you start to work with Magento?

Adam says: The first website I ever designed and built was actually an ecommerce website for a client back in 2002. After college and a few years working as a webmaster [yuck, I know] and designer I got back into freelancing and soon formed McCombs Creative. I discovered the Magento platform in January 2009, when a client needed to manage several websites through one administrative interface. Magento was the perfect solution. Since then I’ve built or customized at least a dozen Magento stores and I continue to work with Magento on a daily basis.

Luc asks: Why did you choose to focus on developing for Magento for your ecommerce clients?

Adam says:  Magento is an amazing platform; I can’t speak to that enough. It filled a niche in the ecommerce market that was seriously lacking. I often joke that Magento has features that other platforms dream about.  However Magento isn’t for everyone. It does have some decent hosting requirements and there is a learning curve. It’s very easy for clients to manage products, customers and orders but can be tough to customize and develop for. Even with a few shortcomings I still think it’s the best ecommerce platform in today’s market.

Luc asks: I see that you’ve co-authored a book called the “The Definitive Guide to Magento”.  How was this experience and how did you get into authoring a book about Magento?

Adam says: Writing the book was crazy! I was actually contacted via twitter because an editor for Apress, the company who published the book. The editor, saw that I was working with Magento and contacted me. She told me they had wanted to publish a book on Magento for almost a year now and couldn’t find anyone to write it. We started writing in July and I was writing a chapter every 10 days. Half way into the book and under a tight deadline, we decided it would be in our best interest to bring someone in and help wrap it up. I spoke with my good friend Robert Banh (@robertbanh on twitter) and he was more than happy to help. He was already involved as the tech editor for my portion of the book and ended up writing the second half. The book was published and on the shelves by the end of December 2009.

Luc asks: What tips do you give to people that approach you for help with their Magento website?

Adam says: That depends on the needs of the project or site. The majority of my clients are actually other agencies, several of which I act as a Magento consultant. Typically there is some sort of discovery period with the client, to find out the needs and goals of the project. During that time we’ll explore the features within Magento and see if the site will need any additional development. If I had any advice to give potential Magento users I would say, don’t be intimidated by Magento. It’s a beast but the end rewards are worth the effort.

Luc asks: I see that you’ve worked with WordPress on a number of web development projects and i must say that i love working with WordPress.  Do you develop or design for any other content management systems on the market today?

Adam says: I absolutely adore WordPress, with its latest version it’s become a fierce competitor in the CMS arena. I’ve also worked with platforms and systems like Joomla, Drupal, Shopify, Expression Engine, OsCommerce, Virtuemart, xCart, and Ubercart just to name a few. I think the platform is irrelevant as long as it meets the needs of the project. One of the worst things you can do as a designer or developer is only using one platform.

Luc asks: Would you consider yourself a web designer or a web developer or is there another name that you give yourself as a creative professional?

Adam says: I’d consider myself a front-end web developer. I’m not a fan of saying that I’m a web designer because most times I bridge the gap between designers and developers. Most times I’m juggling roles that include project management, user experience and interface design. It’s not always easy running your own business but I’ve never been happier. Striking out on my own was one of the best decisions in my life!

Andrew Reifman is a web designer from Atlanta, Georgia in the United States.  He studied and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Georgia.  He bills himself as a designer primarily and not a developer and confides that one of the most difficult things he’s dealt with on a web design project is programming.

Andrew likes collaboration with others and he also likes the social interaction of working with a team of people.  Lately he has been working with MailChimp, also known as The Rocket Science Group as their web designer.  When he isn’t busy working he likes to shoot pool and working towards mastering Javascript.  Here is what Andrew had to say about his passion for web and graphic design, where he sees himself in 5 years and his experiences using social media.

Luc asks: In your design experiences to date, what has been your favorite project to work on and why?

Andrew says: Aside from working on my own site, which is always fun to do, my favorite project(s) to work on has been for MailChimp. Working for MailChimp has been very different from previous work experiences because my only clients are the people I work with. It also happens to be that my coworkers are very fun and open to being as creative as possible.

Luc asks: With your background in Fine arts, how and why did you get into web page design?

Andrew says: I was an undecided art major for several years in college. I reached a point where I had to decide which art career I would pursue. It was between continuing with a focus in drawing or entering the graphic design program. I decided that I would like to get a paycheck on a regular basis and was accepted into the graphic design program. For two years, I produced mainly print and identity work, learning very little about web design.

I was really introduced to web design as an intern. Over the next few years I immersed myself in web design, following blogs, viewing CSS galleries daily, and keeping up with trends. Design made up 50% of my job, front-end developing the other 50%. Being a developer really helped grow my abilities in design by knowing what could and couldn’t be done. It also allows me to remain in complete control of my projects from start to finish.

Luc asks: To date, what are the most difficult things that you’ve dealt with on a web design project?

Andrew says: The most difficult thing that I’ve dealt with, and still deal with to this day is programming. I’m a designer first and a developer second. In design, if things don’t work, it’s really a matter of opinion. Nothing breaks in a design that prevents you from seeing your project on the screen. Code on the other hand, forget to close that one div and your whole projects decides to explode. This was definitely a more frustrating issue when working with dynamic sites using Ruby. Now I work with more static sites, and this whole issue has gotten a little easier for me to handle.

Luc asks: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Andrew says: In 5 years, I hope to still be loving graphic design. I would love to go back to my design roots and do both print design and web design. As liberating as freelance can be, I imagine myself still working for a design firm. Once again, I’m big on working with other people, and I really need human interaction during the day. I don’t want to become a design hermit.

Luc asks: What are your favorite web technologies to work with currently?

Andrew says: jQuery is awesome. I’m really getting into CSS3 and I’m anxiously waiting for the day when every browser recognizes it. I’m looking at you Internet Explorer.

Luc asks: What role does using social media play in building your freelance web design business?  Do you find that people are responsive to following you on twitter, linkedin and other social media networking websites?

Andrew says: I’m a pretty moderate user of social media, nothing too hardcore for me. My greatest learning tool over the last year or two has become Twitter. There is no other place on the internet that you can receive as much inspiration and information from other designers. Follow the right people and you will have an endless supply of inspiration, tutorials and informative articles. At the same time, Twitter can also be my greatest source of distraction. I will admit that I need to do a better job of giving back to the design community and post more tweets of my own. Sorry about that folks, working on it.

Evan Eckard is a web designer with more than 15 years of design experience who lives in San Francisco in the United States.  Originally starting out working as a photographer later on he enrolled in an art school in San Francisco and after school Evan switched from pursuing 3d design to web design after getting inspired by sites like praystation.com.

Evan considers himself largely self-taught as a web designer but his experiences in photography, 3d and digital design and traditional design make him a very well rounded web designer.  He uses PHP, jQuery, javascript and other web based coding languages only to make his design work “sing” but he prefers to focus on the design work solely.  If you get a chance to check out his portfolio website you check out some of the WordPress themes he’s developed with his designs.

Recently when I talked to Evan about his experiences in design over the past 15 years he had following to say about his experiences to date and how he prefers to sometimes use pencil and paper in his creative process so please read on and learn a bit more about Evan Eckard…

Luc asks: With over 15 years of design experience how did you first get involved designing websites?

Evan says: Around 1994 I started playing around with Photoshop and digital media in general. As the web slowly evolved, I started coming across other designer’s websites and thought I’d like to take a stab at creating one of these. My first portfolio site was built all in frames, was extremely clunky and had a horrible user interface, but it looked awesome to me and was fun to build. Some of the first sites I came across that really inspired me were sites like praystation.com, design is kinky and others.

After that, I would work on web sites here and there for a couple of years, and then I found myself right in the middle of the internet industry working full time on web design and static development. The entire process has been self taught, with a lot of web research on how to code and implement functionality. The design aspect was just in my blood and picked up along the way in art classes at school.

Luc asks: Are you formally educated or self taught as a design professional? If so, where are what did you study?

Evan says: Mainly self-taught, but have slept through some art classes. I’ve taken a lot of traditional art classes, but hadn’t taken much in digital media outside basic Photoshop classes and such. I learned more sitting in front of a computer at home than in a classroom.

Luc asks: I like the fact that you offer free WordPress templates on your portfolio site. Why did you decide to add this feature to your portfolio?

Evan says: I started learning WordPress to run my own sites and gained an interest in theme design in the process. After I had worked on my own site and client sites, I still had ideas for potential themes I wanted to try and it grew from there. A couple I sold off, but a few I just couldn’t find a finishing point. The ones I offer for free are themes I still have ideas and updates for and enjoy working on them when I have the time. Since they were ongoing, I figured I’d just release them to the public to enjoy as well.

Luc asks: If you could tell us just one reason why you love doing what you do what would your answer be?

Evan says: I’ve always loved designing. It just so happened I fell into an area where the main media of choice was HTML. If I wasn’t doing web design, I’d be doing visual design and art in general in a different form elsewhere.

Luc asks: Do you code (using JavaScript, PHP, mySQL, etc.) the projects that you take on or do you consider yourself a hardcore designer not interested in coding?

Evan says: I use javascript and PHP only out of necessity. Ideally, I’d focus all on design, but I still have the need to develop the designs when they’re ready. I use jquery often and had to learn PHP to get WordPress to do what I needed it to do.

Luc asks: Being a designer with a number of years of experience under your belt what experience has helped you most on your career to this point and how have they helped you?

Evan says: Stay sharp. Even though I work full time for a company, I still find the need to work on other projects on the side to keep my creative ideas flowing. Variety is “key” to stave off burnout and keep the enjoyment levels up. I see so many designers that focus on certain niches and when they come up for air, everything around them has changed too much to keep up.

Also, don’t create solely on the computer. Pick up a pencil and sketch anything you can. Real world experiences applied to the web makes designs richer and more natural.

Soh Tanaka is a web designer and front end web developer who’s based in Los Angeles, California.  He first started designing websites in 2005 but he first got interested in 2004 while he was in college after picking up a copy of Photoshop.

When Soh is designing for a client these days his approach is to understand the scope of the project with respect to the person, product or company he is designing for.  He is very critical of his own work and he always strives for better on projects he takes on.

Here is what Soh Tanaka had to say when I caught up with him about his web design background, where his experience has taken him and where he plans to go moving forward.

Luc asks: I see that you started designing websites back in 2005 according to your site and i wanted to ask what were you doing before in terms of design and what got you hooked on designing for the web?

Soh says: I got my first copy of Photoshop in 2004 after taking my first HTML class in college. I was going to school for CIS (Computer Information Systems) and this was one of the only classes that really grabbed my attention. After learning the basics of HTML, I quickly became obsessed and started exploring the world of web design. Before this, I had no prior experience with design or art in general.

Luc asks: When you first start in on a web design project what do you use to inspire your creativity?

Soh says: For every project, I research the background of the company/product/person and try to understand its audience. Sometimes I bounce around the various web galleries out there, but my main goal is to visualize the environment and experience of the users and the goal of the website. To explore the theme and feel of the site, I check out various magazine layouts/design, photography, and other related sources of media to gain inspiration.

Luc asks: How many projects have you worked on since you first started designing websites?

Soh says: I lost count, but I don’t claim a lot of them. I am my own worst critic, and tend to dislike my creations after time goes by.

Luc asks: What are your favorite web technologies to work with currently and why are they your favorites?

Soh says: I would say CSS & jQuery for front-end development. I don’t really have a reason why I love them, but they are my bread and butter when developing interfaces.

Luc asks: I really loved checking out your portfolio.  It’s very professional and pretty slick!  I’ve noticed that your design style on projects is pretty broad.  How do you manage to turn out work that looks unique and different on every project?

Soh says: I actually feel like my designs look too similar. My goal this year is to break out of the box and experiment. I tend to have the typical CSS designer feel, which has a very “boxy” feel to it. I love clean and simple design, but there are times when I feel I lack proper design foundations like typography that I can definitely improve on. There are some inspirational designers out there (Jesse Bennett-Chamberlain, Yaron Schoen, Rob Morris, Martin Balhar to name a few) that make me want to challenge myself further so I can be a better designer. I hope to grow as much as I can and go beyond my usual comfort level. Gotta get back into training mode!

Editha Fuentes is a graphic and web designer who is originally from Chile now living in California in the United States.  Her first experience with the web and web design came in 2003 when she decided to do an internship at a graphic design studio and her curiosity grew from there.

Editha received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design and Multimedia in Chile in 2004 from the University of Arts and Communications (UNIACC).  When she starts in on any design project Editha turns to pencil and paper to generate her ideas for a project.  She had the following to say when I asked her about her experiences in design and how she tackles projects.

Luc asks: How did you get started in web design?  How long have you been designing websites professionally?

Editha says: This is actually an interesting question. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t very interested in web design until I moved to the States. In Chile, while I was in college, I was more into print design and animation. Off course I had to create web sites for several courses but that was pretty much it. I had my first real experience in web design when I came to California for the first time in 2003 to do an internship at a graphic design studio in Costa Mesa. I was exposed to the web design boom in the U.S as web presence started becoming important for businesses; in Chile, there wasn’t a need for websites yet. When I came back in 2006, after receiving my degree, and already knowing the importance of web design and corporate identity, I started looking into the possibility of using my talent as a graphic designer in building effective websites for small businesses. That’s how it all got started. At first, I wanted to build all my websites in Flash, but soon my curiosity took me to find other options to offer my clients. For example, I got to an advanced level in XHTML and CSS.

Luc asks:  I see that you received your education in Graphic Design and Multimedia and I wanted to ask do you think that your education has helped you become a better web designer?  Please explain

Editha says: Yes, I received my degree in Graphic Design and Multimedia in Chile in 2004. Although there are some designers out there that are amazing and have never been to college, in my case, college was of invaluable help. College gave me the foundations for everything that I do today. For example, I had to take classes that perhaps didn’t have anything to do with graphic design let alone web design, but, ultimately, these classes had the purpose of opening my mind and making me think outside the box. They taught me how to use art to express different concepts or to communicate specific things. Also, being in a University inclined towards communications, I was required to take courses that had to do with installation art, photography, creating and editing TV commercials, etc. I use all the knowledge acquired at college, most likely unconsciously, in every project that I work on. Nonetheless, I regret the fact that I was not exposed to the business side of the graphic design industry. I truly think that designers should be prepared in college to manage a business, considering that it is a career where you can easily start doing projects on your own. Lastly, our career, specifically when it comes to web design, is continuously evolving as new trends take over and new technologies become available. It is crucial that we keep on learning on our own, either by taking courses or by teaching ourselves by reading articles or books, etc. Otherwise, you become a dinosaur.

Luc asks:  What tools and inspiration do you use when you first start designing a website project?

Editha says: Although it may sound simple, all my projects start with two basic tools: pencil and paper. This is crucial because it allows me to get involved hands-on and focus on the concept rather than spending hours on the computer without a specific direction. Once I’m done with this part and I have a clear idea of what I want to create, I either use Photoshop or Illustrator, depending on the project. To hand-code a website, I use Dreamweaver. Oh, and most definitely, I use a Mac. In regards to inspiration, I believe you’re always getting it from everything around you. But, my biggest inspiration is the web. I have hundreds of websites that I visit on a daily basis, many of them by very talented designers known worldwide. There are also many CSS showcase galleries out there where I keep up-to-date with the latest trends. Besides these, music is also a great source of inspiration.  I can’t create if I don’t have music playing.

Luc asks:  What is the hardest website project you’ve ever been involved in and why was it difficult?

Editha says: One of the biggest challenges I had on a project was the lack of communication with a client. This one client was extremely busy and did not have enough time to get fully involved with the development of his website. He did not respond to e-mails on time and did not return phone calls, sometimes even for weeks. Ultimately, the completion of the project was drastically delayed and it became very frustrating for me. I usually make an extra effort in establishing good communication with clients, especially due to the fact that English is not my first language and I have put a lot of effort in improving it quickly enough to the point where I can communicate fluently (and professionally) with them. Thus, this lack of communication was the hardest thing I had to deal with.

Luc asks:  What advice do you give clients looking for help with search engine optimization or is that something you don’t get involved with?

Editha says: I get involved in the way that I advise my clients regarding the best options out there. I try to do everything that is humanly possible when hand-coding in order to accomplish search engine optimization, but I inform the client about companies that specialize in this type of service. It is also important to talk to the client about creating good content for the website. Identifying target markets or defining goals that they want to accomplish with their site, for example, will help in the wording and in using keywords within the content. Hiring a copywriter might help.

Luc asks:  What are some things you want people to know about you as a creative professional?

Editha says: I take pride in delivering great customer service and in always developing strong relationship with my clients. I take the time to do research before starting a new project in order to get to know the business and its competitors with the objective of understanding what the client wants to communicate. I also work hard until the client is satisfied with the end result. I never over look details and I feel extremely passionate for what I do. It’s interesting that I always get the same question when people find out that I’m a graphic designer: “Oh, so you build websites?” – umm, yes, but that’s not the only thing I do. I would like to take this opportunity to say that clients will find, at Unuidesign, effective design solutions in any type of design project they might need: logos, business cards, brochures, menus, animations, etc., and of course, websites!

Coming to us from Washington, DC in the United States, Roxanne Labajo is a web designer who started off skinning her blog back in 2001. After some personal successes in redesigning her site she decided to make the move to web design and started to help her fellow bloggers by working on their sites. Working with Web Standards, HTML, CSS and Photoshop she’s created a number of great websites and her passion for great web design has only grown. She credits her education in Web Technologies at Montgomery College and Graphic Design at Marymount University as a contributing factor that give her a good grounding in design concepts such as layout, color and typography. Roxanne has been designing professionally for the last 5 years and has held various web design roles and continues to further her skills in web design and various web technologies. She remarks about her experiences and how she started into her career in web design, her approach to design and her passion for all things web related.

Luc asks: Roxanne, how did you first get started designing websites?

Roxanne says: It all began after I started blogging back in 2001. I wanted to learn to customize the look and design so I joined some forums and browsed the internet for some tips. After experimenting with basic CSS and HTML and learning to create simple graphics in Photoshop, I found myself skinning my blog almost every other week. It wasn’t long before other users asked me to help skin their blogs so I started creating blog skins and posting them on my blog and in forums for public use. Within a few weeks, I was receiving hundreds of hits and comments on my blog every day for more requests. So I continued learning more about web design as I produced blog skins and what started as a hobby grew into a passion.

Luc asks: In your approach of designing websites using pencil and paper, what advantages does this give you and why do you prefer this method?

Roxanne says: As part of my design process, I like to create thumbnail sketches of my ideas on paper to get my mind spinning and the creative juices flowing. I find sketching useful for developing ideas and to explore layout options and is a more natural and inspirational way of doing it than going straight to the computer. The computer inhibits initial experimentation and you can easily waste more time getting caught up in things like changing the fonts or aligning every element perfectly, etc. Sketching allows me to rule out many design ideas quickly and definitely saves me time in the long run.

Luc asks: I see that you like to shoot photos and i wanted to ask if you use any of your photography in the sites that you design?

Roxanne says: Nope. Not yet anyway.

Luc asks: What benefit does working with web standards on a web design project provide?

Roxanne says: Using web standards to create and design your HTML pages ensures that your sites are more search engine friendly and cross-browser compatible and therefore more accessible, maximizing the number of potential visitors. It’s also easier to maintain a well structured, standards-based site.

Luc asks: Where and what did you study in College/University? Do you feel it has made you a better web designer? If it has explain why and if not why not?

Roxanne says: I studied Web Technologies at Montgomery College and Graphic Design at Marymount University. My degrees gave me a good starting point for the web and a solid base for core design concepts like color, layout, and typography. But because the web is always changing, it can be challenging for colleges to keep their curriculums current and up to date with the latest web trends and technologies. So I think school was only meant to give you an introduction and it’s up to you to do the rest. Most of my skills are self taught or acquired through my experience working in the field.