Web Design Inspiration Blog | SpicyWebDesigners.com

Tim Potter is a web designer from Belfast, Ireland in the United Kingdom. He has been designing for the past 10 years when he started playing around with FrontPage Express and Paint Shop Pro. Tim studied Interactive Multimedia Design at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. Tim currently teaches on a part-time on web standards & professional practice to current Interactive Multimedia Design students and continues to develop his skills as a web designer.

1. How did you get started in web design?

My humble entry into the web design world began around 10 years ago when I started playing around with FrontPage Express & Paint Shop Pro. Armed with my new found knowledge of iframes, tables, animated gifs and marquees, I began to create some very primitive websites for personal learning.

2. When did you start designing websites?

After leaving school at 16 I went on to study Computing at college. One of the assignments involved designing, then coding a website for a fictional clothing company entirely in notepad. I really enjoyed learning HTML and I began to advance my skill set by building websites for several local Irish bands.

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

I would say ‘standing out from the crowd’ is a continual challenge, i.e. the ability to be seen and stay competitive in an industry with an ever growing number of freelancers and design agencies, without grossly under-selling yourself. Some other challenges include keeping up-to-date with current technologies and practices whilst balancing daily commitments. Finally, convincing clients that the website they want you to make theirs look like is absolute rubbish!

4. Do you ever 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?

It really depends on who you are pitching yourself to but generally I find it easier to classify myself as a web designer because most people understand exactly what it is you do.

I generally prefer to carry the design process through to the implementation stage and build the web site, or as much of it as I can myself. I usually code in XHTML & CSS, but some sites incorporate dynamic elements that require additional programming in PHP, XML & Java Script.

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

I studied Interactive Multimedia Design at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. The course helped me improve my visual appreciation and ability to critically analyze and understand the important elements of successful design e.g. layout, color, typography etc.

I was able to develop my skills through the continual engagement with the broad range of applications, hardware, industry practices and trends relevant to the creation and development of websites

I am now a part-time lecturer on this course and I teach web standards & professional practice to current Interactive Multimedia Design students.

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?

Flash was coming to the forefront as I became more heavily involved in web design. I’ve always found Flash to be a valuable resource, but have never enjoyed building or viewing websites made entirely with the software. I’m forever reminded of the seemingly never ending loading bars, inability to bookmark specific pages, terrible shape tweens and the accessibility issues. Of course the technology has advanced as have the designers using it and I feel today it is used in a much more refined application.

Social networking has exploded over the past few years and it is not uncommon for a request to design a skin for the likes of a Myspace or Bebo profile instead of designing and building the client their own website.

Finally, I think the favorably titled Web 2.0 trend has brought a lot of great, accessible websites to the forefront as well as advocating web standards.  Designers are taking pride in their work and delivering aesthetically pleasing, validating, HTML/CSS designs and long may it continue!

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

I always like to start a new design by sketching out my ideas on paper. I find it a useful way to draw and note down thoughts that can often happen spontaneously, rather than jumping straight into Photoshop.

Once I am satisfied with a design, I construct a visual of it in Photoshop and refine it until I am happy. I have been using Photoshop since my days at university and think it is a valuable resource in web design as it aids your thought process in relation to the choice of fonts, typographic layout/hierarchy, colors, image size, placement, layout etc and it is a great way to send the client over a comprehensive visual before even coding a single page.

Development wise I use Dreamweaver/Notepad ++ and always find IE Tester useful to make sure it renders correctly across the multiple versions of the dreaded Internet Explorer.

8. You say on your site that you have “extensive experience in the planning, design and development of websites” and i wanted to ask how important is it for a company to know their strategy on the web as it pertains to the development of their website?

The development process is like a journey. More often than not you know exactly where you want to go, sometimes you have to stop and ask for directions, and other times you just want to see where it takes you. A company may only require a basic presence on the web that serves nothing more than their contact details and is not considered an important part of the day-to-day running, then again a business may rely solely on their website to make money, therefore I believe that it is important for a company who is relying on their website to deal or attract new business to know their intention from the outset so that the best strategy can be identified and implemented through the various stages of the design process. Others can just enjoy the ride.

Lee Munroe is a web designer from Belfast in Northern Ireland. He has been designing websites for the past 11 years. He studied Multimedia Design at University and later went on to do his masters in Multidisciplinary Design to further his skills. Lee does a lot of his own front-end coding and has been featured in Wired Magazine for his “Big Word Project” which he worked on with Paddy Donnelly.

1. How did you get started in web design?

One day I missed the bus to school (about 11 years ago) so I did a sneaky, stayed at home and designed my first website on Geocities lol it was a WWF wrestling site and it had lots of animated gifs and .midi background music *face cringes*

2. When did you start designing websites?

I started designing websites for a small web design business, roughly 9 years ago. Back then I had Photoshop 4 I think and framesets were all the rage

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

Managing work load is quite hard. Until a few weeks ago I was always part-time freelancing while studying at University so juggling Uni work and freelance work was awkward at times. Now I’ve finished my masters so should be able to get a better work flow into place now.

Also, working from home as a freelancer it is hard to separate work life from personal life. I’m always on the laptop, night and day, 7 days a week. I really need to get some rules into place.

I can’t think of many challenges design wise. Constant inspiration for new projects might be something that flags up every so often but I try to overcome that by getting daily inspiration from reading blog posts, reading books, ads, magazines, CSS galleries etc.

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?

Yeah, I’ve done a lot of back and front end coding in the past although lately I am concentrating on front-end stuff (XHTML, CSS, Javascript etc.). It allows be to be more creative and with useful tools like WordPress, there isn’t as much need for me to do backend programming.

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

I went to a school called Banbridge Academy, about 25 miles outside Belfast. But there was nothing to do with web design there. I studied Interactive Multimedia Design at Uni (graduated 2007) and some of the course was focused on web design. Did it help me become a better designer? Yes and no. Not so much the first 2 years but final year helped me a lot; we had good lecturers on board then who knew more design wise. I went on to study MA Multidisciplinary Design and that helped a lot to develop my skills further.

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?

Definitely, all for the better. A lot more user focused now. A website doesn’t have to be all singing all dancing with flash and animations now, like a lot of sites were years ago. There are a lot more simple focused designs now and a lot more useful applications.

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

Hmm… I don’t just want to say the cliché Photoshop… but it’s hard not to. Pen and paper (and post-its) for ideas, sitemaps, info architecture. Illustrator for wireframes and then Photoshop to design. Coda is a nice app for writing the html.

8. How have being interviewed by Wired Magazine, BBC Radio and other news sources been?  How did they contact you for an interview?  What have the experiences been like?

Great experience and something to put on the C.V.

My friend Paddy Donnelly and I were lucky to have a unique idea for a University project that the media took an interest in (The Big Word Project) and it helped to get our names out there. It was good fun at the time although people quickly forget so you need to make sure you keep moving forward with new ideas and projects.

David Henderson is a web designer from Belfast, Ireland. He was first introduced to web and graphic design when he went to University and found it very exciting and began to thrive in the industry. He has won design awards and has a passion for Motion Graphic Development.

1. How did you first start your career in web design?

I started my career in web design through applying for a course in University of Ulster Jordanstown, Belfast. When I was first accepted for the course, I didn’t exactly know what web design or graphic design was all about but knew I wanted to do something that was really creative. So throughout the four years of Uni, I found myself getting more and more engrossed in design, finding a real passion for it and realizing there is a huge, thriving and exciting industry around the world, which I believe is only really beginning to blossom. After Uni (June 2008) I had considered working for a few design houses in Belfast that had approached me, however after the summer I decided to go out on my own full time as I had a few clients already lined up. I haven’t looked back.

2. When did you first start designing websites?

I first started designing websites in Uni, so really September 2004. However, I would say that it was 2006 before I started using proper web standards and building Web 2.0 sites using CSS. As well as uni projects I did a few free side projects for friends to learn more about designing and building a website.

3. What inspires you to design websites the way that you do? And, ignites your creativity and pushes you to strive further?

With every website I come to design, I strive to look at it afresh, and to try and not be influenced by previous designs I have created. I think this is incredibly hard to do as designers, as we often want to take the easy road and save time by designing generic websites. However if we do this I think we are limiting ourselves and cheating our client. As designers we need to be continually creative and innovative, this is part of your job. Having said that I still maintain that we can be and should be inspired by great design in what we see around us, not only on the web but in architecture, music, culture and the natural world around us. I know that when I see such great design that is out there, especially within web design I am urged to become a better, more creative thinker and designer.

4. Where did you go to school?  Has it helped you to become a better web designer?

If I think about it, I would say that yes, it definitely has. In High school, I really enjoyed Art and Design, to me it wasn’t work, but a chance to do something I loved and could relax in that class and enjoy getting my ideas onto a canvas or notebook or whatever. I knew that when I left school I wanted to pursue a career where I could be creative. Then as I mentioned before, in Uni, I was pushed to become a better designer and began to see the bigger picture of the industry out there. I must say this had a lot to do with two very influential design lecturers who inspired me to become the best designer I could be. Also I was surrounded by great friends who were fantastic designers, whom I learnt a lot from.

5. Whereabouts are you based out of? (Country and City/Town) Do you find that you network with web designers in your area?

I am based in Northern Ireland, in a small town called Kilkeel. Although I would say that my network of designers is based in Belfast. I am usually in Belfast at least once a week and each time I go to meetings, or design events in Belfast I become even more aware of the large network of designers within Belfast, and Ireland as a whole. There was a great event at the start of November called Design Week, and it was good to meet other likeminded people in the area. I am also part of the Institute of Designers in Ireland and have found that there is a lot going on around Dublin as well. I think as a designer, especially as a freelancer, it is important to keep in touch and up to date with those around you. We can all learn and be encouraged from each other.

6. How do you usually price your web design projects for clients?

In a sense I am still in the learning process for this one, I have been out on my own now for just over three months. I have a fixed hourly rate that I apply to all my web design projects and graphic design projects, a higher rate for motion graphics and 3D. With my first couple of clients I found that they were happy to be invoiced for the hours I spent on it, whether it be a long or short project. This was the way I was planning on doing things until I began to realize that most people want to know how much a project will cost them from the start, understandably, especially if they have a budget to stick to. Learning to quote isn’t easy and inevitably you will under quote and over quote (never a bad thing to over quote!) a lot of projects at the start of your freelancing career. But even after a few months, I feel I have a good idea how long things will take and as I complete each project, I am getting more consistent and accurate in pricing jobs.

7. Do you find most of your web design projects through advertising, agencies, word of mouth or some other way?

My first few web design projects were with local businesses and people I knew who approached me once they knew I was set up. I found that after my first few projects I was getting referrals and people were recommending me, which I was delighted about. I was always told in Uni, ‘You are only as good as your last job!’ which is true when you come to think about referrals. One example is within two months of setting up I have had a line of three referrals which led to designing a website for a top quality Hair salon in Notting Hill, so you never know where a good completed project will lead you. Also I advertised online by getting my name out there on forums, blogs and css galleries, this was a great benefit and got me in touch with people from USA, South Africa, Canada and Malta for example. Always promote yourself and use every opportunity.