Web Design… Who To Hire?

Published: January 13, 2007

We can't answer this question specifically, sorry. We'd be happy to talk with you about why the answer should be Identity Developments, but for now, we're really talking about the broader question. If you've taken a look at the “Web Design… What Is It?” question, then you'll have a better understanding of the answer to this question.

Don't Hire a Graphic Designer

Just to shake things up though, we'll start off with a bold statement. No, we aren't attacking graphic designers or trying to start a fight. We do want to make a bold statement that may stop you in your tracks to make sure you really understand what is involved in web design. Web design and print design, while having some things in common, are completely different worlds involving very different skills, education, and knowledge.

What we are really saying is that you should hire a web designer. They may also be a graphic designer, that's fine, as long as they are web designer. Think of it this way, you wouldn't have your auto mechanic do your taxes… unless by chance, your mechanic was also a trained accountant. Unfortunately, because the word designer is in both titles and the web has a very graphical, visual feel to it, the distinction between a web designer and a graphic designer is not as clear as our auto mechanic and accountant comparison.

Sometimes the biggest risk for this is within companies that have internal graphic design staff. If you don't fully understand how different the two can be, it makes a lot of sense to turn to your own design staff for your website design needs. Just like before, if they are not web designers also, you may be unfairly asking them to deliver in an area that is really outside their expertise. To make matters worse, some of the design software makers tried to answer this call by building in tools to help them produce web pages. Keep in mind, there are many ways to make a web page. Some are not appropriate at all, but you can still do it. In this case, graphic designers can create a visual layout, essentially a big image, just like they would for a print project. Their design tools allow them to slice up the image into several smaller images and drop them into a web table. However, amongst many issues, these types of web pages are very slow to load and cannot be read by search engines or those with disabilities, which probably runs counter to why you were developing a website to begin with.

Don't Hire Your Nephew

Again, unless your nephew is a web designer. This really includes more than just your nephew. One of the great things about the web is that anyone can create a website. Buy some software, read a book or two, and you too can be creating web pages in no time. The simplicity can also be a little dangerous. Many of the same skills used to build a birdhouse are the same used to build a house, but most of us wouldn't run out and try to build a house just because we successfully built a birdhouse. Same thing with web design. We encourage you to learn about building web pages and hope that you'll give it a try, perhaps making a hobby site or maybe a website to share with your family. We don't necessarily encourage you to do that for your business or your organization.

Hire a Web Designer

Simply put, developing your website requires a lot of very specialized knowledge. There are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes with a website and in developing a website that most people have no idea about. And that's fine. Other than helping to educate you about why something can't be done and why some things aren't as simple as they seem, most web designers are more than happy to spare you some of the frustrating details.

Learn more about why Identity Developments should be your website design company.

Are You a Graphic Designer?

Maybe you are a graphic designer yourself. Perhaps you had a web project dropped on your desk and are trying to figure out how to explain the differences. We'd be happy to give you a hand. Or perhaps you are an independent graphic designer and are trying to meet your clients' needs. You don't want to turn them away, but you also want to make sure that their needs are taken care of properly. It's a tough spot to be in. So let's sit down and talk about how we can partner to give your clients the best of both worlds. We'll work with you to address the web aspects of the project, incorporating your graphics. Your clients get the look they want with your graphics that tie into all of their print media, with a much better web presence.

Information

Instillery Topics

What is the Instillery?

Here are a couple of meanings of the word instill:

instill: to infuse slowly or gradually into the mind or feelings.; to put in drop by drop.

Instill captures what this section is about. You will find various, bite-sized bits of information for you to take in, drop by drop, to consider.

The more involved with the web you become, the more you realize that it is less about knowing and more about considering. You find that everything must be taken into context and considered based on situation and circumstances, rather than a definitive "this is the way it is."

One of the most important goals of Identity Developments has been to help educate clients and others regarding their web presence. Consideration for what is and way may be is perhaps, the most important lesson.

Educated and informed clients are great. They understand why things are done the way they are and the importance of doing things a certain way. They also gain a greater appreciation of the value of doing things the way we do them, rather than being swayed simply by the "cheapest" provider or deal on the table.

So the "instillery" is a place where you can come and take in, drop by drop, gradually, useful information and ideas from Identity Developments to help you grow, improve, and promote your web presence.