Spicy Web Designer Interview with Lendl Allen Trazo

Lendl Allen Trazo is a web designer originally from Cebu in the Philippines (currently in Dubai). He graduated from AMA Computer University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. He started designing websites back in college and has been designing professionally for the past 5 years. He is mainly “self taught” in web design but has an extensive technical background.

1. How did you get started in web design?

I was first exposed to web design in one of my subjects in college. I decided to make it as a career when I applied for a job as a web designer and was rejected. I took that experience as a challenge and motivated myself to study the craft.

2. When did you start designing websites?

I started designing websites when I was in college but I never took it seriously because I was into programming during that time. I started creating websites as a professional when I landed a job in one of the prestigious international publishing companies in Cebu, Philippines.

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

One of the pros in this industry is that you don’t need to have a degree to become a web designer, all you need is talent, passion and self-motivation, and because of that, one of the biggest challenge is keeping up with the competition and technology. A web designer needs to be up to date, unique and innovative to be noticed.

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?

Yes, most of the time I refer to myself as a web designer. I code my designs into valid XHTML pages and use DREAMWEAVER to do it.

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

I studied Computer Science in AMA Computer University. While studying there, I was introduced to HTML and MS Frontpage, I learned the basics of HTML there, back then I was only using MS Frontpage to do everything, I never knew what Photoshop was. I developed and learned all the skills I know today mostly through self-studying.

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?

Yes, it has improved without a doubt. Before, nobody really took websites seriously, it was not a necessity but now, I think 99% of the entire world’s companies have their own website and they generate a significant amount of money through it. The web design industry is officially one, if not the best mediums to advertise and sell products and services, it is also cheaper than traditional means and it reaches a wider audience.

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

My main weapon of choice is Adobe Photoshop, my secondary weapon would be Illustrator. In my opinion, Photoshop is the best design tool available today, It gives designers flexibility and it offers many tools to aide designers with their projects and it’s very easy to use. There are also times where the designs are required to be done in Illustrator, when I create designs for FLASH or create interfaces for RIA’s/FLEX, I prefer using Illustrator.