Spicy Web Designer Interview with Lisa Bun

Lisa Bun is a web and graphic designer from Chicago, Illinois in the United States. She technically started designing websites in 2007 but started in graphic design much earlier. Lisa studied at Columbia College of Chicago and earned her Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design in 2008. Lisa has recently been working for a local web design firm in Chicago as a Graphic Designer.

1. How did you get started in web design?

I actually fell into web design after getting an internship at a small web design company, by word of mouth. I was studying graphic design at the time and the only thing about web design that I learned was the little amount that was required of me, which was just basic HTML/CSS. After I landed the internship, there was one designer working there at the time, but I didn’t learn much. So when I was given my first project to work on, I just designed what I thought was best and took into account the project’s target market, industry, and competitors. For inspiration and a little help, I researched and browsed websites all day. Web designing was all relatively new to me, and I would just sit and create random layouts all day to get some practice. I just kept teaching myself new techniques and developed my skills in Photoshop. I can honestly say, looking back, I made some terrible layouts back then, haha. But after going from intern to employee at the same company, and making layouts day after day, in a few months I definitely began to grow as a web designer.

2. When did you start designing websites?

Technically, I didn’t start designing real websites until I became an employee, which was at the end of 2007. Like I said before, in the beginning, I wasn’t making the best web designs. But even at my worst, I was told I was doing better than some of the other designers that came in and out of the company. So that encouraged me to keep going, and I honestly developed my web design skills in just a matter of a few months. I’d like to think web design came naturally after a while, especially after seeing how many bad websites were out there, I was determined to help make the internet a little bit better. Right now, I think that I have developed a good understanding of the web and have made dozens of layouts for a large variety of clients. I personally always note my improvements and notice how much better I am now than the month prior. Practice makes perfect, right? I think so.

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

Currently, one of my challenges is dealing with clients. I know I still have a lot more experience to gain and I am constantly learning new things every day. So this may be a challenge that isn’t new to some, but I have realized how difficult it can be to deal with clients. There are the clients who think they are designers and find some way to ruin their websites, or the clients who constantly request revision after revision but don’t understand why their websites never gets completed on time, or the clients that think it takes a few minutes to slap together a design and want it done right away. I’m sure these are issues that many people encounter, and I am learning how to deal with these issues and how to set boundaries.

Also, I think right now there is the challenge of actually getting work/clients. I don’t know how many people are facing this challenge, but I think with the state of the economy still in bad shape, people don’t want to pay a lot of money for what they want or need. Unfortunately for some really talented designers, this means you don’t get paid what you’re worth and you may have to settle for less.

4. Do you code any of the web sites that you design currently? If so, what language(s) do you code in?

I can do HTML/CSS. My current website, which I just recently launched, is the first site that I coded myself. This is mostly due to the fact that I work at a company where I mainly create the design, and there is an in-house developer whose job is to do all the coding/programming. I see myself as a graphic designer that can design for the web, coding is not really my cup of tea. But as I begin to work as a freelance designer, I plan on and would like to continue to code more websites myself.

5. Did you study design at school or are you self-taught? If you went to school, how has your education helped you become a better web design professional? What other skills has it helped you to gain and what else has it taught you about design in general?

I went to Columbia College Chicago and studied graphic design. Web design was offered, but wasn’t something I thought about majoring in. To be honest, I think I gained more knowledge by jumping into the field of web design as an intern and learning it on my own, than I did at school. I’m sure going to school helped me in some ways, but I really believe that I learned more on my own – especially when it comes to web design. I’ve also had the opportunity to work with a few different designers, some experienced and some not at all. I have learned that you can’t judge designers by where they went to school or their age. Different things work for different people. I have worked with designers who were both much younger and much older, and designers who had years of schooling and some who had none at all. You would be surprised at who had real talent and who didn’t, or maybe you wouldn’t be surprised at all. Nonetheless, the design skills and knowledge that I have acquired in this time has also allowed me to become a better communicator (when working with clients) and a better problem solver (finding the best design solutions).

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?

I have been designing for the web for about two years now. It’s not that long, I know, but I have noticed some trends through my daily observations. What I have seen is the huge Web 2.0 trend that’s been going on for a while now. It has transformed many websites, definitely for the better, by putting an emphasis on simplicity and user-friendliness. Websites are becoming cleaner, easier to use, easier to read, and aesthetically pleasing. Although, one thing I will note with this trend is that more and more websites are starting to look the same. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I think when too many websites begin to resemble each other, creativity and uniqueness can be lost. It reminds me of the current branding/identity trend where larger companies have been taking their brands and generalizing their appearance. To me, it just seems like people are for some reason shooting for a more generic look – which for some has not worked in their favor.

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

Photoshop and my Mac are the two things I couldn’t live without or design without. I use Illustrator for some things as well, but Photoshop is where I make all my wonderful web creations. There are also great websites out there that I think act as useful tools. I am still exploring different design galleries and blogs, but my current favorites are smashingmagazine.com and sixrevisions.com. These blogs are full of great resources and countless information for both experienced and non-experienced designers. I think it is important to keep up with the latest trends, what’s going on in the industry, and to hear the advice that knowledgeable design experts have to share. And as a designer, who’s determined to leave her mark in the design world , these two blogs, as well as others, are providing the information I need to help me do just that.