Spicy Web Designer Interview with Tam Cao

Tam Cao is a web designer from Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. He started designing websites back in 1997 to showcase his love of “DragonBallZ”. In 2002, he began designing websites for clients and recently graduated from Georgia State University where he received his BFA.

1. How did you get started in web design?

I have to say the first time that I attempted to “create a website” was back around 1997. I was a big fan of DragonballZ around that age and wanted to create a website to share drawings and pictures with my friends. I believe it was through one of those free hosting thing with a Yahoo geocities account (are those still around anymore. ha..?)

I can still remember those days when I put everything you can think of on a website. From animated gif backgrounds, scrolling marquee, background music, web page counters, to using tables..lots and lots of tables(with 5+ pixel color borders). Everything on one page. If you can name it…It’s probably on there. But anyway to make the long story short.. It was around that time that I was introduced to websites in general. And it was those experiences from creating personal websites that really sparks my interest in web design. However it wasn’t until recent years that I started to go into web design.

2. When did you start designing websites?

I start designing web sites for clients around 2002. At the time, I was working for MDKS Inc., a small web design company in Gainesville, Georgia. I was responsible for creating contents and designing the visual look and feel for various sites. The working experiences there helped me have a much better understanding of various stages and components that went into designing a website.

And then in 2005, I discovered CSS Zen Garden (I highly recommend this to anyone new to web design) and the wonderful things one can do with CSS. My interests in designing websites grew even more, and I’ve been designing websites ever since. My latest website is Mgsacquiescence.com.

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

Communicating good design to clients is a challenge sometimes. Making sure they understand why you design things certain way. Another challenge I face is meticulously trying to make sure that all of the website I create follow current web standards and work across all browsers (IE why are you so lame). I don’t understand it..Why are there so many browsers out there?. And now even more…with smart Mobile devices like the iPhone, Blackberry Storm, and the Gphone. Too much to keep up with.

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?

I normally code the entire project I worked on except for the back-end stuff. I enjoy developing website with best practices, SEO friendly, and web standards in mind. As of the moment, I see myself as a front-end designer/coder but want to learn back-end also; hopefully sometimes in the near future.

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

I just recently graduated from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia with a BFA in Graphic Design. I believe that I picked up most of my skills as a web designer through real world experiences and observing many well designed websites online. Even though I didn’t learn much about web design at GSU, I truly believe the experiences there helped trained my eye to recognize the aesthetic values of good design. It helped me come up with better concepts for websites and better understanding of good use of typography. I learn to let the design concept lead and the codes will soon follow (after the many hours of debug if something goes wrong).

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?

Since the day when I created my first website until now, I would have to say yes it has changed and will continue to change. It’s a new Web 2.0, social networking, and micro-blogging era. We are more connected than ever. The audience is much more educated about websites than a decade ago. More and more people are aware of the many different channels of information on the web. So in the end clients need to understand that web technologies has evolved and how a great designed website with these technologies in mind can help maximize their exposure to a much wider audiences.

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

I want to thank Adobe for their great line of software. The integration from one program to the next is great. They make my life as a graphic designer much easier. When it comes to web design my favorite tools are: Photoshop, Firework, and Dreamweaver. I spend a good amount of time in Adobe Photoshop coming up with ideas and laying out the website. Then transfer the design into Firework to slice it up. After that, its Dreamweaver all the way. I find it easier to manage files through Dreamweaver, but I occasionally use notepad++ to do quick edit also. Firefox’s “Web Developer Toolbar” is also another tool that I use to debug the completed website.