SpicyWebDesigners.com by Luc Arnold

Editha Fuentes is a graphic and web designer who is originally from Chile now living in California in the United States.  Her first experience with the web and web design came in 2003 when she decided to do an internship at a graphic design studio and her curiosity grew from there.

Editha received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design and Multimedia in Chile in 2004 from the University of Arts and Communications (UNIACC).  When she starts in on any design project Editha turns to pencil and paper to generate her ideas for a project.  She had the following to say when I asked her about her experiences in design and how she tackles projects.

Luc asks: How did you get started in web design?  How long have you been designing websites professionally?

Editha says: This is actually an interesting question. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t very interested in web design until I moved to the States. In Chile, while I was in college, I was more into print design and animation. Off course I had to create web sites for several courses but that was pretty much it. I had my first real experience in web design when I came to California for the first time in 2003 to do an internship at a graphic design studio in Costa Mesa. I was exposed to the web design boom in the U.S as web presence started becoming important for businesses; in Chile, there wasn’t a need for websites yet. When I came back in 2006, after receiving my degree, and already knowing the importance of web design and corporate identity, I started looking into the possibility of using my talent as a graphic designer in building effective websites for small businesses. That’s how it all got started. At first, I wanted to build all my websites in Flash, but soon my curiosity took me to find other options to offer my clients. For example, I got to an advanced level in XHTML and CSS.

Luc asks:  I see that you received your education in Graphic Design and Multimedia and I wanted to ask do you think that your education has helped you become a better web designer?  Please explain

Editha says: Yes, I received my degree in Graphic Design and Multimedia in Chile in 2004. Although there are some designers out there that are amazing and have never been to college, in my case, college was of invaluable help. College gave me the foundations for everything that I do today. For example, I had to take classes that perhaps didn’t have anything to do with graphic design let alone web design, but, ultimately, these classes had the purpose of opening my mind and making me think outside the box. They taught me how to use art to express different concepts or to communicate specific things. Also, being in a University inclined towards communications, I was required to take courses that had to do with installation art, photography, creating and editing TV commercials, etc. I use all the knowledge acquired at college, most likely unconsciously, in every project that I work on. Nonetheless, I regret the fact that I was not exposed to the business side of the graphic design industry. I truly think that designers should be prepared in college to manage a business, considering that it is a career where you can easily start doing projects on your own. Lastly, our career, specifically when it comes to web design, is continuously evolving as new trends take over and new technologies become available. It is crucial that we keep on learning on our own, either by taking courses or by teaching ourselves by reading articles or books, etc. Otherwise, you become a dinosaur.

Luc asks:  What tools and inspiration do you use when you first start designing a website project?

Editha says: Although it may sound simple, all my projects start with two basic tools: pencil and paper. This is crucial because it allows me to get involved hands-on and focus on the concept rather than spending hours on the computer without a specific direction. Once I’m done with this part and I have a clear idea of what I want to create, I either use Photoshop or Illustrator, depending on the project. To hand-code a website, I use Dreamweaver. Oh, and most definitely, I use a Mac. In regards to inspiration, I believe you’re always getting it from everything around you. But, my biggest inspiration is the web. I have hundreds of websites that I visit on a daily basis, many of them by very talented designers known worldwide. There are also many CSS showcase galleries out there where I keep up-to-date with the latest trends. Besides these, music is also a great source of inspiration.  I can’t create if I don’t have music playing.

Luc asks:  What is the hardest website project you’ve ever been involved in and why was it difficult?

Editha says: One of the biggest challenges I had on a project was the lack of communication with a client. This one client was extremely busy and did not have enough time to get fully involved with the development of his website. He did not respond to e-mails on time and did not return phone calls, sometimes even for weeks. Ultimately, the completion of the project was drastically delayed and it became very frustrating for me. I usually make an extra effort in establishing good communication with clients, especially due to the fact that English is not my first language and I have put a lot of effort in improving it quickly enough to the point where I can communicate fluently (and professionally) with them. Thus, this lack of communication was the hardest thing I had to deal with.

Luc asks:  What advice do you give clients looking for help with search engine optimization or is that something you don’t get involved with?

Editha says: I get involved in the way that I advise my clients regarding the best options out there. I try to do everything that is humanly possible when hand-coding in order to accomplish search engine optimization, but I inform the client about companies that specialize in this type of service. It is also important to talk to the client about creating good content for the website. Identifying target markets or defining goals that they want to accomplish with their site, for example, will help in the wording and in using keywords within the content. Hiring a copywriter might help.

Luc asks:  What are some things you want people to know about you as a creative professional?

Editha says: I take pride in delivering great customer service and in always developing strong relationship with my clients. I take the time to do research before starting a new project in order to get to know the business and its competitors with the objective of understanding what the client wants to communicate. I also work hard until the client is satisfied with the end result. I never over look details and I feel extremely passionate for what I do. It’s interesting that I always get the same question when people find out that I’m a graphic designer: “Oh, so you build websites?” – umm, yes, but that’s not the only thing I do. I would like to take this opportunity to say that clients will find, at Unuidesign, effective design solutions in any type of design project they might need: logos, business cards, brochures, menus, animations, etc., and of course, websites!

Blair Williams from Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States has gone by many titles including “Software Engineer”, “Internet Marketer” and “New Media Consultant” and he is the guy behind Pretty Link and Pretty Link Pro, a WordPress plug-in that allows you to “Shrink, track and share any URL on the Internet from your WordPress website.”

He began to work in internet marketing in 2007 when he made the jump from his technical background into running an internet business.  Before he was a software engineer, internet marketer or a new media consultant, Blair, graduated from Southern Utah University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and ever since then he has been diving into code, consulting and engineering solutions in one way or another.

His latest project “Mingle” is a social networking plug-in that you can use on a WordPress website.  Blair was able to recently take some time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about his career, how he works and markets what he does.

Luc asks: Blair, I see that you have a wide array of talents including being a Software Engineer, an Internet Marketer and a New Media Consultant.  How do you feel that your skills complement one another?

Blair says: I feel like Internet Marketers (and consultants) are much more effective when they well versed in the technology of the web — and that Software Engineers are better when they understand Internet Marketing. I feel like these skill sets have really played off of each other for me — I really didn’t start doing much Internet Marketing until 2007 but because of my technical background, diving into the world of SEO, PPC, and Internet Business made a lot of sense and I think was much easier to grasp than it would be had I not already been a Software Engineer. At times though, the Software Engineer in me has been somewhat of a liability  (I always have this tendency to dive into the code instead of hiring it out) but now that I’m marketing software that I create, I feel like I’ve finally achieved some balance — I don’t feel guilty for writing code anymore, that’s for sure …

Luc asks: I personally found out about you after downloading your Pretty Link WordPress Plug-in like most people who know you online.  What other projects are you working on currently?

Blair says: Well, the main project I’m working on is another plug-in called Mingle. Mingle is a social networking plug-in for a standard WordPress installation with a standard theme … I’ve been doing some other work for clients as well but Mingle has really been keeping me busy lately.
Luc asks: How much do you make online monthly currently (if you don’t mind me asking) and why did you make the choice to generate a living online?

Blair says: It’s always scary to launch a new product because you never know how much revenue to expect from it. Pretty Link Pro was no exception to that rule — but it has been performing nicely … Pretty Link Pro was built from the ground up from user generated ideas — I’ve found these kinds of products give users more value and perform better. While I’m still not making enough from PLP for me to retire to the Caribbean — it has been a really nice stream of consistent income.

There is no better way to make a living in the modern world than working online. Especially within the last few years the Internet has given a new class of Internet Entrepreneurs the opportunity to work on their own terms. These entrepreneurs can work from home or from wherever they want, they can automate a ton of their business tasks easily and can make a decent living from it … It’s my passion to not only do this for myself but to make it easier for other Internet Entrepreneurs to make a living online.

Luc asks: Blair, do you currently work from home exclusively?

Blair says: I still do quite a bit of client work and one of them has been kind enough to loan me some space — I do most of my work there — but I do work from home a 1 to 2 days a week.

Luc asks: Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur or do the titles of “software engineer”, “internet marketer” and “new media consultant” frame what you do and where your interests lay better?

Blair says: All of the above — it’s really hard to classify a title. I write and market software to people that hopefully provides value to them and makes their lives easier … it’s the same model that thousands of 1-3 person programming shops are now employing to create iPhone, Twitter, Facebook and, like me, WordPress apps. These platforms have made it much easier for developer software out to wide audiences — its exiting to me that this trend is only showing signs of growing.

If you are interested in downloading Blair Williams “Pretty Link” WordPress Plug-in click here and if you are interested in grabbing his Mingle plug-in click here.

Coming to us from Washington, DC in the United States, Roxanne Labajo is a web designer who started off skinning her blog back in 2001. After some personal successes in redesigning her site she decided to make the move to web design and started to help her fellow bloggers by working on their sites. Working with Web Standards, HTML, CSS and Photoshop she’s created a number of great websites and her passion for great web design has only grown. She credits her education in Web Technologies at Montgomery College and Graphic Design at Marymount University as a contributing factor that give her a good grounding in design concepts such as layout, color and typography. Roxanne has been designing professionally for the last 5 years and has held various web design roles and continues to further her skills in web design and various web technologies. She remarks about her experiences and how she started into her career in web design, her approach to design and her passion for all things web related.

Luc asks: Roxanne, how did you first get started designing websites?

Roxanne says: It all began after I started blogging back in 2001. I wanted to learn to customize the look and design so I joined some forums and browsed the internet for some tips. After experimenting with basic CSS and HTML and learning to create simple graphics in Photoshop, I found myself skinning my blog almost every other week. It wasn’t long before other users asked me to help skin their blogs so I started creating blog skins and posting them on my blog and in forums for public use. Within a few weeks, I was receiving hundreds of hits and comments on my blog every day for more requests. So I continued learning more about web design as I produced blog skins and what started as a hobby grew into a passion.

Luc asks: In your approach of designing websites using pencil and paper, what advantages does this give you and why do you prefer this method?

Roxanne says: As part of my design process, I like to create thumbnail sketches of my ideas on paper to get my mind spinning and the creative juices flowing. I find sketching useful for developing ideas and to explore layout options and is a more natural and inspirational way of doing it than going straight to the computer. The computer inhibits initial experimentation and you can easily waste more time getting caught up in things like changing the fonts or aligning every element perfectly, etc. Sketching allows me to rule out many design ideas quickly and definitely saves me time in the long run.

Luc asks: I see that you like to shoot photos and i wanted to ask if you use any of your photography in the sites that you design?

Roxanne says: Nope. Not yet anyway.

Luc asks: What benefit does working with web standards on a web design project provide?

Roxanne says: Using web standards to create and design your HTML pages ensures that your sites are more search engine friendly and cross-browser compatible and therefore more accessible, maximizing the number of potential visitors. It’s also easier to maintain a well structured, standards-based site.

Luc asks: Where and what did you study in College/University? Do you feel it has made you a better web designer? If it has explain why and if not why not?

Roxanne says: I studied Web Technologies at Montgomery College and Graphic Design at Marymount University. My degrees gave me a good starting point for the web and a solid base for core design concepts like color, layout, and typography. But because the web is always changing, it can be challenging for colleges to keep their curriculums current and up to date with the latest web trends and technologies. So I think school was only meant to give you an introduction and it’s up to you to do the rest. Most of my skills are self taught or acquired through my experience working in the field.

You may not have heard of Amber Weinberg but this web developer has the knowledge and extensive web development background to know what she’s talking about when it comes to freelancing. I first read her article entitled “How to become a freelance web developer: A six month plan” on the FreelanceFolder and after reading it I read a little more of her blog i decided to contact her and ask her some more questions about freelancing and her web development experiences.

Amber, who has been developing for the web for the last ten years decided after discussing freelancing numerous times decided to put together a practical guide to freelancing. The idea of a 6 month plan is very reasonable considering that most web developers, web designers and other freelance style types of jobs require by nature some planning.

Some specific points that Amber makes in her article about freelancing address the fact that freelance work and more importantly a freelance business needs like most businesses certain things to grow including saving and creating a personal budget, developing a portfolio site, using social media like twitter, LinkedIn and facebook to your advantage, starting and keeping a blog, getting some health insurance, where to look for freelance work, invoicing your clients, leaving the current company you are working for currently and doing it gracefully and finally getting out there and starting your freelance career.

I know that I’ve interviewed a large number of web design and development professionals but I also know that there is a large amount of people reading this who haven’t taken the leap yet, who read articles like Amber’s and who are still on the fence about a freelance career. Really, you are the only person who can make up your mind about it and depending on where you are in life and your responsibilities can impact the choices you make on becoming a freelance web designer or developer. With all that said, many of the people I’ve interviewed so far from the husband and wife design and development teams to the solo web designer that’s fresh out of school and looking to make a name for themselves, the one thing that everyone shares is a passion for continuously learning and improvement.

Amber Weinberg had this to say about why she decided to write the article, networking as a freelancer, her thoughts on email marketing as well as how she turns out some amazing content on her blog.

Luc @ SWD: After reading the article you wrote about “How to become a freelance web developer: A six month plan” my first question is what caused you to write the article in the first place?

Amber says: A lot of the readers on my own blog had asked me how to get started. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about wanting to go freelance, but since they didn’t know how to start, they never did. I thought a nice step-by-step plan would help ease some of the fears of freelancing.

Luc @ SWD: You make some good points about designing a portfolio that i can personally attest to some web designers and developers don’t do especially when it comes to showcasing code snippets.  Do you think it’s important for web developers to show code with a project and why do you think clients like and trust this method so much?

Amber says: I think showing the code is essential to any developer’s portfolio. I see a lot of developers that just show links to the website, or that showcase the design of the website. They didn’t design the website, so why are they showcasing that part? I think clients like this because it’s not only different, but shows that I care about my code which ultimately means my code is better than someone who doesn’t.

Luc @ SWD: I like that you mention that web developers should network and market themselves using social media networks like facebook, LinkedIn and twitter.  Should web developers ever limit the information that they put on social media networks and why or why not?

Amber says: If by limiting your information, you mean personal information, then yes. If by limiting information, you mean information about clients or projects – it depends. It’s important to remember the web is not a private place anymore. Anything you tweet or facebook about is now showing up in search engines. (Unless you set your social media to private). It’s important to use these outlets wisely. I like to tweet about what I’m working on (people who follow really love seeing what you’re doing – even if the site is still jumbled). If the information is sensitive (because the client has a non-disclosure) I’ll talk about what I’m working on in general, without much detail. Social media is a great tool, but it can’t replace clients, so it’s important to remember which relationship comes first. (So please avoid gross/inappropriate tweets/updates if you expect your clients to see it).

Luc @ SWD: One of the areas that you didn’t really touch is do you think that web developers should use email marketing to showcase their latest projects to existing clients and potential new clients?

Amber says: Personally, I don’t use email marketing to clients. I believe it’s annoying and ineffective unless you’re a big firm that gets a lot of real press. I’m pretty sure none of my clients care if I’m doing a website for X agency. If they do care, they can easily get updates on my projects via my portfolio, blog, or any of my social media accounts. I do use email marketing for cold emails, which I explain in several of my blog posts. That technique works extremely well in gaining new clients.

Luc @ SWD: Amber, you’ve been developing for the web over the past ten years and i wanted to know what are the biggest lessons you’ve learned since you started?  How did you first get started?

Amber says: I first got started in the 6th grade building websites for anime stuff I collected (web galleries, fan fics, etc) Back then the web was mostly text, frame and table based. I stopped building websites for a few years at the end of high school and through college, and realized when I decided to come back that I had a HUGE learning curve ahead of me thanks to CSS. Even though I feel extremely competent in HTML/CSS and browser compatibility I feel like there’s always more to learn. If you look at my code in order of newest to oldest, you’ll see I’m constantly tweaking my organization and techniques. I’ve learned that you really need to be learning new things every week, or you’ll get quickly left behind. Also, semantics and validation are king.

Luc @ SWD: What are some of you’re tried and tested methods for testing and dealing with web browser compatibility issues that you see on a daily basis?

Amber says: I can say 90% of the websites I code work perfectly in IE6 in less than 5 minutes and most of the time I use no hacks. Once you deal with IE6 enough times, you’ll learn to start anticipating its bugs. For example, when I’m coding something that has a float: left on it, I immediately remember to give it padding-left instead of margin-left – otherwise you’ll deal with IE6’s double margin bug. The biggest help to me is the CSS Reset I use. Because of that I have fewer bugs in IE6 and 99% of the time I have none in IE7. Today, I also found a wonderful transparent PNG fix that doesn’t have problems with backgrounds, positioning, or jQuery like the others do. Keeping your own personal code and plug-in library really helps.

Luc @ SWD: How do you come up with writing excellent articles aimed at web developers and the web development community at large?  Has running your blog helped you land new clients and if so what do you think people like about reading your blog?

Amber says: I have to admit, it’s extremely difficult to come up with good articles every day of the work week, especially when I’m super slammed like I am now. Most of my articles come from real experiences. For example, when I blogged about things to do when work is super slow, it was because I had no client work at the time! If I’m stuck in a coding project, and figure out how to fix it easier/quicker, I blog about it. Some days it’s tough, especially when you spend a lot of time blogging and no one comments or retweets. I’m not sure if I’ve gotten work specifically because of my blog, but I know that clients have seen me active on both the blog and twitter, and a lot of them comment on that point. I think both can elevate your business and make you an expert in their eyes, even if they don’t understand the tech articles per se. Most of my dedicated readers are other freelancer web developers, so I try to keep a mix of both freelance and tech articles. I think they like that I’m actually working on getting some guest writers on that are going to be writing about design, WordPress and advanced programming. Variety is good!

Feel free to read more of her articles by visiting her blog or her article “How to become a freelance web developer: A six month plan” today for her excellent insights into the world of freelancing.

When Randy Gregory II is not designing some great websites you can also find him behind the lenses of his camera. This web designer and photographer from Phoenix, Arizona in the United States has been designing for the web for the last 2 years professionally and has turned out some great work in that time. As a seasoned print design professional, Randy made the leap into web design as has yet to look back. He originally studied at Northern Arizona University and graduated with his bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication with an emphasis in Graphic Design. I had a chance to ask him about his experiences in web design and if his background in photography has helped him become a better web designer, his experiences at Northern Arizona University and his story of becoming a web designer.

Luc @ SWD: When did you start designing websites professionally and how did you first get into web design?

Randy says: out of my 7 years, I’m relatively new to web design, about 2 years, and I took it in school as a side course, but I’ve been mainly a print designer. When I started working for U-Haul in their in-house web team, I was basically thrown into the fire, and had to re-learn. While there, I discovered all of the fantastic things that can be done with the web, including alternate realities, human connections, interactive design, and of course, whatever print design will turn into.

Luc @ SWD: What are your favorite tools to use when designing a website?

Randy says: My favorite tools for designing are my Moleskine and small collection of Sakura Micron pens. I find that getting the idea down on paper completely, greatly helps in the design process, and it’s nice to get away from the computer. Other than that, I use the usual tools, including the Adobe Creative Suite, my camera, the internet for inspiration, using sites like Design Observer, Spicy Web Designers, Core77, and plenty more, and most importantly, great music or a TV going off in the background, typically travel or food programs. I find that having something mentally stimulating in the background helps the creative juices flow.

Luc @ SWD: Has the education you received from Northern Arizona University helped you become a better designer?

Randy says: I believe my education at Northern Arizona University greatly helped make me a better designer. Even though it wasn’t like going to a trade school, I got to learn about multiple art subjects, ones that actually help me in my everyday tasks. I also learned a variety from other interest areas, from lab science, Meso-American Art History, to Japanese!

My professors were also on another level entirely, with pasts such as working with MTV and Nike. They were amazing, and I learned all about theory and respect from them. Also, I was taught by Rodrigo DeToldeo, who was very tough, so much to the point that we butted heads often. It wasn’t until after I graduated, and got into the real world, that I realized exactly why he was so aggressive and tough, he needed to be in order to make us realize our true potential. I now have some much respect for him, and what he has to deal with.

Lastly, I got to meet a ton of people who were all unique and interesting. And some of them aren’t even designers, which makes them perfect candidates for critiques, because in a sense, they are the audience.

Luc @ SWD: Do you think understanding web standards are important as a web designer?

Randy says: I believe that web standards are extremely important, especially in these days where the web is becoming even more widespread. I use tools like the Firefox Web Developer Bar, Firebug, WestCiv’s X-Ray, and the web development tools in Safari and Internet Explorer to make sure that #1: I get all bugs, and #2: I make sure that I adhere to the W3C standards, which I view as the absolute authority for web guidelines. And of course, I read up on all things affecting the web, mainly A List Apart.

Luc @ SWD: How long have you been doing photography for and has it helped you become a better web designer?

Randy says: I have been a photographer for 12 years and I’m very glad that you noticed! It was through photography that I first learned about composition, and how it affects an image, along with color skills, and framing. A lot of my inspiration comes from images I shoot of buildings, artwork, urban landscapes, et cetera. Also, I have used photography throughout my work, most notably my Phoenix Design Week poster, which was a combination of photography and handcrafted typography out of desert materials. I would definitely say that I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my years in photography.