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!

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.

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.

Amber Sellers is a web designer from Brooklyn, New York in the United States. She studied in a number of places, most notably Hyper Island in Sweden and enrolled in their program. Amber didn’t start working on web design projects until she interned in 2005 and continued to develop her skills. Her career into web design was not a straight path. When she started out after graduating from the University of Arizona she started as a technology consultant and later a business analyst before getting into web and digital design. I had a chance to ask amber some questions about her experiences to date, her experience at hyper island in Sweden and how she made the switch from the more analytical career she had before to where she is today.

Luc @ SWD: How did you originally get interested in designing and when did you start designing websites professionally?

Amber says: I’ve always been a fan of rave flyers growing up in high school (not that these were the best designs in the world, but they got me thinking). This started my appreciation for creative visual design. I never thought about creating myself or having it become a career until after I had graduated from college. I found myself putting a little too much effort into making my PowerPoint presentations and Visio user flow diagrams. I was spending a lot of time online and totally wowed by the Flash micro sites that were coming out at the time. It finally clicked that I wanted desperately to be a part of those. I bought a Mac and started taking online courses in how to use Photoshop. From there I started making rave flyers, business cards and magazines for friends. I learned HTML and Flash and starting making websites for small businesses on my nights and weekends.

Once I built up enough to create a decent portfolio I thought about applying to design schools. I went through interactive portfolios I admired and Hyper Island in Sweden kept popping up. I kept putting them on the “no” list because at the time you had to know Swedish in order to attend (this is no longer the case). However, they kept popping up and after some research they seemed like an amazing interactive digital media school. I hired a Swedish tutor and hoped for the best. Somehow a miracle happened and I got in. I attended Hyper Island form 2004 – 2006 in Crew 10.

I wouldn’t say I professionally designed websites for big name clients until I started my internship at Domani Studios in New York in 2005 (while attending hyper Island). Although, those learning years before I started school is where I got my chops and started to build my toolset.

Luc @ SWD: How has your experience as a business analyst made you a better web designer?

Amber says: Although I’m concerned with design aesthetic, my analyst years opened my eyes to the importance of the user experience and user centered design in general. I strive to make websites completely intuitive and to help make people’s lives easier.

Luc @ SWD:  How did your educational experience at Hyper Island shape you and what did it teach you that you didn’t already know?

Amber says: Hyper Island was a strange and magical place. There are no teachers, tests, or homework. What they teach is how to teach yourself. This gave me some “cojones” to go out and tackle challenges. They also focus on throwing you into the fire with real projects so you learn on the fly. I worked in teams where I had to focus not only on design, but I got to be the project manager, the tech lead, and the client account manager at different times. Experiencing all the team roles really helped me appreciate my other team members and see how projects work as a whole. I also learned a little patience, how to give and receive feedback, and how to be punctual, as Swedes tend to exude these qualities.

You can read more about my Hyper Island experience here: http://bit.ly/2kgpk8

Luc @ SWD: How do you go about starting a design project and do you ever suffer from the dreaded “blank page” that some designers face from time to time?

Amber says: I first layout all the content to see how it will flow best in a grid (a sort of undesigned wireframe to make sure everyone is on board with layout before I start polishing it). Then based on the client’s brand and messaging I start adding typography, color, images and shading/gradient nuances. I do sometimes need inspiration at the start or even half way through if I do not love it. I’m always bookmarking URLs of great work and portfolios I admire and turn to them for inspiration (not as whole, as in copying them, but trying to capture the essence of design trick or flavor that I can work into my own piece).

Although it is very painful to do, sometimes I have to just throw out a design that isn’t working and start from scratch again. Usually this unleashes something wonderful the second time. Sometimes I need to just walk away and sleep on it and it comes the next day. It helps to have a great team too. Sometimes I’m lucky to be working with talented CDs, don’t be too shy or arrogant to ask for feedback. It’s not always the mess of “design by committee”, sometimes great minds can build beautiful things together.

Luc @ SWD: What are you most prized tools to use on a typical design project?

Amber says: For me, hands-down, it’s Photoshop. Sometimes Illustrator, but pretty rarely now the PS has Smart Objects and I’ve learned to use the shape point selector tool. The Layer Comps tool, Smart Objects, and grids have changed my life. I highly recommend working with them if you haven’t already!  I’ll get into InDesign when I need to create a deck with titles (I know, fascinating). Sometimes I’ll get into Flash or basic HTML to create a demo of how things will work to pitch a design. This will sometimes wow clients with sexy movement so they can see how things will come to life.

Since I use mainly Photoshop, I must admit the tutorials psdtuts.com is a major tool for me too. Photoshop is always changing up their game and it’s a great place to learn new tools you don’t normally use and to beef up your design tricks.

David Trang from the Chicago, Illinois area in the United States is an up and coming web designer and developer who loves adding function to his clients’ websites and creating clean and solid designs. He completed his degree at DePaul University and after college he started designing for the web in 2003. He had some time to answer some of our questions at SpicyWebDesigners.com and tell us what allows him to enjoy what he does and this is where the conversation went…

Luc @ SWD asks: How long have you been designing professionally?

David says: I’ve been designing on the web professionally since 2003, just after completing my degree at DePaul University in Chicago. At my first job after college, I was given the task to manage and design a corporate-wide Intranet portal, which gave me the immediate “on the job” training that gave me a running start. Just before, I was still working more on the technical side of the field, but I learned that I wanted to branch out into front-end design and development, so it was a great opportunity. Now, I’m currently Web Producer for one of the largest jewelry companies in the country and I also do contract work on the side whenever I have the time.

Luc @ SWD asks: David how did you originally become interested in web design?

David says: Kind of in a strange way, but it started back in the late 90’s when eBay was getting really big. At that point, you were given the option of plain text or basic html tags to use for auction descriptions. Of course, I wanted to do anything to make my layouts clean and attractive to attract sales, so I basically played and learned the code myself to hopefully sell more! Looking back at it now, I’m sure most of my “pages” didn’t look so great, but it was an interesting starting point.

Then, it was in college when I started to look at web design seriously. I took a Human Computer Interaction (HCI) design course, and my professor handed out Steve Krug’s classic “Don’t Make Me Think!” guide. I couldn’t agree more with the concepts I learned and I still like to skim through it to this day (for nostalgic reasons too). It helped shed a new light on the usability aspect of web design for me, something I always try to take particular care of when designing a website.

Luc @ SWD asks: I see that your work uses a lot of well thought out typography and good use of space.  How important are the elements of space and typography in the web design work that you do?

David says: It’s crucial. Typography is something so many people take for granted, and I strive to showcase how powerful it can be throughout my designs. I’ll be honest and say that a lot of my previous work probably didn’t stand out well enough because I didn’t grasp the concepts of using space and type well enough. After utilizing the grid system, I’m able to plan my web sites not only with greater ease, but also having the assurance that the final outcome will succeed due to a few basic design principles.

Luc @ SWD asks: How do you stay up to date with what’s happening in web design?

David says: A ton of ways, including magazines like .net or through design podcasts like RBTL, but I probably learn the most through the ever prevalent web design blogs we see sprouting up these days. There are so many sites to name, where it’s almost become too hard to keep track of all of them, but that’s when Google Reader comes in handy.

As far for keeping up with the “news” side of things, Twitter is huge for me. By just following some of the big names in the web design field, I can gain tons of valuable knowledge each day. It also helps to gain new perspectives on design, and to see what other designers are saying/thinking whenever big news breaks in the industry. I can’t get enough of it.

Luc @ SWD asks: What methodologies and/or technologies do you use to plan out a web design project?

David says: It all depends on the size of the project, but for the most part I always start out with some sort of sketch for wire framing. I have a handy grid notepad, where I like to jot down layouts and ideas. Once I have something solid going, I’ll open up OmniGraffle and Photoshop to begin translating electronically. From there, my editor of choice is Coda and I use Firebug to tweak, all the way to final validation of code.

Other handy tools I use during the whole process are “Things” for Mac to keep my to-do’s in place, Quicksilver, which helps me with the repetitive tasks throughout the day with a few quick keystrokes, and finally Dropbox for transferring files between multiple locations.