SpicyWebDesigners.com by Luc Arnold

Sara Tusar Suhadolc is a web designer and developer living and working in Ljubljana, Slovenia.  She has been involved in designing and developing websites since she was 14.  Back then she was trying to figure out how everything works on the web and today her curiosity has only grown.

She graduated from the University of Maribor in Slovenia back in December 2008 after completing a degree in Interactive Graphic Communications.  Since graduating, she’s been working full-time for a design agency in Slovenia and in the future plans to possibly pursue freelance web design.

I had a chance to ask Sara some questions about her experiences in web design, her knowledge of front-end development and her educational experiences and this is what she had to say…

Luc asks: Sara, how did you first get into web design and why do you still enjoy designing for the web?

Sara says: I started checking source codes and playing around in Photoshop at the age of 14. I have always been interested in how stuff works and websites definitely intrigued me the most. Eleven years later, things haven’t changed much. I am still this curious kid who loves learning about design and creative use of technology on a daily basis. I think that when you acquire enough knowledge the real fun starts. I know that there’s just so much to discover, so many great websites to build so I’m already looking forward to it!

Luc asks: I see that you call yourself a “front-end developer” besides just being a web designer. What have you learned that really makes you a great front end developer?

Sara says: Well, I learned that just being a good front-end developer or just a good web designer isn’t enough. In order to become great you need to be a bit of both – a savvy front-end developer as well as a creative and resourceful web designer. We all know that the Internet is a very specific medium in terms of its possibilities and limitations. Knowing all of them well and having different solutions at hand is almost mandatory if you want your work to stand out.

Luc asks: Do you currently freelance on a full-time or part-time basis and are you selective about the projects you take on?

Sara says: The fact that I have a full time job at the moment keeps me from freelancing on a regular basis. That might change in the future if I manage to attract enough clients. I’m not particularly picky about what projects I take on as long as they represent enough of a challenge and let me express my creativity at the same time. I am at the moment busy designing a web site for this very exciting new start-up called Dog-walker Central, which will be ready for a release with the ability for the public to search profiles in the next 4-5 weeks. After that, we will continue to add features and hopefully the project will be fully up and running in June, so keep your eyes open

Luc asks: I also read on your portfolio site that you have a degree in Interactive Graphic Communications and i just wanted to ask where did you study? Have you graduated and if you have when did you graduate and also how has your education helped you in becoming a design professional?

Sara says: That is correct, I studied Interactive Graphic Communications at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (University of Maribor, Slovenia), graduated in 2008 and was even given the Best Graduate of the Year Award . Having the particular formal educational is of course an important element – it broadens one’s horizons, gives one basic knowledge, but isn’t enough in my experience. If you want to become a real player you have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of free time. You have to literally eat, breathe and dream web design.

Luc asks: You say that you do your best to push the limits when it comes to front-end development and design, how do you go about doing this on your projects?

Luc asks: Extensive knowledge of front-end development helps me in being a better web designer. So, when designing I know exactly how a certain part will be executed and can therefore push the limits of design to the maximum of what is technological possible. I am particularly good at bringing nice fonts to the screen by using methods such as Cufón, Font embedding (Font Squirrel, Typekit) and sIFR.

Australian web designer, David Jonsson comes to us from Byron Bay where he crafts websites with branding and amazing graphic designs.  He got his start in designing for the web when he was living and working in London, England and got hired by a web design agency called “Pod1” and learned a lot of his skills on the job.

David has been designing websites since 2005 and more recently, in the past 3 years, he has been freelancing full-time as a web designer.  David uses typography and his graphic design skills to rework designs for the web and end up looking amazing.

Talking to David, it’s easy to see why he is so passionate about web design, his freelance career and the fact that he has never missed a deadline.  Read on to see what David had to say…

Luc asks: David how did you originally start designing website and what got you interested in web design?

David says: It all started when I left Australia to live in London for 12 months. Luckily enough when I arrived and was looking for a job, my brother mentioned that he had a friend who worked at a design agency that was looking for somebody for a couple of days to do data entry.  Fortunately for me, I learned to touch type at school and got the job. What I didn’t realize though was that I was walking into an amazing web design agency called Pod1. They had some amazing designers who I got the opportunity to sit next to and watch them create some stunning websites from scratch.  I decided then and there that this is what I wanted to do. Thankfully Pod1 kept me around for a bit and my love for design and web design just grew from there. They were all extremely passionate about what they did and the designers would settle for nothing but their best – I think that’s the most important thing that they taught me, be proud of what you do and do it as well as you possibly can.

Luc asks: Do you think in the web design profession it’s possible to become uninspired and bored of your job?

David says: If you don’t love web design or design in general it would be very easy to become uninspired and bored of your job. I on the other hand absolutely love what I do and can’t imagine myself doing anything else, web design brings in a lot more challenges as it’s more of an ever changing monster than say print design – I think this is why I love it the most, it’s challenging and is always changing. That’s not to say I don’t have days where I feel bored, uninspired and overwhelmed, but those days are very few and far between.

Luc asks: I see that your portfolio consists of a lot of graphic design work and i wanted to ask do you code any of the projects that you work on and if so what languages do you primarily work in?

David says: I code a few of the projects that I work on, it is a skill that I’m constantly learning and improving. Primarily the languages I work in are xHTML and CSS. My CMS of choice is WordPress which I’m comfortable with but when it comes to the bigger, more technical websites and e-commerce jobs I work with a highly skilled development team based in Brisbane, Australia and their work is nothing but exceptional.

Luc asks: Do you currently freelance on a full-time or part-time basis and how do you juggle the work that you do with your life in general being that you are under deadlines at times?

David says: I’ve been freelancing full time for the past 3 years. The work vs. life balance is something you learn over time. Deadlines really shouldn’t be an issue if you’ve accounted for your time correctly and set milestones that are achievable. That’s not to say I’m not extremely stressed 24hrs before launching a new site or submitting logo designs to my clients but I’m proud to say that I’ve never missed a deadline.

Luc asks: When people who become your clients what is your usually process for gathering information about the project you are going to become involved in? Also, what part does the “Questionnaire” play for your clients and potential clients?

David says: I have certain questionnaires for my clients depending on the project.  The questionnaires take care of the essential information and it’s a great way for the client to really think about their project and gives me a breakdown of what they’re hoping to achieve. I like to meet with my clients, either face to face, over the phone or a video call on Skype, this takes care of a lot of questions that they might have and I can also give advice on certain things that they either don’t understand or are not too sure about.  It’s nice to have a personal touch, I think a lot of clients appreciate that and expect it when dealing with a freelancer directly.

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!

When he’s not sipping a cup of coffee, thinking of new and better ways to design and develop websites and web applications, Rogier Strobbe, a web designer from the Netherlands runs a one-man design studio.

He originally started designing websites more than ten years ago and has been designing websites professionally for agencies and on a freelance basis for the past 8 years.  He originally graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Editorial Design at the School of Journalism in Utrecht and says “Designing newspapers and magazines gives you a great eye for grids, typography and more. But you also have to deal with very tight deadlines.”

In this interview, Rogier talks about his experiences to date in web design, how he originally started designing websites while finishing his Editorial Design degree and what skills he’d like to improve as he continues in his career.

Luc asks: Rogier, how long have you been designing websites professionally?

Rogier says: I’ve been designing websites for more than 10 years (probably 11 – 12 years) and professionally I would say 8 years (both freelance and for agencies).

Luc asks: I see that you run what you call a “One-man web design and web development studio”.  What are some of the advantages in running your business this way?

Rogier says: Frish Design Studio is my freelance outlet, and it means I can choose the projects I want to, I can be selective and choose fun, small projects. And I love the directness of it… it’s just me and the client. It is a welcome change from corporate environments, where you often have to deal with marketing & communications departments, managers, CEO’s, etc. and they all have a (non-expert opinion) and what you end up with is a design compromise, which is never good.

Luc asks: How long have you been operating under “Frish Design Studio” brand?

Rogier says: I’ve had the frish.nl domain since 2003, and always used it as a personal blog focused on web design and web development, but last year I decided to put all my different sites (blog, portfolio, etc.) under the Frish-umbrella and call it “Frish Design Studio”.

Luc asks: Where did you study and earn your Bachelor’s Degree in Editorial Design?

Rogier says: I studied Editorial Design at the School of Journalism in Utrecht, the Netherlands. It’s a small department within the school of Journalism which focuses on designing newspapers, magazines, etc.

Luc asks: Have you been able to use your education in editorial design in your career in web design and development?

Rogier says: Early on during my studies I already realized, the internet was gonna be much bigger than print had ever been. I finished my education anyway (even though I worked as a freelance web designer during that period), because a degree is still important these days. But, do I think this study helped me in my career in web design? Yes. Absolutely. Designing newspapers and magazines gives you a great eye for grids, typography and more. But you also have to deal with very tight deadlines.

Luc asks: If you could list one area where you want to further develop and hone your skills what would it be and why?

Rogier says: Become a better programmer and learn video editing. To do this I am building a web app using PHP/mySQL, to further enhance my programming skills and I am about to start a course in video editing (Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects), because the web and video are merging rapidly as we speak.

Coming to us from the West coast of Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia to be a little more specific, S. Preston has been designing and developing for the web for over the past 8 years. He originally studied at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and graduated in 1997 from the video and new media production program where he learned that he had a passion for making things look nice and video. According to S. Preston, the day that the WordPress CMS came around was the day that he started to plot his exit strategy from corporate life. After getting a chance to ask S. Preston a few more questions about his business he revealed his preference of designing for a CMS, working with an agency and his particular vision and style of design.

Luc asks: How exactly did originally start designing websites and when did you turn professional?

Mike (S. Preston) Chuhon says: My first internet experience was in 1995 and I immediately knew that this was something that I want to be a part of.  But it took me a little while to figure out that web design was what I wanted to do.  Not to say all the experiences of web development, database design, and online video was a waste, in fact, I believe those experiences all play a role in SixSix8.  But I am an artist at heart, and creative web design is my passion.

Luc asks: I see that you studied at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and i wanted to ask you how did your education in video and new media production helped you in your career so far?

Mike (S. Preston) Chuhon says: My springboard into web design was creating video players for webcast and video applications.  In a room full of broadcast engineers and video editors, someone had to make things look nice.  I’m still pretty passionate about video, and many of my friends and colleagues are in the film industry.  So projects like Riese the Series and Time before the Light are great fun!

Luc asks: Do you prefer designing for a standard CMS platform like WordPress or do you like working on custom projects?  Also do you think it’s more beneficial to design for a well recognized CMS application?

Mike (S. Preston) Chuhon says: I think the day WordPress became a CMS, was the same day I started my exit strategy out of my corporate desk.  In my former-life as a ColdFusion programmer, I was well aware that websites need constant maintenance and frankly it’s a chore to upload a new PDF, or change 2 dates.  I might be preaching to the choir, but CMS software allows me to focus on the creative aspects of my business and provide better service to my clients.  It does help that I’ve got a programmers background so I’m quite able to make WordPress work for me.  And the second question, yes, I’d love to use more CMS software. ExpressionEngine and Drupal will be in my repertoire soon!

Luc asks: Do you prefer to work exclusively with design agencies like Sixty4Media when freelancing or do you develop your own contacts as well?

Mike (S. Preston) Chuhon says: You know, it’s arrogant to think that one person can do everything.  We all bring skill sets to the table.  I was told early on in business, you don’t need to eat the whole pie and I’ve incorporated that into my business values.  Let’s work together to provide the best service you can!  Sixty4Media and I have a great relationship and knowing Miss604 and her husband John (Mr604??) have been invaluable to me.

Luc asks: What should people know about you, your vision and design style when they hire you?  What services should they expect?

Mike (S. Preston) Chuhon says: I believe in websites that are clean and clear.  Especially on the internet, content is still king!  But what I do is make that content more appealing and engaging and helps bring an emotional connection to your communication or marketing.  Not to mention that there’s a lot of crap on the internet getting tossed around, so I like to think my designs help make you stand out from the crowd.

Luc asks: I see that you work in print design aside from your web design work and i wanted to ask you if this experience designing for print makes you a better web designer in your opinion?

Mike (S. Preston) Chuhon says: You know, experimenting in art mediums is part of being well rounded.  I won’t say I’m great at print media, but I do love to try to translate my skills on to paper.  To be completely honest, many clients have trouble differentiating between print and web, so it makes sense to provide both services whenever it fits.