Powers of Observation
By Randie Moran
Many Web designers believe they know what's best for their clients. Although designers know more about graphics, navigation, and download constraints, clients know more about their businesses than designers could ever hope to know.
With persistence, dedicated designers can learn enough about their clients' businesses to create sites reflecting the businesses' specific industries. It's up to us, the designers, to quickly identify the most important elements of a business, and apply them to create usable, functional Web sites. This process, however, is not without its challenges.
More often than not, Web site designers are expected to create meaningful Web sites without ever speaking directly with the client. Add to this methodologies that don't support iterative mock-ups, the professional distraction we suffer when dealing with the technical aspects of building a site, and incomplete business requirements that mysteriously land in our laps. Then there's the deadline. There's always the deadline, and it's almost always closer than we'd like it to be. We find ourselves with our backs against the wall, guessing at the objective we're supposed to accomplish for the site du jour.
To correct this, some of us have tried to influence our companies' methodologies to include a true design phase. Others have opted to specialize in a vertical market, thereby shortening the learning curve. Still others move from design shop to design shop, trying to find an environment that suits their creative process.
Seeing Is Designing
Those of us striving to keep ourselves versatile and in demand, however, have discovered a secret: the valuable but often overlooked skill of observation.
