Career Designs by Andrea

Friday I finished up the last few tweaks and took another website live. both of you reading are prolly thinking, “who cares,” Which is a very valid thought, who does care. Well besides me, I guess the client cares. Other than that the only real reason I am posting about it, besides the fact I think I did a mighty fine job is because this is the first site I finished designing that isn’t for a dentist.

Enjoy.

Learned.

“We get better design when we understand our medium. Yet even at this late cultural hour, many people don’t understand web design. Among them can be found some of our most distinguished business and cultural leaders, including a few who possess a profound grasp of design—except as it relates to the web.”

JEFFREY ZELDMAN.

This past year I have been able to learn quite a bit about designing web pages, this is not to say in any way that I have perfected this skill, just vastly improved. I began learning how to design websites briefly in high school in 1998. I took a Computer Arts course, which basically covered any and everything the teacher herself could get her hands on regarding art on a computer. The class first started with simple exercises in a program called PC Paint. From there she moved us to learning a basic understanding of Photoshop, and the class seemed to learn along with the teacher. So we would usually start a project, and never finish them, because the teacher would learn something new and want to share it with the class. At the end of the year we lightly touched web design, and it was all done in Word. Which I look back now and find it hilarious, because I was super excited about it, and really would talk to people as if I seriously knew how to design a website. The site I did build was like filled with scrolling and blinking text, and I thought it was so sweet…

Moving forward the real lesson on the web came in my Intro to Web class in college. This is where I learned the basics of HTML, and tables. I even learned and built a site totally in frames. However I was more sold on the idea of designing sites using tables. The reason I enjoyed tables (I think) was because of how similar it was to the grid. The grid is something that was taught to us in all of my other design classes, as far as designing anything in the print world. Seeing as how my degree was in Print Graphic Design, and not interactive. I quickly became obsessed with typography and learning to design in the Grid system.

Print is wonderful because as a designer you have complete control over every aspect of the design. You have complete control over the text, from the font, to the kerning, letter spacing, leading, and basically the entire presentation is controlled. All throughout school I continued to expand my knowledge of the web on my own. It wasn’t until this year that I finally broke away from the table comfort zone of web design. Whereas now I have been fully converted to the Web Standards movement.

It wasn’t until recently meaning this year that I realized one of my biggest road blocks in progressing as a web designer was that I treated the web the same way I treated Print. I designed my websites as if I was designing something that would be printed. I would design a site but only focus on the design of the actual content area, ignoring the rest of the screen. I would then build the sites so that it would look exactly as my “ai” or “psd” file. Sometimes that meant the entire site was almost completely made out of images. Which was great for me personally, but the end user I was not so friendly to. I never took in mind designing for the end user, nor did I take into consideration that not everyone had the same computer as me, nor the same browser that I had. I also didn’t take into mind the different disabilities of people, and because of this none of my sites were accessible. I also never took into consideration the entire screen regardless of what resolution or screen size the end user would be viewing the site. The background was always a last minute thought and something just thrown in. Now I take the entire screen into consideration and make the website one fluid design.

This past year I have learned that designing for the web is NOTHING like designing for print, they are two totally different aspects, however they do share some basic design principles in making them successful. However when designing a website you have to think past total control of context, and think more about the end user. You have to take into consideration that a website needs to be optimized, and search engine friendly, as well as easy to navigate, which means each page will load quickly and efficiently. Every action of the site should be simple, and virtually effortless. When working with the web you have to remember that the end user has so much control and also NEEDS a lot of control so that the site will function best for them. So for that reason their are quite a few limitations to web design. At first these limitations used to discourage me, but it was really my print design mentality of needing and wanting that total control over my work.

I find designing for the web challenging in a beautiful way. I enjoy the limitations and find that the limitations are greatly out weighed by the benefits they bring the end user. Designing a site to Web Standards makes a site much more highly accessible by various users. Why would any business owner say no to more visitors? The site will also be faster, and function in a timely manner regardless of weather someone is still in the stone ages of dial up or not. It will improve search engine rankings as well, and who wouldn’t want that?

It’s funny because most of the benefits to the sites I have designed lately go totally undetected to the client and whoever is viewing the site. Only the people that take a look at the site under the trunk, and are able to comprehend what is happening under the trunk truly are able to appreciate it. For example, for the most part edits on the site are done in a much more timely and efficient manor. This is one of the HUGE benefits that goes unnoticed.

The web is a completely different world, for this purpose I believe that is why most great web designers primary focus is designing web pages. Some web design superstars started out as print designers and have since almost completely left the world of print and now only work with the intraweb. I think that is almost a testament to how vastly different the two mediums are. I think if you really want to grow and develop yourself as a web designer you need to focus solely on web design. I think having a background in print is definitely beneficial because a lot of the principles of design in general are a huge benefit and give you a very strong foundation, but first you have to accept the fact that it is a different world and you have to accept the fact that you can’t have total control. After you are able to accept these facts you are well on your way to being teachable and ready to grow and develop as a web designer. I am just starting this process myself, however I am still unsure of weather I want to totally leave behind print, and focus on web. I really love the world of print, and I’m not sure I am ready to give up the control just yet…

For better information on the subjects spoken of today visit these sites:
If you click on only one link to better understand what I was trying to say here in my post please make it this one:
Understanding Web Design

These other links are also better written, and well worth any ones time.
Ten Reasons to use web standards
What Every Website Owner Should Know About Standards
Why Use Web Standards

Premier Family Dental

My most recently designed website went live this past week. I’m really proud of what I have been able to accomplish in the ways of web design. I’ve been designing websites off and on for the past 5 years now. I wish i was able to somehow get all the websites I’ve done online as an archive so I could truly show you my progression from the beginning up until now. Actually I think I just may be able to do it. It will take some digging, and I think it may be worth it.

It even features such beautiful things such as this coupon which was drawn by me and tweaked by my creative director and friend Joel.

Anyways go ahead and click on the images to see the site Live & direct and In Full Effect!!!!

In the near future we should be able to add some actual pictures of the Dentist, as well as her office. Personally I feel this is the best site I have designed that is currently live and in it’s natural habbitat.

Enjoy.

Elevators

Fresh off the presses, I turn 27 on Sunday October 14th, so mark your calendars and hit up your local Nike store, or good ol’ fresh cash is always accepted as well. As a default I am always satisfied with a good ol’ fashioned card, if it can make me laugh that will gain you extra bonus points. E-cards are also accepted but frowned upon unless they evoke a solid (not a courtesy) laugh.

In other news, I was recently, and by recently I mean Friday around 3:30, informed that I am getting a significant and also sufficient raise that went into effect October 1st. Not too shabby indeed my good friends out there…

I was looking back on a few old entries from blogs I have kept in the past, and came across this beauty that caused some beautiful memories to flood my brain.

“We both arrived on time…
which is good, I’m usually never on time.
I sat down as she approached the window to sign herself in
I began to read, It’s a book I have been trying to finish for a few months now
I’m pretty weird when it comes to reading,
I enjoy reading but I go through spurts where I actually set aside time in my day to read…
It’s really a matter of turning off the TV long enough to pick up a book.
Everyone who showed up after us seemed to get called in before us.

Finally I found myself all alone in a room sitting in a chair in the corner,
My wife was urinating in a cup…
I was left to my thoughts as I held my book in my lap.
Soon the silence was broken, and it wasn’t long before the lights went out..
The only thing lighting the room was the screen, and the little amount of light that the crack between the floor and the bottom of the door would let pass through.
Before I knew it my little baby was on the screen in a very abstract way.
I struggled to be able to make sense of what was being shown on the screen.
The doctor tried her hardest to make sense of all the madness…
After staring into the screen long enough it finally made sense, and I saw her…
It’s a girl!
It’s so amazing to think about me being a father…(and scary)”

Reading through some of those old entries it’s nice to remember the road I’ve traveled to reach where I am. That bumpy road has made me into who I am today. The crappy night time job I had taking catalog orders for Lane Bryant, Lerner, Chadwicks, and Brylane Home, as I was going to school full time. From their I got an internship that led to a more enjoyable job with low and painful pay. Then Hannah blessed our life and I kept pushing myself and pushing myself learning and growing through each and every bump in the road. It’s fun to read my thoughts, and the different stories I shared. I really need to take the time and print all of it out or save it on a CD or my computer, maybe even all of the above.

“We moving on up in the world like elevators.”

Landmark

I recently finished up a project for a dentist in Littleton, Massachusetts. I first did a Direct Mail campaign for him, which was followed up with a website. This in itself isn’t that unusual at my job. In fact I have designed 10 direct mailers and 4 websites since I have been working with Practice Cafe. With two more Direct Mailers in the process of being printed, and another 3 Direct Mailers still in the design stages. I also have 4 other websites I am currently designing.

There are a few things that make this project different and special:

1.) This is the first website I hand coded in valid XHTML, & CSS. It is the first time I designed a tableless site solo.

2.) It was the first time I did the design of the site on the fly as I was coding it.

What do I mean by that? Well usually I would design a site in Photoshop or Illustrator. Then after I came up with how the site will look, I take my design and use it as a blueprint as I create the actual website.

So this time I just started designing and creating the site on the fly all in the code. I tried to rely as much on the power of CSS, and as little as possible on slices and images.

My only help in creating the website was this wonderful book called, CSS Mastery.

3.) I touched on it a bit in number one, however I believe this deserves it’s own number. This is the first site I created that is valid. I’m sure there are quite a few readers out there that have NO clue what I am talking about. Well if you click on the link “valid” you will see that it takes you to a website that has a green bar that reads, “This Page Is Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional!” So this basically this is the first time I created a site on my own that I got a GREEN bar. Which means my code is correct, and should be understood by most if not all browsers.

Anyways I hope that Stephen Gianino is as happy with the results as I am. Also anyone living in and around the Littleton, MA area feel free to visit Stephen Gianino, check the website for a list of services, and any other info about his practice.

Preston Ridge

Accosionally we get clients that come and go as far as communication is invovled, so some projects seem to just linger. This project was rather intresting for me in paticular because of how much personal growth was invovled as the project was happening. the first project I ever did for this doctor was an advertisement he was putting in the yellow pages. From their I started designing a direct mailer that would be mailed out to around 10,000 people in his general area. After that I did a general design for a website.

The doctor approved the yellow page ad within a few days of me finalizing the design, after that we didn’t hear from him for a month about any of the other projects. The next time we heard from him was because he was ready to print some business cards with the logo that Phil designed. Then he disapeared again. During that time I progressed a significant amount in HTML, XHTML, & CSS, as I jumped on the intellegent bandwagon of “Web Standards” which was started by Jeffrey Zeldman.

So I decided to totally redesign his website from the original design trying to impliment some of the new skills I had aquired. Today the website has finally gone live for the whole entire intrawebs pleasure.

Enjoy.

Defined:

“Graphic design is an archaic description of the current practice of design. When design simply involved issues of form, it was graphic design. When the designer was responsible for both the form and content of messages, it became communication design. Today, the designer is responsible for communicating complex messages clearly, considering the form and content of a message and also the context in which the message is received by audiences over time. We consider this experience design. Design is the intermediary between information and understanding; its role is to make the complex clear and useful. Great design does this in a way that elevates the spirit.”

-Ric Grefe, Executive Director, AIGA, New York.

I myself consider myself a “Communication Designer” but when I say that most people look at me wierd, so I say “Graphic Designer” they still are confused but atleast they have heard of that term before. Then I still ahve to explain what exactly I do.

Basically I design communication in whatever format that maybe ie logos, brochures, direct mailers, magazines, websites, advertisements…

The Office

We’ve been in a bit of a transition stage right now, but we are moving along, and I am really enjoying the work. I’ve been able to see four of my direct mailers printed, and their is an indescribable feeling of being able to see something you created on paper in mass quantities. Then to know that a couple thousand people will be receiving it in their mailboxes three times in a year, is also a very unique feeling. On top of all that you then take in the humble thought that 90 % of those people will most likely throw your creation in the garbage 20 seconds after viewing it is just mind blowing. Do you realize that my creations will literally be decorating the earth for the lifespan that paper has before it bio degrades or is recycled into someone else’s trash.

Of course there is that very rare possibility that someone will like it so much that they will actually hang onto it, hang it on the fridge for a month, and actually give my hard work somewhat of a home and a life. At least I am able to grab a few out of the box, and keep them safely tucked away from the dust in my portfolio to have a lifetime of possibilities. They could win me a prize at a competition, impress another employer into giving me a job with even better pay, or they could one day be the reason for a promotion in this company.

I have a few websites that are in the works as well, that should be hitting the world wide inter-web in the VERY near future, as well as some potential logos in the works, those two things have much longer lifespan then the glorified garbage I create in the direct mailers and postcards.

The Shimmy Shake with a twist….

No matter what moves I try to do I just can’t seem to shake whatever viruses and bugs are out on the market these days. I seem to be getting them all. I usually try to stay ahead of the game and get the extra edge on the opponents.

In High school you could find me in the gym every day after school shooting 50 3 pointers on each side of the court which would equal to 100. Then I would play pick up games until around 5:30 - 6:00pm. (of course that also didn’t REALLY work since I spent my senior year sitting the bench)

While in Brasil I never set my barefoot on Brazilian soil, I took my worm medicine every six months, and took a shower every morning.

Lately I have been washing my hands like Melvin Udall (bonus points for anyone who can tell me who he is.) and frequently rubbing hand sanitizer gel stuff on my hands as well, yet somehow this weekend I still ended up with a low grade fever, my stomach twisting and turning as if I had some small alien living inside me (perhaps I should call up Tom Cruise) and spending the majority of my time either laying in the fetal position on the couch or sitting on the toilet (I won’t go into too much detail with that.)

This all started on Friday, and for some stupid reason I chose to lead my church team to a loss. So evidently I’m not Michael Jordan, but I definitely would of appreciated Scottie Pippen draggin me off the court after the game.

RANDOM BASKETBALL UPDATE:
Speaking of Scotty Pippen the latest news is saying that he may be returning to play for the Lake Show with Phil Jackson, I have always been a Pippen fan, even in his years at Houston, and definitely his under-rated years with Portland, and even when he decided to go back to Chicago to finish out his career. (Although I secretly wished Jordan would of gotten him to come and play along his side when he came back to the Wizards.)

RANDOM OTHER NEWS UPDATE:
In other news I was listening to my favorite morning show on the way to work, and because of their guest I tuned into the remaining portion of the show via the World Wide Web, because they had my main man Timbaland on, which he helped create a phenomenal album for Justin Timbalake, and now he is promoting his album which is going to drop on April 3rd, which includes a song he did with Fall Out Boy! How insane is that? They played the song on the air, and it is a good song. Although I HATE what he did with Nelle Furtado, just because it sounds exactly like Furge, (who I also HATE) who sounds like Gwen Stephanie (who I also dislike) So as you can see it’s an inevitable chain reaction that can not be stopped. Of course I’ve never been a fan of Justin Timberlake either, until “Cry Me A River” came along, and now this album, and BAM I’m a fan and I got his album on my ipod shuffle, and I’m listening to it just about everyday as I work, and even as I type this post…

RANDOM MOVIE:
In entertainment news be sure to rent “For Your Consideration.”

Practice Cafe

So I can officially say I finished my first week now. I was supposed to start on Monday, and showed up to move into my apartment on Saturday with a Uhaul, and the Inlaws ready to get everything situated, and I was made aware that the apartment was never approved for us to move in. (although we had been told a week earlier that it was ready, and they were expecting us.) It was a giant fiasco that ended in us staying the weekend with my new fantastic, and totally awesome boss, Rebecca Palmer. Hannah got sick, and Monday at around 12:00pm we were finally given the ok to sign the contract and move into our apartment. By then it was only me, and Jared (my boss’s husband) so we moved everything into the apartment, and slowly we, by we I mean Heather, have begun putting everything in the right places, and getting it into a livable/homey condition. We have our Christmas tree up, and decorations are placed sporadically around the rooms, and it has been rather nice.

I finally started work last Tuesday, and I pretty much just hit the ground running, with a few trips on the way. They were already pretty busy, so they kinda just threw me on some projects, and I just worked my way through them asking TONS of questions along the way. I have a huge desk, my own phone (with my own extension & voice mail,) a G5 MAC with a dope flat screen monitor. 

Their are 3 designers that work their, two of us (including me) are brand spanking new, and whenever a new logo is being designed everyone gets to take a stab at it, then as an office we pick the best 6-8 of everyones, and send them to the client, then whoever’s get’s picked they pretty much take over the rest of the file. So today we heard back from the first Logo I took part in designing, and one of mine was chosen. I have to say I was quite shocked, and at the same time I was giddy as a school girl.

My desk has slowly become consumed with projects, and I find myself having to force myself to go home, one day I just totally skipped lunch working straight through…

It’s madness, but it is so much fun, I’m LOVING it!