Philisophy
This page will assist you in making an informed choice in design companies and elaborate on the Design By S.L.S. methodology.
Goals
The goals for any website should include the following:
- Accessibility is key.
- Accessible design that will reach the largest audience possible is absolutely imperative. The only way to effectively market yourself or your company online is to facilitate the ability to reach broadest audience possible. Without an eye to accessibility you cut out a number of potential life long clients needlessly.
- Accurate advertising.
- If you have photos, descriptions or site content for the purpose of advertisements then make sure these are accurately representing what they depict. Trust is key and misrepresentation will only hurt your business in the long run.
- Attractive design.
- We've all seen sites we felt were unattractive. Seeing your site should bring you a sense of pride in it and the overall appearance. You should never feel shame in showing off your site.
- Be memorable.
- As simple as that seems, think back to the last time you looked for information on something and try to think about what site was most memorable for you.
- Clear content.
- Compilation of clear, concise, clean delivery of information to your consumers or visitors, which will allow your company to successfully market its self and its services.
- Effective design.
- Finding out what works and making it work for you is key to effectively promoting your services.
- Get attention.
- Getting the attention of the consumer or visitor within the first 5 seconds is crucial. They should be able to instantly determine the point and purpose of your site.
- Keep them interested.
- Entertaining your consumer or visitors where applicable, relevant and suitable to keep your clients interested in your site can add a nice and inviting element. This is not going to suit every site, yet you may find your conversion rates higher if it is used properly.
- Relevant content.
- Provide information that is relevant to the purpose of the website and where applicable substantiate the content. Save your customers the time and provide them with the links and facts to back your companies point and purpose.
- Search engine friendly.
- Your site should be properly coded to enhance search engine recognition and allow for future marketing right from the start. You shouldn't have to have your site relayed but if you have a site that needs this I can assist you in this.
- User-friendly navigation.
- There are a number of beautiful or unique ways to display site navigation; however, you should always maintain a high importance level with regards to functionality and accessibility. Beauty is lovely but functionality cannot be allowed to suffer.
Designing a website is customer service focused; however, it is not always focused on the client for whom the site is built, but rather taking into account their clients needs as well. There are times when a designer may need to point out another option or give feedback on why a certain feature won't work as intended. It is their job to provide you with the concepts and goals listed above.
Flash
One of the most entertaining sites I have seen says “Flash is a tool” and they are correct. As with all tools it can be used effectively and correctly or it can be used improperly and very poorly. I have many feelings about Flash and some of them are very strongly ingrained in my thoughts. I will share these with you to give you a better understanding about my style.
Flash is wonderful. It is interesting, catchy, and will win awards if it is done well. It is memorable which is one of the goals listed above. Flash can be sexy and innovative. It is attention getting which is another goal. It is an excellent tool for a Banner. It is incredible if you are using it as a design feature to be incorporated into the site.
Flash is also one of the largest irritants to people browsing the Internet these days. It is generally considered inaccessible. Flash is often not a good tool for many people surfing from home, or those on the road who are attempting to access information quickly. Most companies or people do NOT require Flash. Flash is great if you have made an alternate site for those who hate it or just plain cannot load it so they can also view the information you wish to convey.
Flash requires people have the appropriate plugin, and the capacity to load files of that size. Not all computers are created equal, and not all connections can withstand it. If you ask me about flash and tell me you “want” it I will talk to you about if you really “need” it. There is a difference. It also comes down to “can” I? Why yes I can… But “should” I? Possibly not in many situations but there are exceptions to the rule and I can easily work with you if your site happens to be one of those.
Sometime in the future and possibly sooner rather than later this will become a moot point because everything will catch up and be on a playing field where we no longer have to worry about delayed load times because of size or type of file, or inaccessibility. I very much look forward to that day because it should prove to be a beautiful day on the Internet… Until then I shall persist in my search for beauty with a touch of simplicity that accommodates all of your sites visitors.
Music
Music can be interesting, and effective when you’re on a site related to music. I will do the unthinkable and make and assumption about why it is commonly used. The assumption is that people and companies use this as a tool to either engage the customers or visitors, or to convey their preferences to site visitors; however, outside of a music site, and even within a site related to music, it is unadvisable that it automatically plays. If you strongly inclined toward music then it is best to have a control set to turn it on rather than just turn it off. Mainly because not all site visitors will wish others within hearing distance also have the benefit of hearing the sounds coming from their computer, let alone share your music tastes.
Original Content
While I understand that there are very attractive, which people may wish to use as a starting point for their site Design By S.L.S. will attempt to maintain unique design elements for each site. A similar style or colour scheme is understandable as preferences are taken into consideration but will not be replicated exactly, and designs are laid in specifically for individual sites. These are never duplicated unless the site owner holds multiple sites and wishes to carry the design through all of those sites.
The person or company who retained my services for design provides the text and content in the sites. Design By S.L.S. does not write content unless specifically requested to do so and only with all factual information provided by the client with accompanying substantiation. Design By S.L.S. can compile information for the client but only using the information provided by the client unless hired specifically to do this. Design By S.L.S. may resize or crop photos with the client’s permission, or make adjustments to the photo for privacy reasons but will not make changes that affect the integrity of the photo.
Preference Recognition
Design By S.L.S. aims to recognize and respect the wishes of the client. The client will be asked to provide acceptance of style concepts and colours throughout the site design. Initial consultations tend to allow things to run more smoothly and to progress at a pace acceptable to all. The client will be asked a large number of questions during the design process; however, these questions are asked for the sake of mutual satisfaction through out the process and allow us make changes as promptly as possible. The client response time dictates the project timeline.
Privacy Preferences
I absolutely will not disclose personal information about any client or their site. This includes information in the meta coding. Without specification I will automatically list the owner of the site as the company name or URL name unless it has been discussed otherwise. I also recommend steps for my clients that they can take to ensure their privacy. This is for ease, comfort, discretion, and even safety in some circumstances.
If you require contact with my clients outside the methods, which have been provided I can forward your contact information to them and they can make the choice to contact you in return.