Thinking about Process (for Young Designers and Developers)

A talk about the web design process given at the January 29th, 2019 session of NAIT's DMIT Industry Series.

Transcript

2. @walkergv Glenn Walker - @walkergv Tiko Digital is a digital marketing agency. Web design is one of the things we do. We use websites to promote companies online. The website is generally the foundation of our Internet marketing campaigns.
4. WHY ARE YOU HERE?
5. April 2002
6. April 2002 – Industry Day at ITI in Vancouver
7. @walkergv Since 2002 Travelled a fair bit. Got Married. Expecting a kid! Did lots of stuff of fun stuff but worked and struggled along the way.
8. December 2012
9. WHY DO WE WORK?
10. WORK IS A TRADE
11. BALANCE IS DIFFICULT
12. PROCESS EVENS THE BALANCE
13. WHAT IS A PROCESS – REALLY?
14. @walkergv Process Defines Tasks Sequence of tasks Resources needed Know what you need to do and how to do it.
15. @walkergv Process Defines Design (make pretty), code (build) and release Design first, code second, release third Photoshop, text editor and web server If every project was that easy?
17. @walkergv Process Discovers. The environment The client’s goals These define what the customer truly values.
18. @walkergv Process Discovers Our customers are heavy mobile phone users. We want to take mobile payments. Ruh-roh Shaggy, looks like we missed something.
20. LIFE IS NOT FAIR
21. “Almighty tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he's pretty sure you're f**ked.” - Steven (Braveheart)
23. @walkergv Goal One: Make Mistakes Early = Good Late = Bad Mistakes made a part of a discovery process are good mistakes.
24. @walkergv Goal Two: Add Value Discover what creates maximum value for clients. Exit to valuable services (i.e. Search Marketing) It’s the client’s customer’s experience that generally are the true measure of value
26. @walkergv Sales is about trust. Dress nicely. Ask don’t tell. Listen more than you talk. There is a reason why you have two ears and one mouth.
27. @walkergv Everything's negotiable. A proposal is about providing options. An estimate is an agreement. Finding mutually beneficial agreement feels good.
29. @walkergv Questionnaires Efficient way to get information. Kill questions that don’t get answers. Add questions you feel you missed. You will never get a perfect questionnaire but you can always improve it.
31. @walkergv What we learned. Client really wanted responsive. Early they told us they wanted to be hip and edgy. Turns out professional was more appropriate. Clients will tell you what they want but often not directly.
34. @walkergv Copee iz kee No madder how preddy a site, no madder how well co-dead, bad copee makez bad websightz. Mk frends with copeewriterz
35. @walkergv Copy is Key No matter how pretty a site, no matter how well coded, bad copy makes bad websites. Make friends with copywriters.
42. @walkergv Sharpen your tools. Clients don’t pay for learning time. Learn the tools on your own time. Make your living on the tools you know. Just because it’s on popular blogs doesn’t mean you have to use it.
43. @walkergv Fact. Fact. FACT! If your client doesn’t know you are doing it. You are doing nothing. Communication Tip for Freelancing
45. @walkergv Internet Explorer You don’t use Internet Explorer. Half the desktop users use IE 7 or 8. Browser test for it. Don’t skip this. Pretty in Chrome or Safari. Client opens it IE. Client thinks you make garbage.
46. @walkergv Mom is your best tester. Look at your mom’s computer. Watch your mom use the site. Mom’s are good at picking nits. Your mom is often closer to the target audience.
48. @walkergv Important pre-release checks. Did you make a backup of old site? Did you change password from password? Did you have someone else check for typos? Despite how you feel client’s always see it as a big issue. Typos are embarrassing.
52. @walkergv Feedback is valuable. Restaurant was slowing down at 8:30pm. Now diners feel they can arrive at 9:30pm.
53. @walkergv Internal Site Search You can track users searches using Google Analytics. IN this case nearly half of all search terms contained term form.
54. @walkergv Internal Site Search Change page to provide better usability. Less phone calls to support. Better customer service.
55. @walkergv Create value. Improvements created real value for clients. We were paid for additional work. Everyone loves a win-win situation because…
56. Balance feels good.
58. “The moment there is suspicion about someone’s motives everything becomes tainted…” Gandhi
59. “If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse” Henry Ford
60. “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable” Dwight D. Eisenhower
61. “Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell, and advertise.” Ted Turner