It has become more important to think about the tools we use. Nowhere is this more evident than in online privacy. The potential ramifications are serious.

That’s due to a combination of factors. First, there is more awareness of privacy issues. Regulations such as GDPR also play a role. And we can’t forget about opportunistic people. Many are testing boundaries with lawsuits.

As usual, web designers are caught in the middle. Some features we routinely implement for clients have become controversial. And we’re often the first point of contact when a problem arises. It’s awkward at best – and extremely stressful at worst.

So, how can we navigate this treacherous minefield? Here’s how online privacy is impacting web designers – and what we can do about it.

What’s at Stake for Web Designers?

Web designers often act as a liaison between clients and third-party services. That puts us in a unique position when it comes to privacy.

No, we’re not the ones tracking the site’s users. But we implement such software. Therefore, it’s important to understand our risks and responsibilities.

Imagine a scenario where a lawsuit is filed against your client. Someone is claiming that the client’s website (which you built) is violating privacy laws.

A reasonable client likely wouldn’t blame you. After all, you don’t control the data collection policies of another company.

But not everyone is reasonable or rational. They may be looking for an easy scapegoat. And you could be a target.

The outcome could be costly both mentally and monetarily. And it could impact your business immeasurably.

It’s bad enough if this type of incident happens once. But what’s to stop it from happening again?

Your risk would be multiplied by every website you build. It might drive up the cost of doing business. Or it could convince you to leave the industry altogether.

No one wants that. So, how do we minimize the possibility?

Recognize the Risk of Third-Party Tools

Third-party tools have long been a part of web design. We add social media feeds. And we help clients gauge site traffic via analytics.

We perform these tasks over and over. But how many of us have considered the impact?

Privacy concerns are nothing new. The issues posed by Facebook, Google, etc., have been discussed for years.

But it feels like those discussions were very broad. We’ve talked about the policies and practices of these companies. However, not much is said about what it means to the average website.

The focus has narrowed. It’s not unusual for website owners to be singled out by lawyers. And in many cases, a third-party tool is part of the alleged violation.

This is a mess for web designers and their clients. Therefore, the days of adding these features by default are over.

Discuss Online Privacy With Your Clients

Clients may not understand the correlation between online privacy and their website. Thus, it’s worth discussing third-party tracking tools with them.

The idea isn’t to dissuade them from using these tools. Rather, it’s about making them aware of the implications. For example, giving them a broad outline of what Facebook Pixel is used for.

This empowers them to make an informed decision. In some cases, a tool may offer more risk than reward.

Also, some industries have stringent privacy regulations. The healthcare and government sectors, for example, may rule out the use of certain tools.

And there are some questions web designers can’t answer. We’re not lawyers. Therefore, encourage your clients to seek an expert opinion when necessary.

Proactively discussing these issues brings them to the forefront. Hopefully, that will lead to more focus on privacy.

Service Providers Must Evolve With Privacy Standards

We could forgo the use of analytics, ad networks, and social media. But that’s not realistic. Each of these areas is still important. They help with decision-making, marketing, and revenue.

There are alternative services that focus on privacy, however. For example, analytics apps that don’t log user-specific information. And you might use federated social networks that don’t track a user’s every move.

The downside is that clients may be giving up some advanced features. Not to mention the reach offered by the biggest names in these spaces.

That’s why service providers must evolve. Neither website owners nor web designers should be put at risk by using these tools. Instead, they should be confident that they’re doing right by users (and the law).

Google Analytics 4 is a step in the right direction. It eschews much of the user-specific data of its predecessor. Yet there are still questions regarding compliance with GDPR and other regulations.

It behooves big data providers to take privacy seriously. Otherwise, the risk of using their products will be too high.

Privacy Is Yet Another Web Battleground

There’s no shortage of challenges for web designers. Privacy has taken its rightful place alongside security and accessibility. Each has real-world consequences.

And like those other two concerns, there are steps we can take to mitigate risk. Caution and communication are the keys.

First, we must understand how privacy is impacted by third-party tools and services. We can scrutinize them and avoid the worst offenders.

Secondly, we can use our role as educators to keep clients informed. We can make them aware of privacy concerns so that they can act accordingly.

It’s also important to protect ourselves. That means including language about privacy in contracts. And also pointing clients toward legal professionals for advice.

None of this is simple. But it’s a growing part of what freelancers and small agencies must manage.

The post How Online Privacy Is Impacting Web Designers appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Whether you’re looking to present the story of your company, highlight your services or products, or simply establish a professional online presence, there are numerous free WordPress themes available to suit your needs.

In this collection, we’ve compiled the best free corporate and business WordPress themes for your company. These themes offer a wide range of features and customization options to help you create a professional website, without breaking the bank. Check out our selection and start building your business website today!

The post The 15 Best Free Business & Corporate WordPress Themes appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

This collection of InDesign business proposal templates (both free and premium) have been designed to simplify the proposal creation process and make it accessible to everyone. With a wide range of options, you can find the perfect template to suit your specific needs and preferences. Whether starting a new venture, seeking investors, or pitching a project to potential clients, these templates offer a professional and polished foundation for your proposal.

With their user-friendly layouts and customizable designs, these INDD templates offer the perfect balance of structure and flexibility. Simply add your own text, images, and data to create a proposal that conveys your vision, mission, and strategies in a compelling and visually engaging way. Plus, using a template can save you significant time and energy, allowing you to focus on refining and perfecting your proposal content.

Using a business proposal template is a smart and efficient way to take your entrepreneurial vision from concept to reality. Don’t let the prospect of proposal creation hold you back – use these InDesign templates to bring your business idea to life.

If you’re new to the application, you might like to take a look at our collections of InDesign tutorials.

Minimalist Proposal Template for InDesign

The first proposal template in this collection features a modern and fresh design. The template includes 14 Adobe Indesign templates, such as a cover letter and resume, proposals, estimates, and invoice templates.

Business Proposal InDesign Template (Free)

The Business Proposal InDesign Template is simple, but don’t let that put you off. Its simplicity is its strength. This 20-page template makes it easy to present your proposal logically without too much clutter and overwhelming the reader. Add custom text, images, and change the colors with ease.

Proposal Template

This proposal template features a minimalist design and includes 20 different te files. The files have been designed in A4 and US letter size, and it’s easy to tweak and customize to reflect your brand.

Business Proposal Presentation Template (Free)

The free Business Proposal Presentation template is ideal for construction and renovation businesses and comes with a 20-page layout that offers ample space for detailing your business plan. It includes free fonts and is print-ready in both U.S. Letter and A4 sizes.

Brand Proposal InDesign Template

This minimal proposal template includes over 40 layered pages, perfect for designing any type of proposal. The template comes with defined character and paragraph styles, and you can easily change the colors and other styles by editing master files.

Floret Business Proposal Template (Free)

This template lives up to its name. The Floret Business Proposal Template features beautiful floral elements and offers a robust 44-page layout worthy of the most complex company proposals.

Overlay Proposal InDesign Template

This colorful proposal template has everything you need to design a beautiful proposal for your next project. The template includes 28 pages, as well as defined character and paragraph styles.

Olive Free Presentation IndDesign Template (Free)

What a breath of fresh air this template is! The Olive offers a stunning layout with plenty of whitespace to ensure your proposal content stands out. This InDesign template is super easy to customize, thanks to well-organized layers.

Quote & Presentation Templates for InDesign (Free)

Sometimes, all you need is something super simple to get the point across. The Quote and Presentation Template is perfect for giving an estimate on a project or presenting a new business idea in a streamlined, no-fuss way.

Universal InDesign Project Proposal Template

Consider this project proposal if you need a template that you can reuse for multiple projects. With a multipurpose design and style, this template is a perfect choice as it also includes various infographics, editable shapes, two project timelines options, and is compatible with MS Word.

Clean & Professional InDesign Proposal Template (Free)

This proposal template is super clean and stylish, reminiscent of numerous minimal designs while still maintaining a sense of originality. This template comes with a 24-page print-ready layout in both A4 and U.S. Letter sizes.

Clean Web Proposal Project InDesign Template

Try the Clean Web Proposal Project Template if you’re looking for a template that will help you create a professional proposal for a web design project. This templating features a minimal style and comes with 28 pre-designed pages that include everything from proposals to estimates and invoicing.

Stylish Business Proposal InDesign Template (Free)

This stylish business proposal template has been designed with creatives in mind. It offers a bold geometric design, large color blocks, and bold typography. This template is perfect for use by colleges and universities due to its modern design aesthetic.

Rigel Clean & Stylish InDesign Proposal Template

This stylish InDesign proposal template includes 34 pages and comes in A4 and us letter sizes, and you can easily customize the colors and the fonts to match your brand.

Advertising Proposal InDesign Template (Free)

Use it for a business proposal or as a website media kit. Either way, the InDesign Proposal Template includes eight eye-catching layouts, perfect for filling in with company info, custom graphics, graphics, statistics, and more.

Creative Multipurpose InDesign Proposal Template

The proposal template has a fresh and modern design with 24 pages. The template was designed in A4 and US letter sizes. It features a grid-based layout to help you align your elements and create a stunning proposal.

Web Design Proposal Template for InDesign

This colorful and modern web design proposal template is perfect for any web design project. The template comes with 28 easy-to-edit pages and master pages.

Proposal & Portfolio InDesign Template

Try the Proposal and Portfolio template made in Adobe InDesign if you need a proposal and a portfolio template to present your project. A standout feature of this template is that it also comes in Photoshop, Illustrator, Word, and Pages format, so you can easily edit it in whatever program you’re most comfortable with.

The Proposal Template for InDesign

The Proposal Template lives up to its name – it’s the only template you’d ever need, thanks to its understated design and compelling, full-page layout. Customize the color scheme, add personalized text and images, and change character styles, all within 28 pages of full-color, print-ready convenience.

Hopefully, this collection of InDesign business proposal templates will make it easier for you to push forward a new business idea and present all the information you need to captivate your target demographic.

These templates are easy to customize and have been designed to help your proposals stand out. With various styles to choose from, you will find the perfect template for your business needs.

More InDesign Template Collections

The post 20+ Best Business & Project Proposal InDesign Templates appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

That’s pretty alarming, but even more alarming is when you’re the designer chosen to create content for one of these entrepreneurial turkeys. It can be really tough when a client suddenly runs out of money and has to default on your payment for a project. Yes, you can sue them, but unless business suddenly picks up (or they have incredibly wealthy parents), you’d probably be wasting your time.

Knowing how to spot a business idea that is not going to work, or how to tell when a particular business relationship looks rickety and on the brink of collapse is an important skill for any designer to learn, particularly if you work with new startups.

The Good, the Bad, and the Crazy

There are a lot of upsides to working with new businesses – the energy and enthusiasm among the members of the team is contagious, and if you’re a designer getting in on the ground floor of a successful venture, you can find yourself in a very enviable position within the company in just a few years. However, if things go south, it can turn into a nightmare if you didn’t see it coming.

It’s helpful to know something about business yourself if you plan on working with startups. There are plenty of books to read, but in my opinion, the best way to learn about business is to start one yourself. Not only does it make sense financially for designers to have a side business, but the knowledge you gain from doing so will also be extremely valuable in your future dealings with entrepreneurial clients.

Technically, if you’re a freelancer, you’re already running your own small business, but even if you’re working in-house, it can be extremely valuable to learn the ins and outs of business. Even if you fail – especially if you fail – you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, and why.

Be wary of business ideas that sound too strange or that don’t seem to make any sense. Does the idea sound just a bit too perfect, unique, and lucrative? Watch out. Anything that sounds too good to be true probably is.

Also to be avoided: businesses that don’t have any real competition or market equity. If the waters are too quiet, that’s a bad sign. It usually means that there’s no market for what the business is selling.

Perhaps counterintuitively, business ideas that seem to be unoriginal or that are jumping on a current trend actually have a better chance of doing well than unique businesses with little or no competition. Why? Because popular industries are more profitable, for obvious reasons. More people interested means there’s more money to be made.

This is why nobody is attempting to come up with a completely new, original alternative to the automobile – they work with what’s already popular and what already makes money. Reinventing the wheel is usually more trouble than it’s worth (except when it’s not, but chances are you won’t encounter anyone who manages to pull it off successfully).

Stop, Look, and Listen

Something every designer needs to know to avoid getting tangled up in business disasters is how to properly observe a potential client. It can be difficult to tell in the first meeting with a potential client whether their business will be a flop, particularly if you haven’t been freelancing for long.

But if you allow someone to do the majority of the talking for at least 5-10 minutes, you will learn more than perhaps you ever wanted to about that person’s behavior, management style, personality, and feelings about their mother-in-law.

People love to talk about themselves, and as a designer on the lookout for danger, this can be your best advantage. Listen far more than you talk – ask questions that encourage the client to reveal more information. Interview your potential client as much as they’re interviewing you.

False Friends

Sometimes, a business seems perfect. The idea is solid, the market is strong, and competition is at a healthy level. These kinds of businesses can catch you off guard the most when they go south, because everything seemed okay on the surface.

But chances are, even these surprising failures have warning signs that show themselves well before you ever sign on to do any work. This is where it’s helpful to know the signs of detrimental management – why certain business owners and managers are successful and why others seem to cause chaos and turmoil wherever they go.

When meeting with a prospective entrepreneur client, take careful note of their demeanor and speaking style, specifically how they talk about their current or past employees or freelancers. If someone is trash-talking their people or uses too much personal praise (as opposed to team-oriented praise, which includes the entire group), that’s something to be wary of. It doesn’t always mean the company will go belly up, but it certainly won’t help matters.

Another type of red flag is clients who seem to have no regard for any type of budget. One of the top reasons many businesses fail is because of a lack of strict budgeting and an excess of profligate spending. If your small business client asks for work that you both know will cost an exorbitant amount of money, they’re probably not going to be a long-term client.

Moderation is what you want to look for when shopping for steady, repeat clients. You want someone who is financially responsible (but not cheap) and understands the budgeting required for a small business to be successful past the five-year mark.

Conclusion

Even if you don’t personally get caught up in the financial fallout of a bad business sinking to the bottom of the ocean, you want to avoid attaching your name as a designer to too many failed commercial ventures. It doesn’t look good on your resume, and once you encounter a genuinely successful startup, they will take one look at your track record and immediately draw conclusions about your involvement in each fiasco.

You may have had nothing to do with the company taking a nosedive, but your name was thrown into the mix, and that makes you a suspect. They may even see you as a “bad luck charm” – people are more superstitious than you would believe.

Successful businesses don’t want to invite freelancers or employees who may bring about failure. So it’s important to cultivate your intuition when it comes to bad businesses.

Learn how to spot bad ideas when you see them and avoid becoming the opposite of a designer rabbit’s foot!

The post Dealing with Terrible Business Ideas from Your Clients appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Even people who have no idea what the original design was even used for will discuss its beauty, simplicity, and timelessness.

What goes into creating work of that caliber? Today, we’re going to explore some possible explanations and try to get an idea of how a designer might go about creating timeless designs.

Will It Be Timeless?

Some things might seem as though they will be instant classics. Then, without warning, they fade into obscurity and no one ever mentions them again.

Why does this happen? No one really knows for certain, but there are some possible explanations. The most important, in my opinion, is that the general public – not just the design community – either stopped caring about the design, or never cared enough in the first place.

Design is meant to change the way people interact with one another in the world, not just designers, but everyone. If it fails to do so and generate influence beyond the scope of the original brief, it will never become the classic it could be.

Glitch Mona Lisa by Dan Svetlichnyy

Design Marketing Problems

Public opinion is fickle, but it can be greatly influenced by the right advertisement. Brands like Coca-Cola, Apple, and Microsoft didn’t get to their current level of market dominance by chance.

Even great art like the Mona Lisa has been heavily promoted to be recognizable to a modern audience.

There were plenty of contemporary works that were just as popular in their day, and even some that were more so. But it was marketing that propelled the Mona Lisa, the Sistine Chapel, the statue of David, and other iconic works of the Renaissance to last as long in the public memory as they have.

To Trendy To Be True?

As I’ve said in the past, if something feels like a trend, it probably is. I’m not simply talking about phenomena that are currently all the rage, like neumorphism or previously flat design.

I’m talking about things that merely look cool without any underlying fundamentals to ground them. Such trends are destined to be one hit wonders, fading as the design world moves on to more solid ideas.

A good way to spot a trend that’s being milked purely for profit is to determine what the most respected members of the design community have to say about it.

If the ‘movers and shakers’ of design are constantly lambasting the trend then there’s a good chance it’s simply a throwaway fad. However, if they don’t have much to say or are even incorporating it into their own work, it’s probably a winner.

Neumorphic Radio Player App by Alexander Plyuto

No Good Designers Left?

A lot of designers complain that the current crop of design professionals are too caught up in trends and technology and are ignoring the fundamental principles of good design.

These designers tend to be older and may even feel a bit left out as the world seems to be embracing a completely foreign approach to design.

This happens every generation, with the old-timers complaining about ‘today’s kids’ and their apparent lack of respect for the profession.

I’m sure the designers from the 1940s and 50s griped about ‘whippersnappers’ in the 70s and 80s with their Rapidographs and floppy disks or…whatever.

It’s true that there are a lot more designers actively working now than there ever have been in the past.

But the number of talented designers who have a solid understanding of the fundamentals has not diminished. If anything, it has increased due to the larger pool of designers out there.

The likelihood that at least a handful of these designers will produce something lasting is very high, even though one might have to wade through a lot of junk to find it.

Rapidograph & Notebook by Harry Diaz

Timeless Doesn’t Equal Boring

Think that classic design is boring and behind the times? Think again. Every single designer is influenced by those who have come before them.

If you choose only recent, contemporary designers to be influenced by, you’ll only be regurgitating the most recent trends, which could hasten their demise and make all of your work look horribly dated.

Try heading to the library and flipping through examples of classic designs by the greats of the 20th century. You might even be surprised at how often (and how badly) those designers were ripped off by later copycats.

The post How a Designer Might Create Timeless Designs appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

A well-designed website can even bring in new customers on autopilot, allowing business owners to focus on serving their clients rather than marketing their business.

When designing a business or corporate website, it’s crucial to prioritize functionality and user experience. The site should be easy to use and navigate, with a clear structure and design allowing visitors to find the information they need quickly.

Testimonials and publications can help build trust and credibility, while a clear call-to-action can encourage users to commit and take the next step in their relationship with the business.

If you’re in the process of designing a business website, you should take a look at our selection of business and corporate websites for inspiration. These examples demonstrate how successful companies have used their website to promote their brand, communicate their value proposition, and build strong customer relationships.

You might also like our collection of free business and corporate WordPress themes.

The post 20 Business & Corporate Websites for Web Design Inspiration appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

I don’t mean a little bit better – I’m talking about work in a completely different stratosphere of good.

I know I have. More times than I’d care to admit just now. But let’s stop to consider for a minute why this happens. You’re a creative person. You create for a living – so why is it that your work seems to hit a creative ‘glass ceiling’ every so often, and your peers seem like they’re outpacing you by light years?

I am going to explore some of the reasons why designers can hit creative stalemates and what can be done to get past their limited design skills.

You Keep Looking At The Same Stuff

This happens in every creative discipline, from design to fine art to writing to music. Creative people tend to look at a lot of creative work they like, and they tend to avoid work they dislike or don’t understand very well.

While this is normal, it has the unfortunate side effect of making your work boring and generic. Just like a command you input into a computer, what goes in is what comes out. So if you only consume a certain type of work, that’s all you’re going to have as the basis for your creativity.

Broaden your design horizons. Read new things and look at new genres of art and design that you wouldn’t ordinarily care to. You never know where you’re going to find inspiration. Even something as bizarre as natural phenomena or old Sky Mall catalogues could spark a creative thunderstorm in your brain.

Bad Design Makes You Sad

It’s true: looking at bad design work is depressing. And when you’re sad, you’re less likely to produce good work. A few years ago, I went through a period of wondering whether I even wanted to be a designer anymore, since my work and all the work I was looking at seemed to be stuck in mediocrity.

It wasn’t until I stumbled upon a treasure trove of amazing work being put out by my peers that my enthusiasm for design returned, and I dove headfirst into a new creative project.

We humans, being social animals, tend to mimic whatever we see our fellow humans doing. If the people around you are doing boring, poorly made, uninspiring work, you’re not only going to start to adopt the mentality that design is boring, you’re also going to start mimicking that kind of work. Don’t get caught in that trap. Seek out great work and be inspired by it!

You Have Bad Taste

Ira Glass famously remarked that “your taste is why your work disappoints you.” I would argue that it’s worse if your work doesn’t disappoint you since that would mean your taste isn’t good enough to know when your work is bad.

This is another reason why it’s so important to break out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to look at new and different work.

This applies even if what you find next is worse than whatever you’ve been looking at. That can actually be a good thing because at least now you know that there’s something worse out there. Just by finding crappier work, your taste and ability to separate good from bad have improved.

The Secret To Really Original Designs

Okay. Now that we’ve gone over some of the reasons why people run into inspiration brick walls, I’m just going to come out and tell you how to create more original designs. Ready?

The secret to originality is to do things that are completely unrelated to design. When you travel, read a book, paint, cook, play an instrument, learn a language, write a short story, or play a sport, you’re doing more than enriching your overall quality of life. You’re actually giving your brain a much-needed rest from thinking about your creative problems.

Many people think that they can simply “force their way” through a challenging design problem, but this is mostly untrue. All you’ll end up doing is wearing yourself out, and your so-called “creative block” will be no closer to being resolved. Many times, a simple break from the workstation will fire up those creative neurons and give you a flood of new ideas.

When you’re busy doing something else, it doesn’t mean that your brain has stopped thinking about your creative challenge. On the contrary, it’s still chewing it over – only now you’re busying yourself with something else and leaving it alone to really think.

By the time you come back to it, just like a download running in the background of your computer, your brain will have worked its way through the tangle and come up with a new solution.

The post Getting Past the Limitations of Your Design Skills appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

But here’s the thing: users may not stick to your original vision of how your design “should” be used. The truth is, they don’t have to, and, if your views on their user experience are off the mark, they shouldn’t.

We look at some ways in which users often give designers a run for their money when it comes to the ideal user experience, and explore whether a designer’s opinion means more than the user’s.

Technicality Versus Practicality

Sometimes, there is a clear battle between the designer’s creative vision and what the user really wants. This can be seen in major corporate projects as well as individual website designs for a single client.

Designers, by virtue of being creative professionals, often let their ego get in the way of creating a truly functional product. Some of this is justified. After all, you want to maintain your reputation for quality, both functionally and visually.

But, as the saying goes, form follows function. You don’t want to get so caught up in maintaining your design’s visual appeal that you lose sight of what’s best for the user.

The best way to avoid this pitfall is to regularly interact with your target audience. Talk to people who interact with your website, app, or other designs. Ask them questions about their experience – what they feel could be improved, how your design is helping them achieve solutions to their problems, et cetera.

This knowledge will be invaluable not just to your users and your clients, but also for expanding your career as a designer who really “gets” the ideal user experience.

Co-Opting Your Environment

Users, by definition, use things. Sounds obvious, I know, but many designers forget this simple fact, or think it only applies to a narrow set of rules. But people who use things are amazingly adaptable. They use the world around them to create their own design solutions, if the ones provided aren’t satisfactory. All users have this ability – including you.

Yes, you routinely violate many designers’ perfect visions for how you should be using their products. Ever scribbled a phone number or email address on the back of someone’s business card? You rebellious user, you.

From holding a supposedly “ergonomic” pen or tool in a way that’s unconventional, but more comfortable for you, to breaking out the sugru and physically altering a product to fit your individual needs, we all take advantage of what I call the user’s authority.

Following Leaders And Precedents

Once a design leaves your studio, it officially belongs to the user, and they will adapt it however they see fit. People use design to communicate with one another out in the world, often in ways that the designer never intended or even expected. Your design may end up serving a completely different purpose than what it was originally created for.

Think about the last time you gave directions to a tourist or someone in your town who was lost. You probably told them something closer to “head left at the intersection with the weird billboard,” rather than rattled off a dry list of street names.

Design infiltrates our daily lives, and we use it as placeholders, markers, and guides every day.

Does The Design Slow Down Progress?

The most important thing to consider in any design is whether the user can solve the problem they have with the maximum amount of efficiency. If your design is impeding them from doing this, then it’s a failure as a design.

Again, talking to your target users will yield a wealth of information that can help you avoid this common crisis. I’m not talking about formal “focus group” style research either. Even something as simple as a 5 question email survey can help tremendously in the design process.

For example, if you don’t know that the majority of your users are skipping the calls to action that you’ve added to your website, pretty much the only way you can find this out is by interacting with them.

It’s unlikely that they’re going to tell you on their own, and, quite honestly, it’s not their responsibility to do so. You’re the designer – it’s your job to make sure that your designs are providing maximum efficiency for your users.

Building Up Trust

Well designed websites instill a sense of trust in the user. When you see a crappy looking website, your first instinct is that it’s probably a bit shady, or even an outright scam.

Why? Well, because a legitimate business will usually at least make an attempt to have a professional-looking front.

The post Does A Designer’s Opinion Mean More Than The User’s? appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

It’s probably a safe bet that most of us have an ego – even if we don’t necessarily show outward signs of one. After all, who doesn’t want to feel good about their abilities?

An ego, in and of itself, isn’t an evil thing. It can be quite beneficial to your design career and your life. But there’s a fine line between using it healthily and letting it get in your way.

Today, we’ll dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly of a designer’s ego.

How a Healthy Ego Can Boost Your Business

A little bit of ego can indeed be a good thing. For one, it can bring a higher level of confidence as you approach your work. Instead of fretting that a project is impossible, you’ll be reassured of your ability to take it on.

Having confidence and the right perspective can also keep you humble to a certain degree. Knowing that you have talent and a good reputation sets a high level of expectation. It can help you stay focused and hard at work.

The more you rise to meet the challenge, the more this all becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You’ll continue to stay hungry while achieving your goals.

Moving forward, a healthy ego can lead you to make sound business decisions. A balance of confidence and awareness will help you decide which projects to jump on and which to turn down.

You won’t feel desperate to grab a hold of every opportunity that comes along. Instead, you’ll wait for the right one.

How to Get There

Developing a “good” ego takes time. You may have to go through several ups and downs before you gain a balanced view of yourself and your abilities.

To start, realize that you’re human and are going to make mistakes. When you do, accept responsibility, and try to rectify it. Do your best to learn from what happened and move on.

Confidence can be a fragile thing. During rough patches, remember why you became a designer in the first place.

Think about what inspired you. Perhaps someone encouraged you along the way. Recalling your love for design can be a great confidence builder.

For example, I like to recall some of the first websites I built. While they wouldn’t be very impressive by today’s standards, they do give me a sense of pride. I also look back at some mentors who helped me learn and evolve.

Even after a long day’s work, I’d race home and spend hours practicing and creating. Back then, it made me feel good. Now, it helps me to remember where everything started. It’s something I can turn to when confidence is low.

When Your Ego Can Become Problematic

Instances of egos gone mad are all around us. Whether you’re reading a history book or watching the news – the signs are everywhere.

For designers, a bad case of ego can take shape in several ways:

You Stop Listening to Others

Indeed, clients don’t always make the best suggestions. And when you hear enough bad ideas, you might start tuning people out. However, that’s a big mistake.

When you refuse to take other people’s opinions seriously, you start creating things only to please yourself. Listening to others and working to understand their point of view is critical to a successful project.

It’s perfectly fine to state your case and (gently) argue for what you believe in. Just remember that it’s also OK to compromise when necessary. Great ideas can come from anywhere.

You Stop Learning

I’ve fallen into this trap throughout my career. Once you become proficient with a skill (HTML, CSS, graphics, etc.), it’s easy to become a bit lazy.

But web design is an industry that can leave you behind in a heartbeat. Learning is critical to staying relevant. To put it bluntly: your future depends on your ability to adapt.

There was a time when I felt that I was smart enough to get by, regardless of my skill level. Discovering WordPress, oddly enough, made me realize how wrong I was.

The platform is incredibly extensible and forced me to start learning again. From there, I found that I had been missing out on a lot of key concepts. It was a truly valuable lesson.

You Operate on Instinct Alone

Newsflash: Your “gut” feeling only means so much. Information is key to making decisions – whether you’re talking about code or your career.

Your ego becomes a problem when you make decisions without bothering to do research. That doesn’t mean you have to toil for hours on end – not every choice is that consequential. It just means recognizing that there are things you don’t know.

Once again, it comes down to a willingness to learn. Assuming you know it all is a dangerous game.

Choose Your Path Wisely, Designer

If we’re not careful, ego can creep up and bite any one of us. And contrary to popular belief, it’s not just egomaniacs that fall prey. It’s often the smaller transgressions that do the most damage.

But ego can play a big role in our ability to succeed. Thus, it’s worth looking at why we make certain decisions. An honest assessment may be the first step toward positive change.

The post The Benefits & Dangers of a Designer’s Ego appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

The thing about marketing a product is that, contrary to what many people think, you can actually be far more effective when you narrow down your focus – that is, the number of buyers you’re attempting to reach.

Attempts to reach a very broad, general audience usually don’t work as well; it’s not only more expensive to create something “for everyone,” it’s actually literally impossible to do so. I’ll be explaining why in this article, along with some tips on how to assess and take advantage of the unique demands of your client’s customers, no matter who they are.

The Great Secret

So, what’s the secret to making people buy things? Surprise! That was a trick question. There isn’t any secret, because you can’t actually make people buy things. There has to be a demand for them. But don’t worry – this is a good thing. It means that you don’t have to play constant guessing games, trying to figure out what “everyone” wants.

You can actually find out exactly what your client’s target market is looking for. How? By asking them, for one. However, simply asking people directly what they want is rarely an effective strategy. It’s all in what types of questions you ask them, as well as how you phrase them.

How Aware Is Your Market?

Now we’ve established that you can’t make someone buy something they don’t actually want. But if a buyer does need a solution but doesn’t know what it is, then it’s easy to bring to their attention the fact that your product or service exists and can help them.

If your client has a valuable product or service, it’s your duty to make people aware of it. If you don’t, you’re actually robbing them of something valuable that can really help them. Yes, I said robbing. Your client is counting on you, the designer, to create a compelling presentation of their business that tells their customers exactly why they need it.

Find Your Niche

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: niching down your target market is essential if you want real success. People who try to cater to “everyone” end up wallowing in mediocrity and crappy jobs that lead nowhere. No high-level client is going to pay top dollar for a designer who “does it all.”

They want a solution that’s catered to them and them alone.

It Has To Be Scalable

Just because you have an obscure interest doesn’t mean that enough people will share it that you can build a business around it. Enough people have to want what you’re selling that it will be worth the effort and investment to make the offer.

If it isn’t, you won’t have a business, you’ll have a hobby – which isn’t a bad thing, if that’s what you want. Hobbies are important too, even obscure ones, but they don’t, as a general rule turn into scalable business models.

Do-It-Yourself Market Research

If you want real success in marketing, you have to know your market better than it knows itself. One excellent way to accomplish this is by testing your ideas and assumptions about what your market is after. Don’t just ask your peers or wonder vaguely whether something will work. Most of the time, the person you’re asking won’t have the exact same business as you, and even if they do, they’re not going to know exactly how your proposed solution will work.

That’s why you have to test it. People may rely on others’ opinions when they read a review for a book or a restaurant, but when it comes to your business, you need to have a firm testing policy in place.

You’re Not Fooling Anyone

Finally, all this talk about “buyer manipulation” is hogwash. No one – I repeat: no one – can be “tricked,” “manipulated,” or otherwise bamboozled into buying something they didn’t really want.

Sure, they may not have wanted it for the long-term, but in that moment in time, they wanted it. You don’t want a bunch of customers with buyers’ remorse, which is why you (and your client) can make sure you keep your marketing ethical by providing a genuinely valuable product or service, not just some fly-by-night gimmick.

If you’re doing it right and zeroing in on a particular type of customer and solving a real, particular problem, there’s no reason to do anything that’s not above board.

The post The Make People Buy Things Secret For Designers appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.