Comments on: How to Find a Good Web Designer

By: Kyle McCabe

Kyle McCabe — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:13:57 +0000

I agree about the trends/style. Any good web professional will stay on top of their industry. But even less ethical folks do this to the degree that it helps them make a quick buck.

Anyway, informed design does usually make for good design. In light of this, a good question to ask any potential designer/developer for your project is "How often do you practice?" Meaning, how often do you take time to stay up to speed on the latest trends, concepts, technology, etc.

My answer: not enough! ;)

Thanks for commenting!

By: Michael Trythall

Michael Trythall — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:27:44 +0000

I agree with most points here. I've also found that a very good designer can tell you a lot about latest trends and styles, and probably can point to a few good user studies that have taken place in the last 6-12 months.

Informed design = good design. Same goes for designers :)

By: Kyle McCabe

Kyle McCabe — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:06:11 +0000

Thanks for commenting, Sean - you make a good point.

There are very few people who are able to plan, design, and program a feature-rich website by themselves. Many freelancers contract out the work they can't complete themselves, and an agency environment obviously provides all the necessary skills through a team of people.

I approached the article from the "designer" perspective, because that's my main area of expertise. In my experience, both freelance and agency, the designer is usually the only or first "production" person the client has any contact with. But I imagine my experience is different from yours, and many others.

Understanding the difference between designers, developers/programmers, information architects, SEO specialists, etc., is necessary to understand the process of web development. Even so, whatever web professional you come into contact with as the client, a good one will help you understand these distinctions and how they affect your project.

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:05:24 +0000

I think you should also put down that a web developer/ web programmer is not the same thing as a designer and that you should be willing to pay more if you want a custom solution created by a programmer and designed by a designer. You should never assume that one person does it all. I am a programmer, I can create stuff from scratch, but I am no designer. I can implement a design, but I can't create one from scratch like so many people want.

By: Kyle McCabe

Kyle McCabe — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:03:55 +0000

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I agree, as a budding web designer years ago, it would have been nice to have seen a post like this!

In any case, I'm hoping it will help business owners make more informed choices as well.

By: Web Design Lexington

Web Design Lexington — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:56:56 +0000

This is a list worth noting especially to budding web designers. The thoughts are well said and should be followed if you want to succeed in the field of web designing.