The future of webdesign (london 2008)

The future of webdesign (FOWD) Matthijs kleverlaan

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastienlabelle/2424793737/in/set-72157604624144691/

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastienlabelle/2425607744/sizes/l/in/set-72157604624144691/

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bastienlabelle/2424852479/

The topics

Finding inspiration for design User Experience v.s. Brand Experience Desiging the user Experience Getting your designs approved: 12 simple Rules Print is the new web From design to deployment Unconventional ways to promote your site Evolving the User Experience

Finding inspiration for design User Experience v.s. Brand Experience Desiging the user Experience curve Getting your designs approved: 12 simple Rules Part 1

Finding inspiration for design

So what is inspiration?

Finding inspiration is a lifestyle and an ongoing view of the world

Inspiration is an ongoing process

Every time a day you can get inspired

Direct & Indirect Sources

Direct Sources

Trade Magazines

Computer Arts, Creatie, Print, ID etc.

Cataloging books

Typography

Color

Layouts

Design

More direct Sources

Everyday life

Billboards

Restaurant menus

Commercials

Everything

Online

Blogs

Design showcases

Photo credit http://www.thenextcorner.com/2007/06/ipod_bud_light_.html

Indirect sources For fresh ideas, look in fresh places

Fresh ideas in fresh places

Art history

Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio

Fresh ideas in fresh places

Art history

Unexpected Books

How to avoid abuse Inspiration vs duplication

Inspiration Summary

Know your sources

Try to store your inspiration resources

Inspiration is a never ending process

Inspiration takes practice

Don’t look at websites Look at the elements on different sites Collect links with elements you want to use

Design trends

Current design trends

Homepage big banner spots

Brown colored websites

Brown colored websites

Supersize me

Future design trends

Softer colors

Softer colors

Horizontal vs. Vertical

Softer colors

Horizontal vs. Vertical

Video

Finding inspiration for design

Speaker:

Patrick McNeil

You know him from:

http:// www.designmeltdown.com /

The presentation slides:

http:// www.slideshare.net / carsonified / inspiration-design-trends-patrick-mc-neil

Watch the recorded presentation:

http:// www.vimeo.com /946121

User experience v.s. Brand experience

There is no competition

There is no winner of loser

There is no war

Client and studio must be in harmony

The user experience

The iceberg is the user experience through the whole website

You see the top You want to see the whole iceberg..

Most designers create a great top of the iceberg But have an poor bottom of the iceberg.

You want this

But you have this

For example take google

Not a great design

but a great user experience

Look at the whole user experience

Work on the whole user experience

And then

Brand experience

Brand experience Is NOT about billboards It’s about the experience It’s about the emotional attachment It’s people talking to each other

Branding as an experience

Branding is about the emotional aspect

Why do we grab coffee at

Instead off

It’s branding

Branding is about people talking to each other

Think about virals / word of mouth

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45457688@N00/82283972/

Brand experience in the past

We all use to watch the same television shows

http://www.flickr.com/photos/giaochau/272060799/

And share our thoughts

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nguyenkhanhduy/1336659604/

Back then we consumed media in a different way

Family listening to radio http://www.flickr.com/photos/giaochau/272060780/

That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind

Is the most widely watched television broadcast..

These days it’s harder to create something

That’s shares the same experience

Design the experience

Systems-centered design A design philosophy and a process in which the needs, wants, and limitations of the end user of the design process. User-centerd design ask people what they want Activity-centerd design Look what people do instead of asking him Genius-centerd design The apple approach. Create something you think it's perfect and the user will tell you if your were right..

Do not fear failure

Otherwise you will never release something risky.

Learn from your mistakes

User experience vs Brand experience

Speakers:

Steve Pearces and Andy Clarke

You know them from:

Steve Pearces http:// www.pokelondon.com /

Andy Clarke http:// www.stuffandnonsense.co.uk /

http:// www.slideshare.net / carsonified / user-experience-v-brand-experience-steve-pearce-andy-clarke

Some notes are from:

http://adactio.com/journal/1439/

http:// vimeo.com /931504

Design the user experience

First impressions count Attentive Service Personalisation and customisation Attention to detail The user experience Feedback Make it fun Create the perfect environment

First impressions count

http://flickr.com/photos/47313217@N00/1360279731/

http://flickr.com/photos/joshb/58408568/

Attentive Service

http://flickr.com/photos/ari/418042736/ The doorman hailing a cab

http://flickr.com/photos/steve-brandon/414392862/ Opening a new line

Personalisation and customisation

Attention to detail

http://flickr.com/photos/kb-a/43723177/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmw328driver/2443315790/

Feedback

Make it fun

http://flickr.com/photos/duncan/2084134925/

Create the perfect environment

Arrive at lobby hotel Checking in at hotel Searching for your room Roomservice The perfect hotel experience

First visit / arrive at Homepage Log in to your account Navigation and searching Support and feedback Perfect website experience

Create the perfect user experience

Designing the user experience

Speaker:

Patrick McNeil

You know him from:

http:// www.clearleft.com

http:// www.slideshare.net / carsonified / designing-the-user-experience-curve-andybudd /

http:// vimeo.com /935747

Getting your designs approved: 12 Simple Rules

Designer

The ideal process

The real process

Why is it such a challenge

Design is often subjective Comps (presentations) are not interactive Innovation can be hard to grasp Everyone has an opinion because we all use the web Why is it such a challenge

Make friends with your client

1. Make friends with your client

Most likely, your clients are overworked and under a lot of pressure with a variety of responsibilities.

Be understanding, a positive relationship is key.

2: Ask lots of questions.

2. Ask lots of questions

Get to know your client’s industry and business objectives.

Perform a competitive analysis to see what others in the industry are doing.

What does the client want to get out of the site?

What is their business all about?

Hotdogs

What are hot dogs exactly?

Why are they called hot dogs?

Are your hot dogs kosher?

What makes a hot dog kosher?

What is the history of Frankfurters?

How are hot dogs stuffed?

What is the “outside” made of?

What’s in vegetarian hot dogs?

Ask questions

Why are hot dog buns longer than hot dogs?

How many ways can you cook a hot dog?

What’s the best way to cook a hot dog?

Why are hot dogs associated with baseball games?

Is there a danger of children choking on them?

How much sodium is in your hot dogs?

Ask some more questions

Can hot dogs be eaten cold?

What kind of seasoning do you use?

What’s the best side to accompany a hot dog?

How many calories are in a hot dog?

What are the most popular toppings?

What are the best toppings?

Ask EVEN MORE questions

What do you think of hot dog eating contests?

Have your hot dogs been used in contests?

How long have you been making hot dogs?

Could you arrange for me to talk on the phone with some of the people who make your hot dogs?

Etc...

You get the idea

3. Ask more questions

Who will be using this site

What’s the target age range

What are their browser capabilities?

What does the user need to take away?

The user needs are often different from the business objectives.

User profiles will help support your design choices.

3. Use wireframes but don’t be tied to them

Wireframes are a vital part of communicating with your client.

They make a great conversation starter.

Wireframes are a vital part of communicating with your client.

They make a great conversation starter.

Use wireframes to indicate content priority and general placement.

It’s okay if they change when you go to comp.

Define content blocks and the overall IA for the site

Get your clients thinking about functionality and what makes sense for the user

Make wireframes to scale

Walk your clients through the wireframes

Provide good notes

B Search A A IAB 728x90 D C Featured Content B D IAB 300x250 C E Tag Cloud E F Chronological Content G G Recent Comments F

Subtle Changes Are Okay

5. Talk about design before you open Photoshop

Before you start the design process, reference other sites, mood boards or present color palettes to get the conversation started.

This will help reduce the number of revisions.

Use site Examples & Color paletts

6. One design direction will do. It is not a take-out menu!

6. One design direction will do.

Giving the client a variety of design options to choose from might seem like a good idea

- but generally it’s not.

6. One design direction will do.

Giving the client a variety of design options to choose from might seem like a good idea

- but generally it’s not.

It can cause an “add this to that” mentality resulting in a lack of design consistency and poor usability.

7. Present in the browser

Don’t just E-mail it!

Viewing comps only on paper or PDF doesn’t give a true sense of how the comps will look in a browser.

If at all possible, “walk through” the designs don’t just email them.

Provide notes: Your clients might have to show the designs to others for approval.

8. Prototype as needed

Simple prototypes will help your clients grasp innovative concepts.

It’s not always required, but it can help to sell an idea that your client has never seen before.

Fireworks allows you to rapidly prototype web site designs. Taking your design mockups from sketches to an interactive prototype can help you test your design. It can also help to communicate your vision for the site to your client. Fireworks CS3 is Your Friend

9: Ask for consolidated feedback + limited rounds of revisions.

Educate your clients on the importance of providing consolidated feedback.

A project can quickly spiral out of control when feedback is given in piece-meal.

Limiting the number of revisions will help the project to stay on track.

Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

Tips to Get the Feedback You Need

Help your clients to focus on the user’s needs and not just their own creative “opinions”

Ask for specifics if they say “It just doesn’t feel right”

If they need to get approval from their superiors, ask that they give you all feedback in a consolidated format per round

10. Be confident in your work.

Don’t fall into the trap of asking your clients what they think is right.

Design with the users in mind and have research to back up your decisions.

You are the expert

11. Time will tell.

With time, your client will understand the design process.

You will come to find ways to improve the client approval process.

Getting sign-offs is a smoother process after a working relationship has been established.

12. Make the most of a difficult situation.

Web Design is a service industry

A top priority is listening to your client’s concerns and feedback.

Be sure to recognize and address their concerns with the user in mind.

Stay positive. The client will feel like you are working with them and not against them.

Conclusion

Getting approval on designs is not a science

Each project is different

These 12 simple rules aim for the best case scenario

12 simple steps

1. Make friends with your client

2. Ask lots of questions - about the client's industry

3. Ask more questions – know the user

5. Talk about design before you open Photoshop

6. One design direction will do

8. Prototype as needed

9. Ask for consolidated feedback & limit the revisions

10. Be confident in your work

11. Time will tell

12. Make the most of a difficult situation

Thats part 1..

Part 2 Next time..

Part 2 contains.. Print is the new web From design to deployment Unconventional ways to promote your site Evolving the User Experience

Questions? Matthijs Kleverlaan Questions just say hello to thaisie@ gmail.com – www.thaisie.com On twitter: http:// twitter.com /thaisie

The future of webdesign (london 2008)

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