2004 February - Matt Heerema : Web Design

Archive for February, 2004

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Why are Web designers so under-respected?

I am of the opinion that only Professional Web designers should develop professional Web sites. (Hobby sites, personal sites, and volunteer organization sites are exceptions).

This is an old article (april 2001) that seems to be relevant still… Web Designer and Proud of It.

The hardest part of being a professional web designer is telling people what I do for a living. The range of comments I get runs from dismissal of the web as a fad, to the ever popular, “My fifth-grade son has his own website.”

What is the difference between a professional Web designer, and a self-styled, 16 year old with a WYSIWYG editor on his PC?

That difference is design skill, Internet knowledge, experience and professional commitment to the field.

Web design is not a merit badge to be added to your uniform in scouts (but the way things are going it is probably not far off), it is a career choice that demands continual growth and serious dedication. We continually work at improving our skills and techniques, learning how to use new tools and mastering the old ones.

Part psychologist and part magazine editor, a web designer needs to be the digital equivalent of a Renaissance person.

</end rant>

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Posted February 26th, 2004 in Web Design by Matt

If you are a Web developer, you should know that CSS-based layouts have distinct and heavy advantages over traditional, hacky, table-based layouts. If you don’t know this, you should read this article on why you should use CSS with your Web designs by Greg Rewis from Macromedia

Recently, however, a novice user asked a question, which, quite honestly, threw me for a loop. The user simply asked, “Why should I use CSS?” I realized at that moment that while those of us who work with HTML and CSS on a daily basis are intimately familiar with the benefits, many of you are not. Or, at least, you may not be fully aware of all of the benefits that CSS can provide. This article is, in written form, my response to that new user’s question.

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Posted February 23rd, 2004 in Web Design by Matt

Why blog?

From Marketing profs.com

Addressing the question: why are blogs important for businesses?

Two important characteristics of blogs are that they are written by a person who is knowledgeable and passionate about the topic, and they are written in a “real voice.” This is a cosmic shift from the marketing and public relations materials that are the staple of business communications. Often, when information goes through a formal marketing or PR process, the end result is an attractive, expensive, stale, diluted document written in corporatespeak. This result is generally due not to any incompetence or malevolence on the part of corporate communicators but to the processes that have evolved to accommodate the costs and standards of print technology. As a result, the edge, the authenticity, and the voice of the professional speaking to his fellow professionals are lost. Blogs offer the human voice, which can be loud, controversial, and even wacky. But the realness of the blog inspires trust and piques people�s curiosity. A blog can create a community and a dynamic discussion.

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Posted February 20th, 2004 in Web Design by Matt