I’ve come to the conclusion that web developers know very little about web design,  and graphic designers know very little about web development.  Web design presents a bunch of challenges to a graphic designer, and it would be smart to get over it and figure the whole thing out, today.

We’ve got to come to peace with this space and the strategy it takes to make effective website graphics.   It took me a long time to finally get over the fact that website graphics were my friend and I had to embrace the whole darn thing. Yes, I wimped out for years.

You’ve Gotta Learn Web Design

If you are a graphic designer today, learn web design and learn it quick.  As I design more and more websites I am acutely aware of how website graphics come into play in the vast world of marketing and promotion and heck, just getting your face out there.

Your clients need you and they need you to design their website.  Don’t leave this important task up to the developer, they’re not designers, they don’t care if things look good or right.

Web Developers Mean Well

It’s threatening to most web developers when a graphic designer shows up on the scene.  You see, if they can offer graphic design along with web development, they profit.  Unfortunately, they do not have a trained design eye, or passion for making things look right.   Their expertise lies in a different place.

No Excuses

If you have a business today, you need a website, period. No excuses.  The main reason for this is that

people are looking for your business everyday on any number of search engines.  They are Googling how to do this or where to eat or which doctor to use or if there are any barbecue restaurants within 30 miles of their current location,  probably on their hand-held device.

It All Starts With That Header

The header of your homepage carries your theme through all of your pages. It is important that you pay close attention to the look of your header. Your logo must be prominent on your homepage header.  We expect to see the logo on the upper left hand corner of the web page. One or two other prominent pieces of information can go in that header, perhaps a phone number or address or your tagline, but that’s it don’t clutter your website header.  Keep it clean and simple.

Web Design logos

When you consider your current brand logo. Is it ready to be placed on your website header? Is it a horizontal or vertical format, this is an important question. If your logo is a vertical format, you might want to choose a website theme that allows for that.  You can also adjust your logo and create a horizontal version of it exclusively for your website graphics homepage.

The look and feel of your web design will determine whether your visitor stays or immediately checks out.  You can make them stay by designing a clean, simple homepage with a strong branded image, reinforcing your company logo.

Are you a web designer or developer? What are your thoughts on the whole ball of wax?  leave a comment and let us know!