My Web Design Philosophy

My approach when designing sites is simple: give users what they want. First and foremost, this means planning ahead with clients to make sure the site will be fulfilling users' needs. But I think there are a few needs common to all users and all sites. For me, these are:

• Easy to read pages-- on all types of computers. A truly great design is not one that looks fantastic on only one type of system, but one that looks good across the board-- whether on Windows or Mac OS X, whether using Internet Explorer or Firefox, whether on a 30" screen or a 12" laptop.
• An intuitive navigational structure. If users can't find what they're looking for-- and quickly-- there is often little incentive for them to stay. Jakob Nielsen, the web's foremost usability expert, reminds us that users spend most of their time on competitors' sites. If users can't find what they want, another website is just a click away.
• Easy to find pages. Obviously, if a user can't find a site, the user won't visit it. But often search engine optimization is an afterthought. In my development process, search engine optimzation begins in the planning stage-- before any code is written.

For all of my sites, I use open source software. Learn what open source software is and why I use it. Open source software is closely in line with my personal values and it delivers great value to all of my clients.

This is my general approach to all sites. I closely follow the recommendations of Jakob Nielsen, the Internet's foremost usability professional. If you want a flashy site that blares music and uses lots of animation to market through tricks and gimmicks, I am not your web developer. But if you want a professional site that is designed to satisfy your users, works well on a variety of computers, and performs well in search engines, please consider getting a quote.