As we move through the days and months ahead, it’s likely that in short time we’ll find ourselves talking about new design developments that haven’t rolled across our lips or screens yet.

We asked some of the leading web and user experience designers in the field for their predictions about what we might expect to see in the web design world in 2012.

Joining us are: Adelle Charles, Whitney Hess, Lis Hubert, Randy J. Hunt, Franz Jeitz, Michael Martin, Eric A. Meyer, Sarah B. Nelson, Jason Pamental, Jon Phillips, Dan Rose, Jared Spool, Nick Walsh, Tim Wright and Jeffrey Zeldman.

After you’ve had a chance to read their prognostications, please take a moment and tell us yours, too.

  Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and well-designed 2012!

Adelle Charles

I believe a few directions in 2012 will include heavy use of handwritten fonts and an even bigger boom in using font replacement technology (eg. Typekit). More and more magazine and newspaper websites will all jump on the HTML5 bandwagon (thank goodness). You’ll also probably get sick of hearing about ‘responsive web design’ this coming year. Focus and innovation will be on reading and writing apps…how you perform these tasks along with the integration of different platforms. Monthly subscriptions (physical products) will blow up this year and daily deal sites will slow down.

From a visual point of view, I think a lot of web design is too trendy, ‘do what’s hot right now’. I’ve even caught myself starting to do the same thing a few times (you get used to looking at the same websites or apps day in and day out). It can be hard to separate your last visual memory when designing…you just have to be original. Keeping on the original point, I’d love to see designers drop the use of fabric as backgrounds, eg. Mimicking Apple’s new cloud apps (fabric, stitching etc.)

I also hope Internet Explorer gets put to death this year. (Just a wish, I know it won’t happen).

Adelle Charles, @adellecharles, is a designer living in NY. Foodie. Coffee lover. Founder and Chief Product Officer at Tinder, a publishing company which provides publisher tools, subscription and user management to web publishers and a premium reading environment for readers. She also co-founded Carbon Ads & Fuel Brand Network.

Whitney Hess

The rallying cry of the web community in 2011 has seemed to be “make stuff.” My prediction for 2012 is that we’ll soon realize that that was rather shortsighted, and instead will encourage one another to “make stuff that matters.”

I have seen so much incredible talent squandered on designing products that only meet the needs of a small, homogenous, insular group of friends. While this can be fun and challenging for a side project, it is a fleeting satisfaction.

In 2012, mastery of the tools and a cool idea will no longer be enough to get attention. I predict that there will be a widespread movement to uncover and understand deep-seeded, life-damaging problems for sizable communities across the globe, and our efforts instead will be put towards improving their lives and work in ways that empower humanity. Productivity and entertainment tools have their place, but I suspect that we won’t continue to pat each other on the back so vigorously for continuing to crowd the market.

Design is the problem. The social, economic and political environments we will find ourselves in in 2012 will push us towards asking questions before devising solutions, equip us with a longer-term vision, and ultimately deepen our greater purpose.

Whitney Hess, @whitneyhess, is an independent user experience designer based in New York City. She helps make stuff that matters and enhances people’s lives.

Lis Hubert

Now that HTML5 and CSS3 have been unpackaged and utilized, and given the emergence and popularity of responsive and adaptive web design, 2012 will bring us back to the future of the web. After years of driving the two apart, 2012 is the year that we will begin to bring mobile and desktop technologies back together by using the web to bridge the gap between the contexts. From that, we will be focused on designing for a holistic product experience.

Expect to see an explosion of mobile/desktop web solutions that can work on many different devices and platforms. Mobile First as a methodology will grow in popularity, and people will also be thinking more about how their product extends across these many different contexts.

Look for an outbreak in designers and product developers wanting to better understand users in order to create appropriate solutions for coherent experiences. We’ll be looking more and more towards psychology and user research to better understand our user base as well as better translate our product into an interface.

From this we’ll see the appearance of new ways to navigate through site content (in order to stay responsive), as well as new patterns for creating delightful and engaging user experiences online.

Lis Hubert, @lishubert, is a New Yorker, user experience designer, researcher, sometimes speaker and blog writer. As an independent UX Consultant who is passionate about her work, Lis sees herself as a definer and solver of complex problems. Her contributions help in making awesome digital products and services for all us users out there.

Randy J. Hunt

Many exiting things will happen with web design in 2012: further adoption of CSS3, HTML5, web fonts, and “mobile first” as a mindset. The specifics, I can’t imagine. I’ll be surprised—many of us will—and we’ll get excited, beat up these ideas, implement them widely, and push things forward.

I’m most interested in how we, as web designers, will change in 2012.

Designers today have come to a new place: they are conceiving, designing, and branding products of their own. This is especially true when we look at web products. In the past, we’ve been designers that operated as storytellers, wrapping businesses and ideas in consistent narratives communicated with visual wit, novelty, and efficiency. We’d implement those ideas on the web, and we’d do some experiments on the side.

We’re on the verge of something special. Designers are creating products and building brands simultaneously. The product becomes the main expression of the brand and the brand itself can be looked at as a product.

Online and offline have merged, where products and brands are inseparable. In this world the product itself is the expression of the brand. The response to a swipe, a unique gesture, or a notification sound can all establish and reinforce the qualities of a brand. Designers who understand interaction design, experience design, and the building of products will emerge to be some of leading brand stewards.

In other words, 2012 is going to be awesome. We’re growing up and moving fast. Fasten your seat belts.

Randy J. Hunt, @randyjhunt, is Creative Director at Etsy, where he leads the team of designers building web products and creating off-line experiences. Hunt feels strongly that designers must be able to build what they design, a perspective that fits naturally with Etsy’s culture of making and its engineering muscle.

Franz Jeitz

I believe that 2012 will be an organic evolution upon the trends of 2011. Mobile browsing on phones and tablets is only gonna increase which will likely result in even more responsive websites. This is a trend that’s really kicked off. At the same time I also predict to be seeing more native mobile apps.

To predict design trends is almost impossible. However, I think that minimal designs will stay popular with a particular focus on UX design. The same applies to the ever popular vintage/retro design. It’ll probably become more subtle, but won’t go away anytime soon.

With more and more web designers & developers trying to make it in these tough economic times there’ll certainly be a select few who will really set new trends and rise above the average creative. I for one can’t wait to see what these innovators will come up with. Overall I believe that the design & development standards will increase a whole lot. Hopefully we can get rid of ugly websites once and for all.

Franz Jeitz, @fudgegraphics, is graphic designer from Luxembourg who lives in London. Good music, a nice cup of tea and beautiful design is all it takes to make him happy.

Michael Martin

In 2012, I think it’s a given that mobile devices will continue to be a focus point. The interesting part to me will be the battle of native apps vs. HTML5 web apps. Native apps have been leaps and bounds ahead so far, but more and more sites are willing to experiment with HTML5/CSS3.

Not everyone can afford the time to develop a project like that though, and so the majority of sites will keep looking for shortcuts. Services that generate simple mobile sites, or standard native apps will become more popular. And for large systems like WordPress, I think we’ll see more and more people entering the arena of mobile plugins/themes.

I also believe that analytics and data mining will become ever more crucial. As the web continues to fan out over so many different devices, and content is consumed via so many different services, it becomes more important than ever to know which devices and services are bringing benefit to your business, and how you can eek even more out of them.

Michael Martin, @problogdesign, is a web designer living in Northern Ireland. He specializes in WordPress and is the owner of Pro Blog Design.

Eric A. Meyer

The newly emerging design trends of responsive and adaptive web design will continue to gain steam, especially as authors come to grips with mobile devices and what it means to design across form factors.  Closely paired to that will be a growing understanding that mobile devices are a core web experience, not a come-lately add-on.

Standards such as CSS and the DOM will be even more strongly influenced by libraries and preprocessors—jQuery, Less, SASS, and so forth.  The capabilities these tools provide to authors show the working groups what is missing from their specifications, and thus what they need to add—and, in many cases, HOW to add them.

Eric A. Meyer, @meyerweb, is an author, speaker, conference co-founder, consultant, innovator, and advocate of open web standards.  He has been working on the web since late 1993 and lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife and three children.

Sarah B. Nelson

Process-heavy documentation dinosaurs will continue to be marginalized. More designers will embrace – and love – agile methods. Which is good news: business leaders will realize that developers now out-pace designers. They’ll expect us to catch up.

If you aren’t familiar with Eric Ries, Business Model Generation, and Steve Blank’s Customer Development Methodology, you should be. The Lean Startup folks build something, test it, evaluate the results and then repeat the cycle. Why mention it? Lean Startup is essentially an agile (with a lower-case ‘a’) approach to user-centered design and product development. At Lean Startup day at SXSW, guess who wasn’t part of the conversation? Yup, designers.

Despite the growing understanding that design can make or break a product, designers are still seen as a cost center. We don’t do ourselves any favors. A lot of us insist on lengthy, expensive, start-from-scratch, research-heavy processes. Some of us are testy perfectionists, loners, or just not real collaborators. A lot of us spend precious hours creating heavy documentation that is dated before it is completed. Sometimes this is appropriate, but most times it isn’t.

This year, re-imagine the way you work. Resolve to develop your prototyping skills. Get good at sketching in front of people. Learn to facilitate design conversations. Experiment. Question old methods. Get close to agile developer and learn a thing or two from them. These are exciting times—shape the future!

Sarah B. Nelson, @sarahbeee, is the Chief Instigator and Igniter of Passions at Tapir & Tine. Tapir & Tine helps organizations transform from design followers to design leaders through disruptive training, coaching and facilitation. Sarah has led teams at Adaptive Path, Hot Studio, and holds a Master of Design Methods (MDM) from the Institute of Design in Chicago.

Jason Pamental

Web fonts arrived at the top end of our industry with amazing work done by some of the best designers. But we haven’t reached critical mass in adoption, much less awareness. We’ll see that wave start to crest with greater effort in education, the arrival of books on the topic and marketing efforts on the part of Fontdeck, Monotype and Adobe. We’ll also see an increase in creative use of web fonts and more competent implementation of them. I also expect to see new technologies emerge for faster service and better integration in the design process itself. Typecast looks promising as a ‘design in the browser’ tool for type, plus there’s WebInk for using web fonts in Photoshop.

Second, I think we’ll see Responsive Web Design mature and mean more than ‘a better skinny column’ (usually the ‘first effort’). An important step, but we should start to see more creativity applied at the wider end of the spectrum plus better developments in responsive images. A post from Paul Boag outlined an approach using Media Queries to detect height in addition to width –  coupled with widescreen displays this opens up fascinating potential for editorial design that we weren’t really capable of doing previously.

Finally I think we’ll see more designers get to know a CMS and use them in interesting ways. With mobile-targeted and responsive themes, the possibilities for app design and prototyping within the CMS can radically change what individual designers and small teams can accomplish. Projects that took months, dozens of developers and $500,000+ to build can be done by one or two people with a decent open-source CMS like Drupal or WordPress (or Expression Engine for a small cost). The tools have matured such that opportunities to efficiently do large-scale work is just unprecedented.

Jason Pamental, @jpamental, is a web strategist, designer, technologist, speaker, writer, teacher, and irrepressibly curious about almost everything. Always ready to share unsolicited advice, he’s also working on a book about web typography for O’Reilly due out in 2012.

Jon Phillips

Obviously the whole responsive and adaptive web-design concept will keep growing and gain the interest of more and more web-designers in the years to come. I don’t think it is a trend, and I don’t think it will go away anytime soon. In fact, I think it’s now a standard.

Of course responsive web-design means we need new tools and techniques in order to make our lives easier. jQuery plugins like FitVids and techniques like the Elastislide are excellent examples of what can be achieved and what we can do.

I think that in the next year we’ll see a lot more companies and individuals backing either the use of CSS3 Media Queries and responsive web-design, or backing the idea that mobile sites should be complete separate versions. I’m sure we’ll see a lot of breakthroughs in both clans. I’m certain there will be a lot of heated debates (all to make the web move forward of course).

Speaking of responsive web-design, I’m positive we will see a lot of changes in advertising and how ads are displayed on the web. We may see a shift in how people monetize their sites and develop streams of revenues. Responsive ads is one thing, but I think that adaptive web-design means more than just throwing in some media queries, it means we have to re-think how content is laid out, and that also means we have to think about advertisements.

Another prediction—which isn’t really a prediction but rather stating the obvious seeing what’s already happening out there—is I think we’ll see even more sites using of services like TypeKit and FontDeck to display beautiful typography on the web.

Jon Phillips, @jophillips, is a UX designer, musician & entrepreneur. He’s currently working at BuySellAds on their Yoggrt, AdPacks and FusionAds networks.

Dan Rose

While I do see responsively designed sites continuing to be all the rage in 2012, I can imagine designers finally considering content strategy more consistently as positive fallout. Since we have the tools to build sites front ways and back ways, I think content finally gets it’s time in the limelight next year. We’ll start considering what content needs to be served up to a mobile user instead of just reformatting desktop content. Hopefully.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a movement of design education, involving sites that detail the fundamentals of design theories, typography, shape, color, and the like. It’s only logical considering how much the design & development community openly contribute to it’s education already. We’ve recently started to see kerning and letterform games from Method to Action that support this.

Conversely, I can see web designers abusing webfonts and style trends by not exercising enough constraint.  We’ve unintentionally been caught up in the visual appeal of work we see on Dribbble and hence, we try to replicate style without purpose, myself included. Foundations and fundamentals of solid design, not style, should propel our projects. A knowledge of the “what” and “why” in typeface choice also needs to be evident–I’m just not sure it’s widely adopted yet, or will be anytime soon.

I’m thrilled to be a part of the design community, and I hope 2012 brings an attention to higher standards and thoughtful purpose in our designs for us all.

Dan Rose, @dblizzy, is a User Interface Designer in Syracuse, NY. He’s the author of the Photoshop Etiquette Manifesto for Web Designers, and he writes and speaks about employing higher standards.

Jared Spool

I predict that demand for designers will grow even stronger. It’s clear that the business world is paying attention to the success of organizations, such as Apple and Cirque du Soleil, that have taken over their industries by providing better designed products and services than everyone else. In the boardroom and amongst the executive team, good design is now desirable and worth investing in.

With this increased appreciation for design, comes an explosion in the demand for good designers. While the current largest demands are in big centers, like Silicon Valley, New York, and Seattle, I predict we’ll see a global explosion for talented designers anywhere products are created and services are delivered.

The most sought-after designer will be the person who can do a bit of everything. The majority of organizations that will be paying big bucks for great designers in 2012 won’t be the usual agencies or big corporations with established design practices. They’ll be organizations hiring their first designers, and they’ll expect them to have a broad set of skills.

This means these designers will need to know how to run a small design shop, structure their work, produce the visuals, do the research, create the interactions, build the prototypes, and communicate their vision to the folks doing the implementation. Designers will be designing every aspect of the product or service, not just putting a glossy sheen or spec’ing out wireframes.

My prediction: 2012 is the year of the designer. Are you ready for it?

Jared M. Spool, @jmspool, is the founder of User Interface Engineering, the largest usability research organization of its kind in the world. Jared spends his time working with the research teams at the company, helps clients understand how to solve their design problems, explains to reporters and industry analysts what the current state of design is all about, and is a top-rated speaker at more than 20 conferences every year. He is also the conference chair and keynote speaker at the annual UI Conference and Web App Masters Tour. You can follow Jared’s musings at @jmspool and his research at @uie along with a wealth of resources at uie.com.

Nick Walsh

Look for continued growth and definition of the front-end specialization to bridge the void between designers and developers – it’s not just for large agencies anymore. The technologies behind the user interaction layer will continue increasing in density, and preprocessors (Sass, LESS, CoffeeScript) will only become more ubiquitous as a means to cover nagging shortcomings. With these tools in hand (especially the color functions found in Sass and LESS), rapid in-browser prototyping and design should become more commonplace.

As entrance barriers fall in the world of Git and Github, the prospect of more designers taking part in open source projects is an exciting one. With competitive interfaces, look for these projects to gain larger layperson audiences – and provide a means for upcoming designers to prove themselves outside of unsolicited redesigns.

Mobile first and responsive design are already well entrenched, but it feels as through we’re about to cross the largest threshold – those terms becoming part of the client vocabulary. Rather than needing to convince clients of the benefits that come with increased costs, they’ll begin asking for these techniques specifically – or, at least, become more attuned to the need as more examples become available.

Nick Walsh, @nickawalsh, is a front-end developer and occasional designer at Envy Labs in Orlando, FL, as well as a significant contributor to the interactive training startup Code School.

Tim Wright

I believe that 2012 will push us even closer to the “One Web” ideal that we have all been talking about since the early inception of Web Standards. Designing for a specific device, screen resolution or even bandwidth will officially be a thing of the past as browsers get more advanced access to devices. This prediction comes in two parts:

First, I predict that the Device API that Mozilla and the W3C are working on right now will be flushed out and completed by mid-year; and strongly supported in most versions of mobile WebKit and mobile Firefox. As we gain fine-grain access to things like the camera, accelerometer, battery life, and detailed system information we will be less inclined to build in anything other than HTML, CSS, and JS. The Device API coupled with, the 2011 monster, responsive design will help us create rich applications in the browser and lead us towards what is truly “One Web.”

Secondly, I think that as we build our applications that scale across all platforms and devices we will hit a performance barrier. The finger will be pointed directly at JavaScript and in many cases we will have to ask our selves if a library the size of jQuery is hurting or helping us in the long run. I think the more advanced applications will shy away from larger libraries and ether lean towards writing native JavaScript or using a small more targeted library for the job.

Tim Wright, @csskarma, is UI and UX designer at Boston University and has been been building weird stuff since 2004. Constantly looking towards the future and what’s next with the Web. “If you never question the status quo, you will never make progress.”

Jeffrey Zeldman

Mobile first, responsive design, and mobile-first responsive design will continue shaking up (and shaping up) the industry as we respond to an ever-changing plethora of always-connected internet devices of varying capabilities and screen sizes, helmed by users at widely varying sophistication levels in disparate, highly specific contexts. As this way of designing and developing is currently a vanguard activity, necessity will make it the norm. And as it becomes the norm, committee-driven turf wars that fill home pages with crap no user wants or needs will go the way of the dinosaur. We will also continue to wrestle with content strategy as it applies to the shifting contexts of mobile, desktop, and netbook. Anyone not using progressive enhancement to put content and the user first will find their apps and sites losing favor with viewers. Smart phones with advanced browsers and small screens will put web standards, accessibility, and usability front and center, where they have always belonged.

Jeffrey Zeldman (@zeldman) founded Happy Cog studios, wrote the industry-changing Designing With Web Standards, founded and publishes A List Apart Magazine, co-founded A Book Apart, co-founded the design conference An Event Apart, has one daughter, and lives in NYC.

Curated exclusively for WDD by Debbie Hemley, @dhemley. Debbie is a blogger and social media aficionado. She works with businesses to develop content and social media strategies. Read her blog posts on All the News. You can also follow Debbie on Google + and LinkedIn.

Thumbnail image by: Steve Dean

Now it’s your turn. What are your Web Design Predictions for 2012? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Accomplished designers understand that there is no greater and more perfect creation than what can be found in nature. Designers that adapt the behaviors, instincts or habits of animals into their approach will find that they will develop designs that are innovative and efficient.

This article will examine how animals can inspire designers of all types to greatness.

Each species is a masterpiece, a creation assembled with extreme care and genius. – Edward O. Wilson

1. Lion

Lions are considered the King of the Jungle because they prey on nearly every animal from leopards to cheetahs. They are brave animals that will challenge nearly every animal in the wild. Every day, they spend two to three hours walking and 50 minutes eating. The remaining 20 hours they are resting, socializing, or grooming. Most of a lion’s hunting is completed during the night hours until dawn.

Designers in the same way must be fearless. They must be brave enough to be innovative in their designs and land major contracts with companies. Designers must be highly adaptable to any environment, while maximizing their full potential. Great designs often come when we are alert and well rested. But often, designers must burn the midnight oil to present clients with their best options.

As lions and lionesses, designers must remain competitive and remain ahead of the competition to maintain their position as lead designers in their region or in the world. Lionesses are often more agile and do most of the hunting for their pride. Keep in mind that lioness designers may also dominate in some areas of design because of their natural instinct. Use this knowledge to your company’s advantage.

2. Tiger

Tigers have recently beaten out the dog for the world’s favorite animal. This animal is territorial and maintains a solitary lifestyle. They are camouflaged by their stripes and are simply unafraid to challenge any animal in the wild. Though the elephant is too large for the tiger to kill, the tiger will still try to intimidate the elephant nonetheless. Tigers have been known to successfully kill a rhinoceros, crocodile, moose, leopard, and numerous other large animals of the wild. They are faster than lions and can leap 10 meters or more, but they have very little stamina.

Tiger designers must not be afraid of the large projects that seem out of their scope. Just as the tiger challenges the elephant, designers must also meet challenges without fear. Designers must take their numerous solitary moments to create and develop a solid design. Though there are some moments of collaboration with the team and the client, designers must retreat to create their designs as quickly as possible to meet the client’s deadline. Like a tiger’s hunting style, designers must be strategic in accepting and planning projects to continually generate fresh new designs.

Shall we, because we walk on our hind feet, assume to ourselves only the privilege of imperishability? – George Eliot

3. Giraffe

Giraffes have several advantages over other animals in the wild kingdom. The most obvious is the giraffe’s height. They can reach and consume more nutrients than their competitors in the wild, such as the impala or kudu. The giraffe also has the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal in the wild. The average is approximately 4.5 to 4.6 hours per 24 hours.

Like giraffes, designers must be able to land more projects and reach higher peaks than our competitors. Designers must strive to view challenges from a different perspective and tackle the projects in a new light. Designers often have to adopt the behavior of giraffes and survive on 4.5 hours of sleep per night for short periods of time to complete major projects.

4. Camel

Camels are resilient creatures that can withstand incredible temperatures and water consumption levels that would kill other animals. They can retain a significant amount of water in their cells, kidneys, and intestines. They then can go long periods without water, because the fat tissue in the humps of the camel metabolizes and produces energy for the animal.

Designers need to be resilient and adapt to changes in the work environment that may seem unreasonable in other environments. The work hours are often long, but the end product of the designs are rewarding. Designers must be energetic and constantly evolving to provide a design that is better than the competition in the least amount of time possible.

Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way. — John Muir

5. Cheetah

The cheetah, by far, has the fastest speed of any animal on land. The cheetah reaches speeds between 70 and 75 miles per hour. The cheetah can reach 62 mph in three seconds or less. After long sprints, they must rest for at least 30 minutes before achieving those speeds again. They may be the fastest in the wild kingdom, but their prey often escapes them because they will let them go, rather than risk an injury. Consequently, the cheetah’s success rate of landing their kill is only about 50%.

Designers must acquire some the cheetah’s instinct to survive. They must be agile and fast to land the project and complete it according to the deadline. Designers must not overwork themselves or they will “burn out” and produce lower quality work. Additionally, designers may run the risk of losing half of their clients. Speed, however, will delineate a designer from their competition.

6. Dolphin

Dolphins are highly intelligent animals. Their brains are highly complex, and they can hear frequencies ten times higher than the normal human being. Dolphins are social creatures and form strong bonds with people. They have been known to rescue injured humans or aid in human therapy. They also enjoy communication through a variety of clicks, whistles, and other sounds. Play time is an important part of their lifestyle and culture.

Design relies upon listening to the client and determining exactly what they need and desire. As designers, they must learn to listen better than their competitors. Designers must pick up on the nuances that their competitors will miss during the consultation. This will help your firm deliver a solution that meets the needs of the client.

Loyalty is a large part of building brand image. Designers must form relationships with customers and also fellow designers to build business. If a client is the victim of a bad design, designers must rescue them and offer a better solution. Designers, like dolphins, must engage their customers and peers in play to discover innovative ideas and solutions to problems.

7. Whale

Whales are one of the largest animals to have ever existed. They spend 90% of their lives under water and only surface to breathe through their blow holes. Whales cannot afford to consciously sleep or they will drown. Therefore, a portion of their brain is always functioning to keep them afloat.

Like whales, our creative juices are always flowing. At night, when we sleep, our subconscious may be thinking about the latest design. In the middle of the night, designers may wake up and sketch out an idea to avoid forgetting.

Some designers never achieve a deep sleep, because their most innovative ideas come when they lay down to rest. A designer’s job is often spent at the computer, drafting board, or with the client. When we come up for air, a designer truly needs to release just as the whale releases accumulated water through its blow hole.

Living with animals can be a wonderful experience, especially if we choose to learn the valuable lessons animals teach through their natural enthusiasm, grace, resourcefulness, affection and forgiveness. — Richard H. Pitcairn

8. Turtle

Turtles are excellent at hiding from their predators. They retreat into their shells and can hide completely submerged in water or on land. Some turtles are more agile than others depending upon their preference to water or land. Though turtles have incredible night vision, they move slowly because of their shells.

Often designers must hide or retreat to privacy to focus on a design for a client. Designers must learn to be methodical in their designs to ensure that they meet codes and also the client’s specifications. Being a visionary in design often allows you to see the entire picture when other designers fail to understand the client’s request. Turtles are protective of themselves and highly adaptable to different environments, as designers should be.

9. Owl

An owl’s hunting strategy is highly dependent upon the element of surprise. They blend in with their environment and are virtually invisible at times. Their feathers, also, allow them near silent flight. Their camouflage and silent flight comprise their competitive advantage in the wild.

Designers must know their competitive advantage in the world of design. Like the owl, designers must establish an edge that delineates them from the competition. Designers must be like chameleons and design for any type of environment. If you are an interior designer, you should be able to design modern contemporary, French country, or Renaissance spaces. Versatility and capturing your audience’s attention with the element of surprise is instrumental to success.

Conclusion

Whatever your style that you may have cultivated, you should demonstrate your ability and creativity by showing others your animal instincts through fearless and flawless design work.

Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty. – Albert Einstein

Written exclusively for Webdesigner Depot by Aidan Huang, a freelance developer, designer and ingenious blogger. He is one of the editors-in-chief at Onextrapixel. Follow him on Twitter @AidanOXP

What is your competitive advantage? Are you like the owl and can offer a unique design that will “wow” the customer, or are you more like the dolphin, skilled at listening and rescuing the client from impending danger?

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The survey will be used to learn more about the design community and create several posts and infographics about it.

The results will keep designers up-to-date with the latest graphic design practices, trends and technology by collecting relevant data from who else but actual designers like you!

See this page for all terms and conditions, FAQs and more information. You can fill out the survey after the jump. Thanks!

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I decided to call myself a designer then, and fortunately, I stuck with it—I had my hands in a bunch of other things I sucked at at the time, one of which was softball. I’m glad I eventually cultivated my design hobby and got serious about it.

It seems like when kids (and some adults) get their hands on some version of Photoshop or Illustrator or what have you, they automatically deem themselves designers. Now, I’m not one of those people who get mad at the newbies coming in and ruining stuff because I’m all about community and I want to see everyone succeed—but I will say, you can’t just jump right in and think you know everything. There is A LOT to learn when it comes to graphic design and not just about what programs you use, but how you use your skill.

Whether you’ve been designing for 10 minutes or 10 years, there’s much to be learned and figured out. Depending on your path with design, some things will vary, but for the most part, there are three main stages of realizations/characteristics most designers go through.

Stage 1: Design as decoration

This stage is pure excitement—you feel like you’re a small fish joining an elite group of folks. Most designers start here (especially those that are self-taught), however, many skill levels can co-habitate here (note: we are not comparing skill level to maturity level). This is that stage where you just want to get your hands on every cell phone picture you’ve ever taken and doctor it up. As a matter of fact, after a couple tries and a few compliments you feel like it may be time for you to get paid for your talents.

Characteristics

I’m not saying you definitely suck but I am saying it’s pretty fair to assume you have yet to reach your full potential. Your program knowledge probably doesn’t extend much further than what your professor taught you or what the latest tutorial has you doing, and you’re completely fine with that. You’re idea of designing here is decorating—if you think it doesn’t look good you want to have at it to make it look prettier. Whether it looks good or bad is solely your judgement, as you aren’t basing it off much other than trends and what you like. Design principles and theory really don’t concern you because you’re either just starting and getting a grip, or quite frankly, you could care less. In this stage, your main objective is to be as creative as possible. You don’t have a bunch of different rules and standards floating around in your mind, so you do what you like. Ignorance is bliss.

Client Interaction

In this stage, the designer may or may not be actively looking for business, but if they are, this is kind of how they work with their clients. We’ve got to remember, this person’s idea of good design is central to what they believe—basically these client meetings are worthless other than to throw around a couple ideas because the finished product will be something the designer is satisfied with. Any requests the client has are taken more as suggestion than law. I’m not saying the designer is completely oblivious to what the client wants, but the idea of what it is going to look like or what kind of feel it has ends up coming from the designer’s mind, not standard practices or client input.

Community Contribution

These stage one designers, whether we want to believe it or not, do contribute to the design community. Like I said before, skill set is not directly related to maturity level; for example, you could be a great designer (know your way around a couple programs), but you could still be using design as a means of decoration. Sometimes you get a stage one designer that has an amazing skill set and makes some of the most creative work you’ve seen using no design principles or theories. Because of this, I think pure unadulterated creativity comes out of this stage, and if a more mature designer sees it, they can be inspired to use it in a way that is more effective.

Overall, this is a very free stage of being or becoming a graphic designer. There are no rules, other than to have fun and let your imagination be your guide.

Stage 2: Design as discovery

A large majority of us start in stage one where we are attracted to design and Photoshop—we teach ourselves what we want to learn and keep it moving. I think there’s another chunk of us who can start off in this second stage, especially if we have formal design education. But for the most part we get here after stage one, after working with a few clients, with some decent work in our portfolios, and interaction with some better designers. This is the stage where you get to really understand there’s more to designing than just making stuff pretty, but you just haven’t fully grasped it yet.

Characteristics

Now instead of making your friends party flyer look amazing to yourself, you’re interested in making it look amazing to everyone. You’re starting to realize that if it looks good to others and they enjoy it, maybe more people will come out. That’s a pretty solid realization for design but of course, it isn’t all the way there and you’re trying to look further into that idea. Also at this stage, you’re probably looking into the different types of design, what they do and what you think is best for you—perhaps you’ve delved into some other programs or you’re learning how to code. All you know is that you are trying to come to a deeper understanding of design.

Client Interaction

Things can go a little smoother in this part because you’re actually interested in what the client desires, but most times you’re giving them exactly what they asked for with little to no innovation. Not that it’s a crime, but as stated before, you know there’s something more to design than just creating what someone asked you to. If you do move a bit from what the client asked, you’re likely to try to explain yourself and the vision as best as possible. Fortunately, you haven’t totally lost your creative flair from stage one so you can add a bit of funkiness on a project. However, if they don’t want your funkiness, you may look at it as their loss.

Community Contribution

Your search for knowledge and growing skill set allows you to contribute much like in stage one but with better understanding of some sort of end. While this is a ‘between’ stage, you learn to respect the design community a bit more for it’s help and the design art form.

This stage takes up the bulk of your maturation process, and is easy to revert back to once you get the third stage. I’m all about learning more, so this is a good stage to be in. Just try to get the most information you can in an attempt to be a greater designer.

Stage 3: Design as communication

Now you’ve got most of this whole ‘design’ thing figured out. While I feel like it’s very rare someone can just start off at this point, it’s not impossible. Designers who have matured know their niche and have done their research. The mature designer is able to design with creativity as well as program and principle knowledge. This stage is where you realize that design is not just decoration but it is a means to effectively communicate and get your desired point across.

Characteristics

For you, design is not just limit to the design program of your choice, but design lives everywhere and in everything. You may look at a mobile phone and ask, “why would they put the numbers in this position rather than another position?” That’s an example of design as communication. You understand different theories and principles such as hierarchical design and colors as a means to influence people. Designing has a lot more to do with user interfaces, function, and effectiveness because you understand that if your design sucks, it’s completely useless to your project.

Client interaction

As far as client interaction, I think it has a lot to do with the success of the designer. It’s easy to get the one who is all about creating something the client can use vs. the guy who’s so well-known he does what he wants and the client agrees. Either way, the end product is going to be something that works and is effective. The client meetings are probably a lot longer as well; in our first couple stages, if the ideas weren’t sent through email, client meetings were just ‘meet-n-greets’. Now client meetings are full on understanding and brainstorming sessions, and they’re probably more frequent.

Community contribution

These are the people that make the design world go round. We get to study their processes and their findings (if they are willing to share). I hate putting people on pedestals but these are truly the people to learn the most from, especially when there’s no more ‘textbook learning’ to do. Some things can only be learned through experience and passed on through others. While creativity is not all lost in this stage, good design is fueled by how effective, intuitive, and innovative something is and these are the folks that can come up with the best solutions.

This is obviously the place to strive for as a designer to get that understanding, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is the last and final stage. As easy as it is for an adult to be serious one second and playful the next, it’s just as easy for a designer to revert back to immature tactics and behaviors, especially when learning new things.

In conclusion…

No matter the stage we are currently in, we should all work together as designers to promote shared knowledge and contribute to our community. These ‘maturity levels’ shouldn’t help divide us but should help us to understand what others need. While maturity is only gained through experience, it doesn’t hurt to try to steer someone in a better direction. At 13 years old, I would have loved for someone to pull me to the side and tell me how I was doing it all wrong, and then give me pointers.

While I’m sure there are more stages, more characteristics, and more things to learn, I believe these are the most consistent stages designers go through. Whatever we believe, though, I hope everyone is striving to be as awesome as possible.

Kendra Gaines is a freelance designer from Virginia, USA. Connect with her.

What stage would you say you’re in? What experiences really helped you get there?

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Originally from Latvia, he’s a freelance interactive designer and photographer who’s been involved in a number of high-profile site designs, including Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Last Airbender, Sweeney Todd, and the Stardust movie site.

Here Andreas talks about how he got started designing for such large studios, what his favorite projects have been, and his design process.

And he offers up some tips for new designers who would like to follow a similar career path.

Where do you look for inspiration, either before starting a project or if you get stuck during the project?

It totally depends. I mean, the most important thing to consider is whatever deadline you have to meet. Sometimes, there’s no time to browse through similar sites to see what others are doing. For example, if a client calls on Friday evening and says he wants to see comps early Monday morning, there’s no time for anything. You just have to do it. Just open Photoshop and go with it. And yes, sometimes I fail when forced to do that, but that’s just part of the risk of this business.

If the project has a better time frame, you can always learn, research, think, plan, brainstorm, and try sketching on paper. You can think more and maybe spend a sleepless night thinking of what you want to create.

Inspiration is everywhere for me, whatever is around me. Photography and film, though, are the leading sources of inspiration for me.

Above is a rendering of the elevator for the DEVIL movie site, created in Maya.

What has your favorite project been to date?

Favorites are always personal projects, of course. It’s something where you are your own boss. But there is one site I’m very proud of, where I art directed: the website for Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I had to do a lot of work for it, even an iPad/iPhone version of the site, plus ads.

Also, there’s something I’m currently working on, which will be great to show off. But you’ll have to stay tuned, I can’t reveal it yet.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

What’s the process like for working with big studios?

I don’t know. Big, small, there are bad and good people everywhere, so it always comes down to the team you’re working with. Recently, I’ve been pretty happy with the people I get to work with.

Big studios are more serious, and give you more experience. You get to work with their Creative Directors, and in the end, you’re paid well. So it’s an awesome experience. Slowly, you can start applying what you’ve learned from the big guys into the smaller projects and companies. I think it’s a good collaboration that can bring a lot of success in your career.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

What’s it like to take on a project like Rise of the Planet of the Apes and have it become such a popular movie? To know that your work is being seen by millions of people? Do you feel like it’s a lot of pressure?

When you get a project like Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it makes your hands shaky! Planet of the Apes is a very famous film, and this one was the next step in the established series. When you are making film sites, there’s always times when you’re under pressure, because you know you have to do more than your best work, because the film could be a massive premiere to the world. When I started to work on my part of the project, it was 24/7, no weekends, no spare time, sometimes no sleep. You can’t allow your brain to stop, or for inspiration to leave you.

A lot of people in interviews ask how you feel when you’re uninspired or stuck. This was a project where I had the opposite feeling. Even if you’re spending nights working on it, you’re still enjoying it and putting your soul into all the things you do for it. I was also designing wallpapers, banners, and AIM icons. Some people call this part of the job boring, but for me it wasn’t. This project was a part of my life for two months.

I hope I’ll feel this way about a project again, and that something like this project will come along again. In the end I’m very proud of what I’ve done. It gives me more energy to create more things. When you see the poster you’ve done for a movie on the street, it makes your heart beat faster.

Mars Needs Moms

What kind of budgets, timelines, and processes do you go through when creating a website for a major movie production?

Usually, the deadline is “yesterday.” You have to wait for a lot of design assets. You have to wait for the trailer to come out. Sometimes, you have to work with just the high-res trailer to present your design ideas. Other times you only have some text about the film you’re working on and you have to design from that. It varies. Again, there are good and bad projects.

I can’t talk about budgets because of contract issues.

The perfect project is when you get key artwork, a preview of the film, photography from the production of the film, a creative direction briefing, and other key things. Once you have all these, it’s more satisfying to start the design process. It doesn’t happen often, but I wish it was always like that.

If you could design a site for any company or product, what would it be? I’d love to art direct the new Mercedes site. Do a photo shoot for some cars, retouch, some motion ads, the whole deal. I’d love to do that, and photography is my passion, so I really hope that sometime soon there will be an opportunity for me to work on a project like that.

Above is an image of some in-progress animations and artwork for the Mars Needs Moms site.

What’s your design process like? What steps do you take throughout a project?

The biggest problem I run into is client briefings. A lot of companies you work for may not know what they want, and you can spend weeks comping, drawing, and sketching, and then in the end they choose one of the first things you did for them. So for me, I try to get approval of a briefing and wireframes first. A clearer idea of what they want and what you need to do is always going to result in a better result. So both sides will eventually be happy, since the work process will be more exact.

There are many freelance jobs on the market now, so I try to choose projects with a clear briefing whenever I can.

Once I sign with a client, I usually have a lot of creative freedom, so first I try to come up with some ideas in my sketchbook, write down some thoughts, Google for references, and then go from there to come up with an idea.

I always give options to my clients, too. If I have to design a website, for instance, I’ll show them at least two different comps.

The Underworld Kingdom

How do you deal with criticism on the projects you’ve done? Have you ever had someone just absolutely trash your work?

I think it depends on the person it’s coming from. Every designer has to go through criticism and times when people give negative feedback. Constructive criticism is always good, when it comes from a person you respect and just maybe, if he’s involved in design, you can learn a lot from him. You just have to filter what people are saying a bit.

Another thing that happens sometimes is clients will say things like “This was done in 10 minutes” or “My son can do better” or “This is not the quality that your portfolio shows.” You have to really get used to this kind of thing, because it can really kill your creativity. Of course you’re going to stop working with this client, but it will still affect your future work.

Another in-progress shot from Mars Needs Moms.

How do you deal with a client who insists on doing something you don’t believe will be good for their project? Have you ever straight-out refused to do something a client wanted (or requested they leave your name off the final work)?

Ha, well, we all have to pay bills. The thing is, you get a feel from the start how a project is going to go in the future. So, it’s a matter of your budget, and if you really need the work at that time. I will be honest, and I’m sure 100% of many famous studios are doing this kind of work, when they are just making the client happy, with the ugliest work in the world. Of course it will not go in your portfolio, or your name won’t be on the copyright. But it’s the 21st century and we have to get paid to live.

On any project, even if the client is difficult, you’re trying to do your best and trying to get them to change their mind and listen to your opinion. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. In the worst cases, you’ve done work for the client that you’re unhappy with and they’re unhappy with, and you have to return their deposit, even after you’ve done some work for them.

That’s another point: it’s a must to have a deposit for any kind of work you’re doing as a freelancer. There are many clients out there who won’t pay you on time, or skip paying you entirely. It’s a risk, yes. Big companies pay net30 or even net90, so you have to be prepared to be paid in 90 days rather than right away.

But over the years, freelancers talk and basically we know what the standards are for payment from different companies. And if there’s a huge delay in payment without any reason, we all find out about it and know to ask for a deposit next time.

Again, it’s always better to choose the work you do. It means less stress, more inspiration, and more positive emotions. Consider making your bills lower and enjoying life!

When I was living in Greece, on an island, and the rent was around 350 USD, I wouldn’t take on a project or client I didn’t like. There have been times when the project was interesting, but the project manager was impolite, so you have to skip that as well.

Sweeney Todd

You started working with some pretty big companies while still a teenager. How did you connect with these kinds of companies and start working with them?

I’ll be honest here: I started doing some comps and sketches of projects for big companies, just for myself. Whenever I would see something and think I could make it better, I did. Probably the first thing I had in my portfolio was such a redesign for Audi.com. It wasn’t even pitch work, it was just something I did for myself. I just liked what I was doing on the side. Soon I had opportunities with some small commercial projects, and then I started emailing companies I dreamt of working for. Some people answered and gave me the opportunity to pitch for big companies. Many of these I lost, but some of the companies gave me good feedback, and on some my ideas were approved.

I think it’s about the kind of goals you set. I was very focused on reaching where I am now, and I always did my best and worked a lot. However, now that I’m here, sometimes I prefer smaller projects. Big clients and big projects are always nice for your portfolio, but it’s stressful, and ages you prematurely!

A making-of shot from the site for the movie Splice of the creature creator application. The laboratory here was created entirely from scratch in 3D.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to follow a similar career path to yours? How would you recommend they start?

Learn, study, experiment. If you’re still at school, spend time thinking about projects you’re going to do rather than going out with friends and figuring out how to get drunk faster. You have to live with design and think about it all the time. Set your goals and work for them. Don’t think about the money. Don’t waste time hoping that Spielberg will call you tomorrow. Just think of it like working out in a gym. You can’t come once and expect to look like an athlete the next day.

Be patient and follow the industry, talk to people, visit blogs for inspiration, and send out emails to art directors or designers whose work you like. Many of them will ignore you (they ignored me when I was a kid), but some of them will be very helpful and inspirational for you. Don’t focus on too much at the start, and don’t think that just because you know Photoshop like the back of your hand that you’re a superstar designer.

Try copying work you like for your own educational purposes. Try to recreate it and add your vision into it, and you’ll find your own style.

End of the World II

Where do you see the future of your work going? Where would you like to be in five or ten years, career-wise?

Hopefully I will have my own studio built close to the beach on any of the south coasts. We’ll produce websites, and do photography and filmmaking. I don’t really aspire to launch any kind of big ad agency one day and become a millionaire.

I’d like to do what I really enjoy and live with that. Smaller budgets, smaller clients. It makes it possible to take it easy and enjoy what you’re doing. If I was after money, I’d move to NYC or someplace similar, but I prefer a small town close to the sea, where the sun is shining 300 days a year!

You can see all of Andreas’ work at his site AndreasWorks.com and also at Dsire. You can also keep up with his latest projects by following him on Twitter @ashabelnikov

What do you think of Andreas’ work? Which sites strike you the most? Please share your thoughts below…

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The upside to this in my opinion is that the portfolio site can be a window into the future of web design. I suggest this because when an individual designs their own site they are only under self-imposed limitations. There is no client to dictate things, no committee to destroy the design, and no approval process to drag things out and destroy momentum.

But not all portfolio sites are created equal. Despite the insane amount of sample portfolio sites available, there are surprisingly few that feel distinct and interesting enough to talk about. It is these sites, though, that raise the bar and expose what the future might hold for web design.

Let’s dive into a large set of stunning portfolios and look for some common elements that make them work. Some of these elements expose industry wide trends, while others demonstrate simple and common design flourishes. Not all have huge meaning, but they all add up to fantastic designs that will challenge you to create a truly extraordinary portfolio site.

Tell a story

One of the most interesting aspects of a modern portfolio site is the effort to create a story telling environment. The idea is to create a flow of content that essentially controls the experience and message to the user. This control creates a flow of content in a desired order.

Many sites attempt to do this sort of thing by placing the main navigation in a desirable order. But these sites take the approach to a whole knew level and make it an unavoidable part of the experience.

Jan Ploch

The use of a single page site is nothing new, and by its definition forces a user to scroll down the page. This creates a natural flow of content that has been used countless times. On this site though, we find a seldom used approach with an animated background. As you scroll down the page, it is as though the soda in the background is being sucked up the straw.

This simple, decorative element does something really powerful; it encourages you to make it all the way down the page. This is fundamentally a critical aspect of the single page site: ensuring users make it to the end of the story. And the end of the story is most typically the conversion point of the site (as it is in this case).

Tam Cai

This individual’s site also demonstrates the single page, storytelling model. What I find interesting about this particular site is that the story is book-ended by two powerful visuals, with all the meat in the middle. The large set of illustrations at the top of the page set a mood, demonstrates the artist’s personality, and generally invites you to dive into his world. The page is then finished off with a contact options (conversion points) and a dramatic photograph of what we would assume is the creator.

Certainly not a style for everyone, but when a thematic approach is produced in a way as polished as this the results can be awesome. And while the site might not appeal to all visitors, it will appeal to the right people and help the creator make the kind of connections he will value.

MacMillan Lynch

This example takes a bit of a different approach. The story part of this site is brief, and all contained inside of the main home page graphic. In this case the story is pretty much irrelevant, except that it creates a sense of a mystery to understand. Upon landing on the site I found myself wondering what the heck this person was all about. Sometimes you want to spoon feed your visitors; at other times it can work really well to suck them in with an interesting story or mystery. This also has the benefit of creating a rather distinct and hopefully memorable site.

Sallee Design

On the Sallee Design site we find a more typical approach to site structure. Logo in the top left, main navigation across the top, and the standard home page slide show. In many ways this is a very normal site (with a beautiful design applied).

What I found interesting though was that their home page slide show wasn’t just an auto-rotating series of Flash images. Instead, the slide show is started by the user and begins with an invitation to begin a tour. Once you dive in you are taken through a series of slides that summarize what you would get if you instead dug through the various pages of the site. And it is all finished off with key stepping off points to the rest of the site.

I think this approach is smart. For starters it is refreshing to see an element like the home page slider have a thoroughly planned out purpose. I also love that they get the benefit of a single page sales pitch, and the bonus SEO provided by having a larger number of pages.

Responsive Design

The topic of responsive web design is, to say the least, an extremely hot topic. So it should come as no surprise to find that this approach can be found in fresh portfolios that are being produced now. Unhindered, these individuals have embraced the new technique. And not surprisingly, all three of the examples here are for portfolio sites of front end developers, exactly the sort of place we should expect to find such a thing.

Ryan Taylor

Ryan’s site follows the standard one page formula for a personal portfolio. This approach works great when integrating responsive techniques into the site. With only one page to account for it can be a lot easier to test and build a site like this. But don’t think it is easy. It takes a great deal of effort and planning to create a clean and beautiful site that transforms in this way.

Aaron Shekey

Next up is the portfolio of Aaron Shekey. This beautiful little site embraces many tried and true techniques for a portfolio site. It is semi-minimalistic, has subdued colors to allow the images to pop, and it has a design largely based on typography. As is this site functions beautifully and is extremely efficient at showing off the artist’s work. But with the added bonus of a responsive layout the site is guaranteed to look good on a wide range of devices. This ensures the user gets a positive experience, with no frustration of zooming and scanning around.

Andrew Cohen

Finally in the responsive category we find the personal site of front end developer Andrew Cohen. Much like the others it has a single page structure with what I would call a background driven design. In this way the background can shift and change without a great need of structural changes. This makes the site a perfect candidate for introducing responsive techniques.

Creative layouts

Sometimes the best way to make an impression is to stand out as unique and different. And what better way to accomplish this than with an unusual layout structure that scoffs at the norms and expectations we all have. To some degree almost every example in this collection demonstrates this particular attribute, but I have selected this small sub set to demonstrate it.

And before I dive in I want to point out that these sites don’t make use of creative layouts just for creativity sake. They are still functional sites that are extremely clear and simple to use. Yet they have their own distinct personalities that allow them to stand out. This exactly relates to what a portfolio site should do: help its creator to stand out from the crowd.

Krichevtsova Alexandra

What I really love about this example for the topic of creative layouts is that it is not a radically different layout. Yes, the site doesn’t follow the normal logo in the top left, navigation across the top approach. The layout is only a few small steps from there though. I think this demonstrates the point extremely well.

The goal is not to invent a layout for the sake of being creative. But rather, to get creative with laying out the page so as to communicate the information in the best way possible. In this case, the flow created by the slightly atypical layout works wonderfully.

David Desandro

In this case the layout feels completely unusual. On some level it feels incomplete, and yet at the same time feels completely organized and easy to use. Dig into the portfolio and other pages though and you will be easily impressed with the diversity this site presents. It definitely has an appeal to the creative, yet technically minded.

Deidre Bain

This one page scrolling site also breaks the norms of layout structure. In this sample almost the entire design is based on page-specific layouts and illustrations. Typically this is an approach that doesn’t work well and leads to maintenance issues. But in the case of a personal portfolio site it is actually a great way to demonstrate some useful skills. Most particularly there is thoroughness to the site that leaves you expecting this designer to be of the sort that follows through on things. It is these sort of subtle messages that can be extremely powerful to communicate in your own portfolio site.

Siddharth Arun

On first take this site has the feel of one that follows standard protocol. But interact with the site a bit and it feels totally unique. Sometimes coming up with your own creative twist doesn’t mean you have to reinvent everything. Just change enough such that the results are surprising (and functional).

Bold text

As I observed thumbnails of the sites collected to feature here one thing really stood out: the use of extremely large and bold text. The samples listed below all feature huge text that stands out on the site. The main reason I can come up with for this approach is clarity.

This large bold text ensures that at least one primary message is communicated. In some cases it feels more functional than others, but in the end the result is always the same. The user’s attention is almost guaranteed to be directed to this jumbo sized copy. Observe the samples and take note of the various ways creatives have put this element to work.

Garth Humphrey

Justin Burns

Amman Jordan

Ross Angus

Alex Pierce

Trim on the top

As I mentioned earlier, some of the patterns are far less functional and meaningful than others. In this case I almost feel bad placing the following samples in such a frivolous set. The sites featured below are absolutely gorgeous; please don’t take this classification as any sort of insult at all. In fact two of my favorite sites from this article are found here.

Basically the pattern is that some sort of decorative stripe, a solid line or zigzag pattern appears across the top. I limited this set to three sites, but if you scan through some of the other examples you will find the same element at work.

Why is such a small detail as this so common? Perhaps with the single page approach it is nice to denote the top of the page. In this way users get a small visual cue as to where the page begins.

Mathieu White

Touch Nerds

Danilo Giagnoli

Texture texture texture

Another visual detail that is extremely common on portfolio sites is texture. This is especially true when it comes to background elements. Part of the current visual style incorporates subtle textures into the background.

I find that this element does a great job of incorporating a bit of an organic element into the page that helps remove it from its technical underpinnings. This simple element can add a warm touch that somehow breathes a ton of life into a design. Again, dig through many of the previously covered samples and you will find numerous examples of this element at work. Here are a few samples that do this extremely well.

Bjarke Clauson-Kaas

Aaron Lumsden

D. S. Higdon

Andrew Ckor

Additional noteworthy portfolio sites

There are countless candidates for this type of collection. It is tempting to include almost too many samples in this case. Instead I have focused on an additional collection of sites that present a rather wide range of styles, structures and overall approaches.

One thing you will note is that a few of these sites are not for designers. I found it very interesting to see how other industries have used the web to sell an individual. After all, a portfolio site is intended to do exactly that. So, for the sake of inspiration and fresh ideas, I have included a few outside the web design community.

Collin Henderson

Josh Miller

Nate Croft

Torsten Meb

Joey Rabbitt

Eric Salvail

Bekka Reese

Felix Menard

Marija Zaric

Tobias Persson

Jake Dahn

Conclusion

Creating a site to represent you online is no small undertaking. Hopefully the sites collected here will inspire and challenge you.

Some of the elements presented here represent very intentional mechanisms to control the user experience and sell the individual. Others demonstrate more or less visual design trends. I believe that neither should be disregarded, and neither should single-handedly control things. It is by challenging the norms, embracing functional patterns, and assessing your image online in a new light that can lead to revolutionary ideas that help you stand out.

And regarding the topic of standing out, I feel compelled to remind people that the goal here is not to invent the most original interface. Instead, the goal is to think creatively inside the limitations we have.

Out of this I always hope that we will find the creative solutions that help us stand out with amazingly functional results. If you look at the samples collected here they are not only beautiful, but they function amazingly well.

Patrick McNeil is a freelance writer, developer and designer. In particular he loves to write about web design, train people on web development and build web sites. Patrick’s passion for web design trends and patterns can be found in his books on TheWebDesignersIdeaBook.com. Follow Patrick on Twitter @designmeltdown.

What are some of the best portfolio sites you’ve seen? Any other trends you’ve noticed in designer portfolios recently? Let us know in the comments!

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Don’t get me wrong. We all need to understand HTML5 and CSS3. And a lot of it can be used today.

My point is that we seem to be spending a disproportionate about of time reading up on the subject when so many other areas deserve our attention.

While others are reading yet another tutorial on CSS animation, why not broaden your horizons by researching subjects that will allow you to offer an even better service to clients?

I’ll share with you five areas that I believe are much neglected and that we need to learn more about.

Do you really need to know how to create a 3-D sphere in CSS3? (Image: Paul Hayes)

1. Customer service

“Customer service?!” you cry. “I don’t work at Starbucks!”

If that’s your attitude, think again. Customer service lies at the heart of everything we do as web designers, and yet we rarely think about it, let alone read anything on the subject.

You may not work at Starbucks, but customer service is intrinsic to our role as web designers. (Image: ChiBart)

We need a good grounding in customer service for a couple of reasons. First, we are in the service business. We like to think that we build stuff, but actually we are offering a service to our clients. We don’t just build websites: we guide clients through an unfamiliar process and provide a lot of advice and support along the way.

Secondly, the majority of websites that we build have a strong element of customer service. We provide a service to end users in the form of either an application or, more often than not, information.

Whether we want to offer a better service to clients or end users, the message is the same: we need to brush up on our customer service skills.

My recommendation is to start by subscribing to a few customer service blogs. Customer Experience Matters a good starting point.

2. Psychology

Understanding of psychology should be woven into every aspect of our job, from sales to project management to user interface design to design aesthetics. Everything we do as web designers should be informed by knowledge of how people think.

Unfortunately, few of us have taken Psychology 101. What we do know we have learned instinctively rather than through any formal training. We design based on gut reaction rather than informed knowledge.

Being able to get inside the heads of others is crucial, whether it’s users or clients. Whoever it is, we have to know our stuff.

A great introduction to the field of human psychology, curated by Stephen Anderson. (Image: Mental Notes)

Thankfully, Stephen Anderson has pulled together a great set of resources to introduce the field of human psychology. If his extensive list is a little intimidating, I recommend starting with “Made to Stick” or “Nudge.” “Neuro Web Design” is very good, too.

3. Context

There was a time when you could make an educated guess at the user’s context. Surfing the web was done at a desktop computer in relative quiet. Unfortunately, despite those days being long gone, many of us still assume that context when designing websites.

The reality is very different. For starters, we rarely have the user’s full attention. They are surrounded by distraction, both offline and on. The computer is now as likely to be in the family room with kids running amok as in a quiet study. While looking at your website, the user is probably also checking email, catching up with friends on Facebook and tweeting.

The problem doesn’t end there. We no longer just surf the web on a desktop computer. There are netbooks, tablets, televisions and mobile devices of all shapes and sizes.

We can no longer assume that people access the web from a desktop computer. (Image: Shutterstock)

Unfortunately, not a huge amount has been written on the subject, beyond my own rambling thoughts. But I am convinced this will be a defining factor in web design over the coming years.

If we want to continue creating cutting-edge websites, then we need to take context seriously. Ultimately, good web design is more about context and content than HTML5 and CSS3.

4. Content strategy

How did we ever decide that content was the client’s problem? Why should we expect them to know about writing for the web when we, as self-proclaimed web experts, do not?

Content is the foundation of every website. This includes content in all its forms: images, text, video, audio and functionality.

How a website is built and what it looks like pales in comparison to the content. Still, many of us regard it as the client’s problem.

Clients will be demanding a lot more help to get their content right, and if you don’t offer it, then they will turn to your competitors. I would be willing to bet my company on it.

Don’t get me wrong. You don’t need to become an expert content strategist. As McCoy would say, “Damn it, Jim! I’m a web designer, not a copywriter.” (Okay, he was a doctor, but you get the point.)

But just because you are not a content strategist doesn’t mean you can ignore the basics of writing for the web. You should know what a content audit is, how to make copy more scannable, and what goes into a style guide.

If you can’t answer these (and many other similar questions), then it is time to upgrade your skills. A good starting point is anything by Relly Annett-Baker, or get your hands on Kristina Halvorson’s book Content Strategy for the Web.

Kristina Halvorson’s book Content Strategy for the Web is great for learning the basics of content strategy.

5. Strategy

Things used to be so simple for the average client. They came to you, and you built a website that sold whatever service they were selling. Now we ask them complicated questions about business objectives, success criteria and calls to action. Compounding their worries, they have to think about Facebook, SEO, Twitter, user engagement and endless buzzwords.

In short, the average client is no longer looking for someone to just build a website. They are looking for a consultant to guide them through the confusing online world. They need someone who can look at their business and answer one simple question: how can the web best help them?

The problem is that most web designers are either frustrated artists or code monkeys (okay, maybe that’s a stretch). But we are not business advisers.

How much do we really know? (Image: Shutterstock)

We like to think that we know how the web can benefit a business. But we really don’t know that much. We are not schooled in business theory, marketing or economics.

Again, we don’t need to pretend to be something we’re not. But we do need to improve our basic understanding of these topics so that we are at least capable of having a discussion with business folk about how the web can help them.

When was the last time you read an article on direct marketing or corporate restructuring?

The problem

Herein lies the problem. We are so busy reading HTML5 tutorials and looking at CSS3 demos that we miss these other areas.

We are scared by what we do not know, and so we tether ourselves to subjects that we have a handle on. But as the web becomes more complex, we will need to broaden our horizons.

I am not suggesting that we all become generalists. I am saying that our skill set should be T-shaped. We need broad superficial knowledge of a lot of subjects and then deep insight into one area. The problem is that most of us don’t look beyond that one area of expertise.

If you don’t broaden your outlook, clients will look elsewhere.

Written exclusive for WDD by Paul Boag. He is the founder of UK Web design agency Headscape, author of the Website Owners Manual and host of award-winning Web design podcast Boagworld.com. He is also addicted to Twitter.

What do you think of these ideas? Are we too obsessed with HTML5 and CSS3 and missing the big picture? Share your thoughts below.

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With so many demands on our time, and things set to only get worse, all we can do is put in more and more hours to get things done. Unfortunately, there are still only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. If things continue at this pace, most of us will simply run out of time or collapse from exhaustion.

If we want to be successful in this highly competitive world, we will have to work smarter rather than longer. This is a lesson I have had to learn from experience since starting as a web designer back in 1994. As I got older, pulling the all-nighters that defined my early career became impossible. Eventually, the pressure overwhelmed me and led to sickness and depression.

This forced me to reconsider the way I work and helped me discover five secrets that enable me to get as much done as possible without burning out. My hope is that by sharing them here, I can help the next generation of web designers avoid the fate that befell me and many of my peers. Unsurprisingly, the secret to getting more done in less time begins with being organized.

Be organized

As web designers, we like to talk a lot about productivity and getting things done. We like to read websites like Lifehacker and books like The 4-Hour Work Week and Getting Things Done. But although we spend a lot of time talking about productivity and being organized, few of us put in the effort required to make it happen.

Books like David Allen’s Getting Things Done provide good advice. But while we read these books, we are always too busy to implement the suggestions. (Image: Sunfox)

The problem is that being organized requires time and effort, which we believe we do not have. When deadlines are pressing, letting your organizational habits fall by the wayside and focusing on the work itself is all too easy.

The problem with this approach is that without an organized structure to work with, things quickly get chaotic and we do not work as efficiently as we could. I use David Allen’s getting-things-done methodology myself. But my aim here is not to convince you of the benefits of a particular approach to productivity, but rather to suggest that, whatever system you use, you stick to it rigidly and don’t push it out when things get busy.

For me, this means that my day begins by working through my tasks list and identifying the work I want to do that day. As new tasks come in throughout the day, I do not allow them to distract me. Instead, I focus on my original list. New tasks are added to my inbox and then incorporated into my master list at the end of the day.

By taking 30 minutes at the beginning of each day, I ensure that I am able to work most productively, focusing on the work that really needs to get done. You might argue that this is 30 minutes during which I could be doing actual work. But getting organized at the beginning of each day ensures that I am able to get more done than if I had just jumped into the work immediately. Part of being organized is having a rock-solid system that handles incoming tasks without distracting you from the work at hand. Let’s look at these distractions next.

Remove distractions

We web designers are constantly surrounded by distractions. Twitter, Facebook, email, the telephone and indeed the web itself are constant distractions that prevent us from getting stuff done.

Probably the single biggest improvement I’ve made for my productivity is to cut out distractions. The biggest part of this has been turning off all of the automatic notifications that constantly pop up. Instead, I manually check these various applications during the breaks that I take in my working day (see “Find your focus” below).

This keeps the notifications from interrupting the flow of my work. Of course, checking these applications even periodically can be massively distracting, because they take us on tangents away from what we should be working on.

Email is the biggest culprit. Whenever we check our email, we find requests that distract us from our work. This is why I’ve taken to checking email only three times a day (once in the morning, once at lunchtime and once at the end of the day).

Turn off those email notifications that constantly interrupt your workflow.

You might fear missing some important message that needs immediate action. In reality, such emails are few and far between. Most of the email we receive either is spam or can be acted on at a later time.

If you are particularly concerned about missing an email from someone important, then set up a filter or rule that notifies you only when that person contacts you. This would be a significant improvement to the notifications that pop up every minute telling you that new spam has arrived.

Finally, keep your inbox clear of distractions. When you finally do check your email, make sure to deal with everything in your inbox. If replying to an email would take less than a couple of minutes, do so immediately. If an email is simply for reference, file it right away so that it doesn’t clutter your inbox.

Move emails that represent larger tasks to your to-do list and out of your inbox. This will make processing incoming email much easier because you won’t be distracted by any old email that you’ve forgotten about. Of course, there are good reasons why we are so easily distracted. One is that our bodies cannot maintain a high level of concentration for prolonged periods. If we are going to be as productive as possible, then we need to recognize these limitations and work with them.

Find your focus

As web designers, we often treat our bodies much the way we treat our computers. We believe that if we input enough energy (often in the form of Red Bull and pizza), we will operate at a consistent level. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Unlike a computer, your body fluctuates according to the amount of energy you have.

Working with your natural rhythm is a key component of being productive. Some of us are more productive in the morning, while others have more energy at night. All of us will find that our energy and ability to concentrate increases and decreases throughout the day. Fortunately, a lot can be done to work with these natural rhythms and ensure that we are as productive as possible.

For a start, I work in a series of short bursts, rather than trying to maintain my concentration for a long period of time. To do this, I use the Pomodoro technique. Essentially, this involves running a timer for 25 minutes, during which I do nothing but work on the current task (in this case, writing this article). Once I have finished my 25 minutes, I take a break for 5 minutes before doing another sprint.

The Pomodoro technique is a fancy name for a simple idea: work in short 25-minute sprints.

Another approach I take is to schedule tasks that require a lot of concentration for the morning, when I have the most energy. I also organize tasks according to the particular mood required to complete them.

For example, if I lack energy and feel like I can only sit down and read, I can pull up all of the tasks that involve reading. I find this to be massively helpful, and it prevents me from giving up on work and going to bed.

I use Omnifocus to organize tasks not just by project but by the kind of mood I need to be in to complete them.

Speaking of bed, I have also become known to take a short nap after lunch. This is when your energy reserves are at there lowest, and many research studies prove that naps increase productivity.

Finally, instead of turning to Red Bull for additional energy when you are up against a deadline and need to push through, I suggest taking a few minutes to exercise. In fact, I highly recommend an iPhone app called Fitfu, which encourages constant short bursts of exercise throughout the day.

Unfortunately, no matter how organized and focused we are, some tasks we simply hate doing and never feel like facing. This is usually because we do not perform them well. Why then do we insist on persevering? Simply outsource them to somebody who can do them better.

Consider outsourcing

I remember my dad once putting forth a convincing argument for never brushing his teeth. His logic went that, because he worked for himself, his time was extremely valuable and could be charged to prospective clients. He calculated the number of hours that he spent cleaning his teeth each year, and he worked out that getting the damage sorted out by the dentist was cheaper than taking the time to clean them himself. Although he was joking (at least I hope), there is some logic to his madness.

As freelance web designers, we spend a lot of time chasing clients, invoicing and various other administrative tasks that we are simply not good at and, more importantly, hate doing. We continue to do them because we are reluctant to pay someone else to do them for us. This is a false economy, because we could actually charge ourselves to clients at a higher rate and avoid having our energy levels sapped by these tasks that we hate doing.

What’s more, a lot of these jobs are not expensive to outsource. Literally thousands of virtual assistants are ready to help with this kind of office administration. Just look at Elance and you’ll see what I mean.

Constantly getting interrupted by clients? Use a company like Moneypenny to field calls and weed out non-urgent issues.

The same principle holds true when recruiting new staff. I often see web designers hire other web designers to work alongside them. Unfortunately, this usually means that the employer ends up doing the tasks that they hate, while the employee fills the employer’s original role.

Rather, hiring someone who can do the jobs we hate makes a lot more sense than hiring someone to replace us. Of course, hiring can be expensive and complicated. And we are often forced to hire simply because we are not working as efficiently as we should be. Sometimes we are better off looking for ways to reuse our previous work.

Recycle

When rushing from one task to the next, reinventing the wheel becomes all too easy. For example, how many times have you coded a list of news stories for a website?

Too often we start each project from scratch, instead of building on work we have done before. Look for ways to recycle your old work. Also, take advantage of the work that others have done and have made freely available online.

For example, I keep coming across web designers who build their own content management systems. This takes a huge amount of effort and is pointless now that so many free open-source content management systems are available. There are even opportunities to reuse design elements from other websites. While I discourage copying, this does not mean we cannot be inspired by individual design elements that we find.

One overlooked gem in 37Signals’ book Rework is the suggestion that we look for ways to recycle our own work.

Finally, recycling one’s work in completely different ways is also possible. People often ask me how I am able to publish so much material online. In reality, a lot of the material is recycled.

Let’s say that I have been working on a project. And perhaps I’ve come up with a clever little solution to a problem. I’m so pleased with this solution that I decide to tweet about it. People show interest, and so I explain what I did in a short audio post. From there, I expand the idea still further in a blog post, which eventually turns into a presentation for a conference. Before long, that one piece of work on a client’s website has been reused to significantly improve my reputation.

A dangerous road

Before you dismiss this post as just another list of tips and tricks, take a moment to think about the road ahead. Do you honestly believe you can continue to work at the intensity you are currently at without it seriously affecting your health and well-being?

Most of us need to carefully consider how we work and look for ways to work smarter rather than just putting in more hours. I strongly believe it is time for us to change the culture of the web design community, which currently treats working ridiculously long hours as a badge of honor rather than something to be ashamed of.

Written exclusively for Webdesigner Depot by Paul Boag. He is the founder of the UK Web design agency Headscape, author of the Website Owners Manual and host of award-winning Web design podcast Boagworld.com. He is also addicted to Twitter.

If you have a few minutes, I would love to hear your stories of being overworked and ways you have come up with to do more in less time. Please post in the comments below.

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And while the design industry’s code of ethics might not be as crucial as, say, the medical industry, there are still some important ethical considerations every design professional should think about.

Here are some of the most prominent ethical considerations designers deal with, mostly specific to the design industry and similar creative professions.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on them, and what other ethical dilemmas you feel designers face on a regular basis in the comments!

Spec Work

The ethics of doing spec work have gotten a ton of attention in the past couple of years in the design world. Designers have mostly come down firmly on the side of not doing spec work. And for good reason. There are a number of disadvantages to doing work for spec, and it’s not just bad news for the designer. Clients can suffer from spec work, too.

First, lets look at the arguments for doing spec work. There are a few, and on a purely superficial level, they seem like good ideas. New designers will often be willing to work on spec to build their portfolios. Sometimes they can pick up more prominent clients by promising the client that they’ll only pay if they like the design, or by entering design competitions for bigger companies or organizations.

Companies requesting spec work often feel like they’ll get better designs, since they’ll have a variety of designs to choose from. They feel that by making it a competition, they’ll somehow get better work.

Let’s look at the negative impact of spec work on clients, first:

• Spec work causes designers to raise their prices, to cover the costs of work that was performed but not paid for.
• Designers don’t have a full picture of what the client needs, so the designs tend not to be as good as they could be if a full fact-finding phase was conducted.
• Clients have to spend hours sifting through mediocre work with no guarantee that they’ll find an entry to suit their needs.

The second one there is probably the most damaging. A designer can’t create the best design without a full picture of the client’s business and their needs. Most clients aren’t adept enough to put together a thorough design brief for these contests that gives a true picture of what they need. Skilled designers can ask the right questions to get the information they need to create an awesome design, but that’s generally not possible in these kinds of contests.

As far as the damaging effects on designers and the design industry as a whole, we’ve already mentioned that designers doing spec work are effectively working for free at least part of the time. What other industries expect their workers to perform a day’s work without a guarantee of pay? Would an accountant agree to work for free and only be paid if you’re satisfied with their work? Not likely. Other negatives for designers and the industry include:

• Time you spend on a spec project could be better spent on paid work, or on marketing yourself to get paid work.
• You’re opening yourself up to infringement. A company might go with a different designer, but then incorporate parts of your work, without paying you.
• You’re setting a precedent that design work isn’t as valuable as other kinds of work, and that it’s all just one big contest, not “real” work.

The last one there is the one that tends to get designers who have nothing to do with spec work worked up. Because when you take on spec work, you’re inevitably damaging the standing of the entire design industry. It’s a bad precedent, and one that could prove difficult to overcome.

If you’re a student or new designer looking to add pieces to your portfolio, there are a few other options available to you other than spec work.

• Get in touch with local charities or community groups and see about doing some pro-bono work for them.
• Get in touch with friends or family who own businesses who might want some design work done and see about making a trade or doing some work for free. Make it clear that this is a one-time offer, and that you’re doing it to add to your portfolio.
• Create projects for fake clients, or create some stock designs to sell. This is a great way to add to your portfolio without providing work for free, and if you sell stock designs, you might even be able to earn some money on the side.

Another reasonable option that can work for some projects is to offer to do only a part of the project (for your regular hourly rate), and if the client likes it, they’ll have you do the rest of the project, too.

This way, you’re getting paid for the work performed, but the client doesn’t have to shell out a huge amount of money when they’re unsure. Just make sure you get a deposit or payment up front in full, and that they understand that additional work will require additional payment.

Good Contest and Crowdsourcing Options

Now, just because most spec work could unequivocally be called unethical doesn’t mean that there aren’t any examples of companies that use crowdsourcing in positive ways.

Crowdsourcing contests that are aimed squarely at fans and amateurs, rather than professionals, are generally good fun. These contests aren’t usually looking for professional-caliber design work (no big rebranding campaigns or the like), but are rather looking for ideas that come from the people who love their products. These types of contests often don’t have cash prizes, but rather prizes of products or related items (trips, electronics, etc.).

The big difference here, again, is that these contests are aimed at non-professional fans of a company, not at design professionals. They’re simply a way of giving fans more input and making them feel more involved, and are more of a PR effort than a serious search for a new design or artwork.

Another popular type of design contest is one run for children and/or students. These are often done by charities or organizations, and the prize is rarely money (though sometimes prizes are things like scholarships). Sometimes the winning design is used in some sort of marketing or product sales, but just as often they’re simply showcased as the winner of the contest. When the contests are for older students (including college students), the prize might even be something like an internship.

These kinds of contests, when squarely aimed at students rather than professionals, is a good example of a positive type of design contest. The students can add the contest to their college applications or future resumes, but these contests are generally done more to raise goodwill than for any other purpose.

Taking Advantage of Clients

Any designer who’s been in business long enough has dealt with nightmare clients that are never satisfied and can never make up their minds. We’ve dealt with other clients who are assertive and demand that we meet our obligations as laid out in the contract to the letter (which we should be doing anyway).

But then, every once in awhile, we get a client who isn’t assertive, who doesn’t hold us accountable, and is generally so agreeable that they’ll never complain or hold anything against us. This can be a dream client. But this can also make it very tempting for some designers to take advantage of their goodwill.

These clients won’t complain if we miss a deadline or don’t do everything quite as they asked. They’ll still pay us on time and tell their friends about us. But that doesn’t mean it’s ethical not to hold up our end of the bargain.

In most cases, designers know a lot more about design than their clients do. We know more about the technical aspects, the aesthetics, and the process. And clients put their trust in us to steer them in the right direction. They also trust us to act like professionals and to respect them in return for them respecting us.

Whatever client you’re working with, whether it’s the nightmare client who demands you go way above and beyond or the pushover, make sure you uphold your side of the contract. Do what you said you’d do, when you said you’d do it, and if for some reason you can’t, offer to do what it takes to make up for it.

Taking Advantage of Other Designers

If you ever subcontract or outsource any part of your design work, make sure you’re not taking advantage of your contractors.

Sure, it’s reasonable for you to make some profit on the work they’ve done (after all, you’re the one who had to secure the contract and serve as a liaison with the client), but that doesn’t mean you can take advantage of a contractor.

It’s not ethical to charge your client $100/hour for design work that you’re then outsourcing for $10/hour. Your client wouldn’t appreciate it, and I’m sure your subcontractor wouldn’t appreciate it if they found out you were marking up their services 1000%.

The general rule of thumb here is that if you’d be ashamed to tell your client how much you actually paid for the work performed, you’re probably stiffing your subcontractor.

Overcharging

Clients don’t always know what goes into a design project. They don’t know whether you spent an hour or ten hours working on something. That makes it easy to charge clients way more than what your usual hourly rate would be.

Then again, the ethics of this also depend on how your rates are structured. If you charge a set hourly rate based on the time you actually work on a project, then charging for more hours than you actually spent on a project would almost certainly be unethical. But, if you charge by the project or based on market factors, then you’re not agreeing to charge based on the time you spent.

In those cases, as long as you’re charging what you and the client agreed upon, there’s nothing unethical about it if your hourly rate ends up being $500 an hour because this particular project went more smoothly than most others. Devaluing your work by charging less than what the client expects could end up doing more damage to your longterm business and the industry in general than charging the agreed-upon fee. After all, what happens if their next project for you is a nightmare and they expect another discount?

Make sure that you’re also upfront with clients about when they might incur charges above and beyond what’s spelled out in your contract. Clients who suddenly get a bill that’s 15% or 20% higher than what they originally expected aren’t going to be happy.

It’s a good idea to not only lay out in the contract when extra charges might occur, but also to let the client know when a request they’re making will actually result in those extra charges.

Full Disclosure of Terms

It’s important that you disclose all the terms of your work with your clients. This means everything from payments and when they might incur extra charges, to who owns the rights to the work you create. Ideally, this should all be spelled out in a contract.

Designers who aren’t working with a contract really should start. While a fully legal contract is a good idea, you should, at the very least, have a document that both you and your client sign that spells out what the work is to be performed and what both sides expect.

Make sure, too, that you let your clients know if any part of their design includes stock artwork, and what the licensing terms are. The last thing you want is an angry client coming to you saying that they’re being sued because they used some part of your design in a different way and then found out that part of the design wasn’t original.

In fact, it can be a good idea to tell clients up front that you may use stock artwork for aspects of the design (textures or patterns, for example). Some clients may not want any stock artwork to be used, and it’s better to know these things up front.

Ownership of Source Files

This is probably one of the murkiest areas of design ethics. Should you turn over the source files to your clients when you complete a project for them? While you may have made it clear that they own the design, do they own the files for that design?

I think a lot of designers handle this by only turning over source files if the client asks for them. After all, most clients don’t need (and won’t have any idea what to do with) your PSD files. But, in the event that they want to have someone else take over making changes and updates to their site (maybe they’ve hired someone to do these things in-house), it’s really the ethical thing to do to hand over these designs, unless it was spelled out otherwise in your contract.

When a Client/Your Boss Asks You to Copy Another Design

This is one of those unfortunate situations that crops up from time to time. You start working with a client and they give you some examples of sites they like to “give you ideas”. You come back with a mockup, and they suggest changes. After one or two more rounds of revisions, you realize that they don’t want their site to be reminiscent of the site of one of their competitors, they want it to be identical.

There are two kinds of clients who do this. The first are the clueless ones. They just don’t get why it’s wrong to use someone else’s design. In those cases, education is the best answer. Tell them why it’s unethical and that you can’t do it, but that you’ll create something that’s better, because it will be specifically tailored to their business.

The other kind of client or boss that does this is the kind that knows it’s wrong, knows it’s illegal, but wants to do it anyway, hoping to ride on the coattails of the more successful business. These are the people who will blatantly tell you that they want it as identical as you can make it without getting them sued.

My best advice when dealing with these kinds of clients is to extricate yourself from the business relationship as soon as you can. You won’t be able to reason with them, and they’ll likely fire you anyway if you refuse to steal the hard work of others.

Stealing the designs of others is always unethical. If your client or boss doesn’t understand this, it’s time to find a new job or a new client.

It’s Really About Communication

A large percentage of ethical dilemmas in the design world can be overcome through clear communication between client and designer. If designers get a thorough idea of what their client wants and expects before signing a contract, they’re less likely to run into potential ethical issues.

Unethical practices hurt the entire design industry. Don’t be afraid to speak out against unethical practices, though make sure you’re doing so in a way that promotes ethical behavior as opposed to just ranting (though ranting can be helpful at times, too).

Written exclusively for WDD by Cameron Chapman.

How do you deal with some of the issues presented here? How do you handle a project when ethical issues arise?

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We all have our designer, developer and client hats on as we surf blogs such as this one, but many of us are also bloggers. Anyone can be a blogger, but not every blogger improves the quality of content on the Internet.

A successful blog is the result of a lot of hard work by the blogger(s) who run it. The extent of its success depends on the blog’s style, its content, its focus on its core subject matter, as well as its marketing and publicity.

It is time to look at the 7 different types of bloggers who contribute to the quality of the web in the hope of creating an engaging and entertaining playground for all.

1. The Controversial Opportunist

The latest news and hottest topics are the controversial opportunist’s thing.

A talented researcher, he stays on top of the competition by knowing what everyone else is blogging about and by keeping a close eye on the latest news and gossip.

The moment a piece of information hits the general public, he quickly produces similar content to ride on the wave of popularity, or he tries to be contentious and stand out from the crowd by challenging it.

The controversial opportunist cleverly plays on the popularity of information by adding just the right amount of spin, but without getting into trouble for it. He dabbles in risky business but likes to tango with the dark side in order to be provocative.

Although he is accused of not having a mind of his own, one has to give him credit for being able to swoop in quickly and find an interesting way to stimulate thought and controversy.

“Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.”
– Demosthenes

2. The Self-Indulger

Placing little importance on public opinion, the self-indulger plays God on his blog.

He carefully filters what he shares with the public. His blog is merely for self-entertainment, an avenue to share his thoughts and opinions without the pressure of deadlines; a personal diary of sorts.

Fame is inconsequential to him, and revenue is a non-issue. For the self-indulger, if you don’t like what you see, so be it. Blogging is a personal exercise, and he has the right to freedom of speech, so “please keep your comments to yourself, thank you very much.”

And yet, the self-indulger often attracts attention, even though he has a blog that no one really follows or learns from. He is instantly recognizable at conferences and meet-ups, and yet no one knows exactly what they like about him. He’s famous merely for being famous.

3. The Deceitful Bandit

Repackaging is the deceitful bandit’s forte. He is cunning and manipulative. Able to cleverly rephrase and restructure words slightly differently to pass off as his own work, he does not give credit to the original source, unless he gets caught red-handed.

His brazen freeloading does not stop with text; he even pulls images from other websites. Despite this, he does not shy away from public visibility, and he is unabashed in promoting his blog and creating link-bait and spam ambushes.

The deceitful bandit may come across as credible, but he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He hides his motives well until he is ready to steal from his unsuspecting victims.

In order to maximize his catch, he casts a wide net over many blogs to reel in good content. Fast and lethal, he is like a hungry cheetah in the wild. Once he’s got his eye on the prize, the prey is not likely to escape unscathed.

“The winner is the chef who takes the same ingredients as everyone else and produces the best results.” – Edward de Bono

4. The Leeching Mercenary

Taking a page out of Jerry Maguire’s book, “Show me the money!” is probably the leeching mercenary’s favorite line. He goes where the money is.

The name suits him because he leeches off of the fame and success of prominent blogs by guest writing on them more regularly than on his own. His puts his blog in the back seat in order to help other blogs grow.

In fact, guest blogging could become his primary occupation, perhaps becoming a full-time profession. Despite the fact that he contributes to the community, though, no one likes a leech.

That isn’t to say that the leeching mercenary’s work is not up to standard or good enough to earn a decent living. However, he has chosen to take short cuts in the hope of gaining instant fame and success. Before you can conquer others, you must first conquer yourself; after all, you are your greatest enemy and ally.

One cannot leech off others forever; and without a well-maintained blog of his own, the leeching mercenary will not be able to survive long in this way.

“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”
Thomas Jefferson

5. The Zealous Evangelist

Passionate and overenthusiastic, the zealous evangelist goes on and on about topics that he vehemently believes in. However, blind faith doesn’t always serve him well.

The content may be beautifully written and rich, but the logic and substance may be lacking. He skims the tip of the iceberg but doesn’t care to explore its depths. He avoids any perspective that challenges his ideas or content.

He is hardworking and determined, constantly promoting his content, hoping to convince others of his ways and gain more followers. But the zealous evangelist can come across as pushy and irrationally stubborn because he is so set in his beliefs. He does not consider other people’s ideas if they challenge his. His passion might even hinder his ability to think logically and could cause friction with others.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh weak. He believes he can help or teach others, but he might not actually have the ability to do so well. His content, though serious and with merit, can come across as biased and can thus impede discussion, becoming boring and stale.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
– Albert Schweitzer

6. The Influential Wordsmith

Respected and influential, his content is highly regarded, without necessarily being fanciful or well designed. The influential wordsmith is able to captivate his audience and initiate thoughtful discourse. Everyone wants a piece of him. He is invited to every conference, and everyone wants to guest blog for him.

This respect is well deserved. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; he treats the community like family, freely offers help and shares his philosophy openly. His love and respect for the community is the reason why he is loved and respected in return.

He is wise and humble. He captivates his audience when he speaks. But he is not without flaws. Occasionally, even the influential wordsmith will take a wrong turn. But he does not shrink from responsibility, and he will graciously and sincerely admit to his mistakes. In turn, people forgive and forget. His honesty and righteousness are the reason why everyone trusts him; he proves time and again that he is without a hidden agenda.

“Seek to understand then to be understood.”
– Stephen Covey

7. The Quality Supplier

A quick thinker, the quality supplier is astute and capable of understanding what the reader needs and wants most.

Forward-thinking, he is able to race ahead of the controversial opportunist and provide rich and resourceful material to his audience. Rather than force others to accept his ideas, he presents his material in an unbiased way and helps the community to make informed choices by allowing them to look objectively at both sides of the coin. His deferential manner allows readers to think for themselves and to make decisions based on their own preferences.

With a wealth of knowledge, the quality supplier generously provides readers with information and is patient with their concerns and questions. One could say he is a guru in his niche market.

Without complaining, he works tirelessly to improve his blog, to the point of obsession. He aims to offer tips 24/7 for the benefit of readers. Their enjoyment is his payment for all the hard work he puts into his blog; the rest is inconsequential.

“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
– Thomas Edison

Many variables contribute to the kinds of bloggers we become. Age, personal circumstances and even our main job all affect the way we think and write.

Written exclusively for Webdesigner Depot by Aidan Huang, a freelance developer, designer and ingenious blogger. He is one of the editors-in-chief at Onextrapixel. Follow him on Twitter @AidanOXP

What kind of blogger are you? Are you a combination of the seven mentioned in this article? Share with us your thoughts in the comments below; after all, intelligent discourse is the ultimate aim.

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