Many of us dream of being our own boss, being able to set our own hours and choose what kind of work we take on. But achieving this aim takes years, and even the first step can feel intimidating. Giving up that regular paycheck and setting up on your own is a big step. That is why it is important we prepare beforehand. Before you consider leaving your existing job take the time to build your business so that on day one you have the basics in place: things...

So you think you are a user experience designer? Are you sure? You might have it in your job title, but are you somebody who designs experiences for users? Or do you design user interfaces? UX vs. UI Some argue that you cannot design a user’s experience. After all there are so many things beyond your control that you cannot influence. But that is not my point. My point is that many people claim to design experiences, when they are actually designing...

Time for a harsh truth: You can be the best designer in the world producing stunning user interfaces, but it doesn’t matter; you can be the most accomplished coder who develops ground breaking techniques, but it is irrelevant; your work will not speak for itself, you need to promote it. Do you think the big names of the web industry are the best coders, the best designers? I can tell you they are not. They are just the best you have heard of. The ones...

We have all been there haven’t we? The meeting where the client asks you to subscribe users to their newsletter without their permission. Or when they insist on adding an overlay to the homepage promoting their latest offer. In fact these kinds of requests have become so common that they have their own name — dark patterns. As web designers these kinds of requests seem so alien. The idea of user centric design lies at the heart of everything...

Some days work sucks. We start out with good intentions, but our energy levels are low and we go from constructively improving our website to surfing the App Store looking for new games to play. One response to this kind of procrastination is to force yourself to continue working. You plug away at whatever task you said you would work on at the beginning of the day, but achieve little. This can feel like banging your head against a brick wall and prove...

Whether you are a web design freelancer trying to win new work, an entrepreneur promoting your web app, or a corporate drone looking to enhance your career, you will need a blog. In fact the personal blog has almost become a requirement for any web professional. The problem is, they are a pain to keep up. Sure we all start off well. We launch our blog with one or two posts in mind. However, we quickly give up and the site is left to stagnate. The problem...

You have a broken blog. In fact it is not just your blog. Its pretty much every blog out there. The problem is that blogs are fundamentally flawed. Blogs are great if you use them for their original purpose. However, we often use them for a lot more than a chronological series of posts that have a short shelf life. Take this website. The articles posted here are a valuable resource and yet, like most blogs, when they have slipped off the front page...

Some people collect stamps, others spot trains; I have become obsessed with wireframing software. I have tried and fallen in love with countless applications, from Balsamiq to Mockingbird to FlairBuilder. Although each has felt like true love, over time my gaze has wandered, and I find myself flirting with another tool. They all look so alluring, but over time I see their shortcomings. Perhaps I am just too fussy. Perhaps my needs are too unusual....

As web designers, we all seem obsessed by HTML5 and CSS3 at the moment. Endless posts, tutorials and discussion about them dominate the blogosphere. But how much are we learning that can be applied today? 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...

Life as a web designer can be insanely busy. We have multiple clients, each making numerous demands on our time. We work in a fast-moving sector in which we have to constantly relearn our skills. We also read endless posts that encourage us to network and develop our “personal brand.” 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...

Do you ever feel like you are endlessly repeating the same day? I do, every time I attend a kickoff meeting with a new client. Each time I find myself covering the same old issues from explaining the client's role, to encouraging investment in content. I find it incredibly frustrating and this is what ultimately led me to write the Website Owners Manual. This is not a criticism of clients, however. There is so little information that clearly defines...