Eclectic Internet LLC is one of the northwest's leading Internet development companies. Eclectic has more than three years experience and expertise that covers a full range of Internet technologies, including website development, graphic design, viral marketing, Macromedia Flash Animation, and Intranet solutions. Clients range from startups and emerging industry leaders to multimillion-dollar organizations and include the University of Puget Sound, Wolfgang Puck's Coffee, and the Seattle Seahawks. For more information, visit Eclectic Internet LLC on the web at http://www.eclecticinternet.com.
New technology should be embraced, but used in moderation to achieve an appropriate balance of information and design. This has been my credo since my earliest days in the world of Web design (way back in 1996!). The past five years have seen amazing advances in Web technology, especially amazing considering the relatively short time span. We've come a long way since the days of plain old HTML, and today's new flashy interactive sites are testament to that. Too often, however, the reason for even having a Website gets lost in the muddled mess I call over-design'.
We've all heard the old adage all things in moderation, and it certainly applies itself to Web and multimedia design. Often times extra features are added to sites that offer no real advantage to the end user. Before, during and after development of any site, we must constantly ask ourselves What is this site for?
Of course, it's really no big secret. You've got information you want to relay to an audience. Or, you've got an audience from whom you'd like to gather information. Or both. Websites are about the exchange of information. Good Web design facilitates this exchange, plain and simple.
But what about the entertainment factor?
Good question. How one wishes to convey this information is another matter entirely, or rather, perhaps better stated, it is an additional matter that now must be considered. As bandwidth grows and we rapidly move away from the days of 14.4 and 28.8 modems, more and more users can take advantage of the new technologies that are allowing us to put more bang on the Web. From a graphic designer's standpoint, this is very exciting indeed. It gives us more development options, and therefore, it also gives each of our clients a wider array of solutions from which to choose. Of course, this complicates matters as well. Should we use Flash animation on our site? How about DHTML rollovers for the navigation? Is a 20-second animated splash page really necessary?
The answers to these questions are never easy, and yet we face them with every client. Our decisions take into consideration many different factors. Of course every client has different needs and unique expectations for the performance of their site. What it really boils down to is achieving a balance of information and design based upon a variety of factors including the client's target audience, the goals we wish to obtain through the site, the image the client wishes to convey through these online materials, and any technological limitations we must take into consideration for whatever reasons.
Questions, questions, questions! A good development team will bombard a client with all sorts of questions, and then of course consult with them to find the answers. Will my audience need to download an additional browser plug-in to view all or part of my site? What is the average browser and connection speed my target audience is using? Do I need to design below that platform and/or speed? Will an opening animated splash page help or hinder my site? What's more important for my needs, pop and glitz, or information and ease of use? How many clicks before a user gets what they need?
Faster lines (DSL and cable modems) and advances in technology (DHTML coding and Macromedia Flash) are opening doors for designers and their clients. The Web itself is changing too. What started out merely as a vast source of information has quickly grown into a conglomeration of commerce, news, entertainment and education.
Whether designing a site to advertise a new movie, or creating a site to sell event tickets, or developing an online resource for real estate brokers, an appropriate balance of information and design can always be implemented by first asking the right questions, and then consulting with the right company for answers.
As technology continues to advance, I look forward to the challenges of directing each of our existing and new clients in the proper direction in regards to what is right for them on the Web. Relying upon our past experience and keeping up with each newly emerging trend allows us to offer our clients the greatest number of options. We can also offer the greatest amount of knowledge when it comes to good Web design, and that forethought will always be as important as the actual implementation.
Jamey Baumgardt
Executive Vice President
At Eclectic, we are completely aware that the quality of the relationship between the designer and the client can make or break the design process of Website development. It is very important to maintain an open dialogue throughout the process to ensure that the client stays well informed. Having the client included in the design process better guarantees that we, as a design team, will stay on track in developing a solution that falls within the client's wishes.
There are many approaches to begin development on a project. The client may have no idea what they want as far as design and layout, or, they may have something very specific in mind and simply wish to use a design team to make their vision a reality. Whatever the case, our primary job is the same: to collaborate with the client to develop the best solution based upon their wishes and our expertise and experience. And, as in anything, the best solutions come from positive situations where everybody is involved and excited.
The designer's role in the process is obviously an important one. We use our creativity and our experience to build Websites that efficiently present the client's message and information, and by doing so we give businesses, both large and small, an effective presence on the Internet. One of a Web designer's most important roles is taking information and assembling it well, by employing good design, clean layout and an intelligent hierarchy.
The first step, of course, is listening to the client. We feel that our clients are our richest resource when it comes to the initial phase of development. The more information and guidance we receive from them, the better our initial designs. The entire process, more often than not, is a collaborative effort. We take initial ideas from the client, combine them with our design expertise, and come up with solid first phase compositions. In further meetings we bounce ideas back and forth, sparking even more, and better, ideas. We urge the client to share with us their wildest dreams for their site. We act as consultant, letting them know what is possible and what is not, based upon previously defined restrictions and design prerequisites.
As a development team, we also need to offer each client several options. Chances are, we won't nail the exact design the first time around, and so we present the client with many ideas during the initial phases of design. As a designer, this is one of the more rewarding parts of the design process, a time where we really learn to stretch our imagination and design skills.
Our process allows us to build on our ideas in combination with a steady flow of feedback from the client. Through our open process, the client is able to choose the aspects of our ideas they wish to keep, and also get us to go back into the designs and modify the parts they feel need more thought. We learn from our clients every day.
At the same time, many times we find it necessary to just say no' to a client. It's not the easiest thing in the world to do, to tell a client that their suggestion or request is not a good one, but we feel it is important to always be honest for the sake of good design. And since we don't relish the thought of anyone's feelings getting hurt, we of course try to be subtle during these times! But even bad ideas will often lead to good solutions through compromise and retooling.
Through a design process that emphasizes steady communication and feedback throughout, we produce some of the cleanest, efficient design on the Web today. We recognize that good design begins with the client. With Eclectic supplying solid experience and direction, good design becomes great.
Blake Kirstine
Designer