A few days ago I attended the New Adventures in Web Design conference 2012 in Nottingham. This was my first conference so I didn’t really know what to expect or what I would get out of the experience. Therefore I’m not going to compare this experience to a previous conference or comment on what they could have done or should not have done as I am not aware of the usual conference status quo. Plus I think the team behind the conference did such a wonderful job and I really cannot fault them on any area.

Instead I’ve decided to write about what I took away from the conference in terms of inspiration and professional knowledge. There were 8 speakers at the conference so I thought that I should write about the main point that I took away from each talk. These are of course my own take away thoughts and not necessarily the focus of each talk – although generally speaking, that is the case.

1. Design-ish: Behind, beneath, and between the comps

Speaker: Dan Mall

To constantly evolve and re-think my design process and my interactions with clients and colleagues. How can I change my process to come to a better solution? How can I create an end product that not only meets the brief but meets the needs the client didn’t even know they (or their audience) had. And this isn’t necessarily to do with the artwork, or the code, or the CMS used; but could be in the Invisible Deliverables – things like grids, design briefs, flow concepts, animation concepts. To tinker with the process and to look beyond the obvious.

2. Going Beyond

Speaker: Naomi Atkinson

Generally as designers we suck at self-promotion and self-branding. We don’t understand the role of the client, and yet get frustrated with clients when they don’t fulfil their role correctly. We forget that good self-branding allows us to mold how the world sees us. By evolving and developing our logo, our tone of voice, our style, our writing, we can change how the world perceives us. This also gives us the power to change the world and do something good and worth while.

3. We Used to Build Forts

Speaker: Travis Schmeisser

Sometimes its good to relax, chill out and remember why we got into design in the first place, to go back to our creative roots. With the endless responsibilities and deadlines of client work and even life, we forget how we used to create for the love of it and because on some level, we needed to. As designers we need to loosen up and let the natural creative process occur. Use personal projects as a chance to experiment and make mistakes, and use this growth in our client work. Re-find our creative identity and create for the sake of creating.

4. The Mindful Designer

Speaker: Robbie Manson

To re-claim your most powerful tool – your brain. To allow a concept or thought to develop away from tools, such as the computer. To become a mature and mindful designer by using mindful thinking – that is, to allow for experimentations and happy accidents, and to let mistakes teach you how to make successes. It is only by experience that we can make informed decisions.

5. Break Everything

Speaker: Trent Walton

To be innovative, we need to break things. This is how we can truly understand how they work and therefore how we can push them to their limits, and of course, how we can make them better. We need to put aside the fear of experimentation and failure because there are lessons to be learnt in failing. And in each failing we come a step closer to success, to true innovation.

6. The Potential Impact of Design

Speaker: Cameron Koczon

Each of us has the ability to have an affect on the world around us, and even the world at large, to have an impact, to change things. That change doesn’t have to be big but we should do it while doing something that we love. Make this year count!

7. Your Brain on Creativity

Speaker: Denise Jacobs

The core of this message was that ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. Basically that in order to reach our potential, to be creative, we need to have down-time. Time away from work, from technology, from stress. We need to play, to laugh, to take time to breathe so that we can reset our batteries and get the two sides of our brain to re-sync again. Because it is only when they are working together that we can be creative and can do ourselves justice. It is time to stop over-thinking and time to banish our inner critic and allow ourselves to reach our creative potential.

8. It Moves

Speaker: Frank Chimero

A designer is anyone who wants to make things better, who can find the exceptional and is not distracted by the everyday. Good design is game-changing, even life-changing. When a design is exceptional, when it is so good, we don’t even notice it. Good design takes on a life of its own, it grows and spreads – it moves. Everything in our world moves and changes. And perhaps nowhere more so than in the web design industry where things are constantly changing, where every two years the whole industry has essentially re-invented itself. To be a good designer and to stay a good one, we need to accept, to embrace the ever-changing industry we work in and to move with it.

Want to know more?

Did the conference sound like something you really would have enjoyed and you’re gutted that you missed it? While here’s some useful links to this year’s website where you can read up on the event and even download this year’s newspaper – its only £1 and definitely worth it. Go on, be a sport!

Website: http://2012.newadventuresconf.com/
Newspaper: http://2012.newadventuresconf.com/paper/
Twitter: @naconf and #naconf

And I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for making the event such a success. Such a great first conference experience – I’ll definitely be back!

When we come across a site that’s different for all the right reasons, it often sticks in our head because it was an enjoyable experience. Can you remember a site that was warm and welcoming? Where the text was clear and easy to read? The navigation was easy to follow? That site was well-designed. Its designer had the end-user in mind at all times during the design process.

There are not always set ingredients which make the perfect website cake, but there’s certainly plenty of ways to improve your website, and in turn, a user’s experience; to make your site a nicer place to be.

The Design Devil is in the Detail

Without the extra attention to detail, websites can be pretty flat and boring, even ‘samey’. A lot of times they can look nothing like the world around us, making them hard to relate to and the online experience poor. This is a problem.

This is where we as designers need to take the extra step and design websites that people can relate to. When we design for humans, for the people who are actually going to be using our websites, we create better solutions to the design and communication problem we have been set. And often, designs appear simpler, cleaner and more elegant.

Already a lot of designers have taken this step and are designing websites that just make sense. Without the continuous changes in the web industry – the developments that have been made to figure out what works and what doesn’t – the internet would still be in its infancy in design terms. It was not so very long ago that we threw every trick we had into every website we designed and built; just because we could, and not because we should.

Dare I say it – we could still have an online world were animated gifs of glitter unicorns and bright green text on a black background are still the norm! Thankfully we have move on from this. But there is still much we can do to improve.

Design you can Relate to

This is where designing for humans comes into play. There are lots of articles which talk about User Experience (UX) and the User Interface (UI). And that’s not quite what I am about to explain. If you want to read about this, here are a few resources to get you started:

• inspireUX – User Experience quotes and articles
• SitePoint – How to Quantify the User Experience
• Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox – Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design
• Webdesigner Depot – Strengthening Behavioural Cues in UX Web Design with Gestalt Principles

What I want to talk about is designing websites which look familiar to us, which look like the real world, which even have depth and dimension and actually ‘feel’ tactile. It’s these elements of design which make a visitor feel at home when they arrive at your website door.

So how can we achieve this?

1. Create a Light Source

In our lives away from the computer screen, our world has many light sources – the sun, moon, stars, street lights, lamps, candles, TV, etc. These create highlights and shadows on the multitude of objects in the world. They create different tones and shades of colour. And this gives our world depth and dimension – something not easily replicated on a flat surface such as a sheet of paper… or a computer screen.

We can however replicate the effect of light using gradients and drop-shadows, to create the highlights and multitude of tones we see in the real world. Drop-shadows give us a sense of depth and allow us to place objects above and below others, creating a stacking effect and even a sense of third dimension.

Plus as designers we can use this effect to give objects priority over others; to draw the visitor’s attention towards a particular goal, such as a call-to-action.

Even with all this depth something can still seem missing.

2. Add Texture

Everything in our world has a texture. Whether rough or smooth, furry, soft, hard, cold, sharp or a whole host of other possibilities, everything is tactile and has its own unique feel.

Unfortunately we can’t re-create the actual tactile-ness of our world on screen (but how great would that be?) so instead we need to use visual clues of texture to convey the concept and to trigger the memory of texture in the mind of the site visitor.

Well use textures are often subtle, so we need to be careful not to over-do-it. But when used well, texture can really set a website apart. Whether its the promise of sand between your toes from a holiday accommodation website or the prospect of great views and dirty shoes from an outdoor adventure centre site, texture can be a great asset in reinforcing the message in your site’s text, and the propose of the website itself.

3. Make it Look Real

People relate best to what they know. If a visitor comes to your website and has to learn a new visual language, chances are you’ve lost them.

By making your design elements look familiar, by basing them on their real-world counter-parts, you are placing your visitor into a world that they are familiar with and where they feel at home, rather than on an alien planet.

There are many ways to achieve this. It could be image slides that look like a stack of Polaroids, an events calendar that looks like a wall calendar, or the use of icons to represent information, such as telephone, email and postal address.

Some designers have even went a step further and created a website environment which looks and behaves like the real world. This solution isn’t easy to achieve, and nor will it be suitable for every design problem, but when it works, it really works!

4. Don’t Forget the White Space

So easy to get wrong, both by not spacing your content or by in fact over-doing-it. White space is just like a room – most of us can’t work in a messy room, so don’t make your site visitors read cluttered content. Because quite simply, they won’t.

On a pole to that, I believe that too much white space can also be a bad thing. Ever been in an empty white room? Talk about boring! Also by spacing out your content too much you can break the flow and make your page fragmented. Worse still, visitors might not even realise that there is any more content!

Note: White space is not empty space – it is a key element to great design and therefore should be carefully thought-out. It also does not have to be white.

5. Create a Hierarchy

This is where careful consideration of your content comes into play. Whatever you’ve got – images, text, video, diagrams, even music – it all has to work together in a way that flows and makes sense. In its simplest terms, you’ll want to take a visitor from an initial simple concept, to overview content, to detailed content.

Take the example of a website promoting a product. Often you’ll have a simple line or two of text along with the ‘hero image’ which explains the product (or its purpose) on a very simple level. If the visitor likes this, they often get 3-4 key features of the product, maybe a demo video, maybe a testimonial, and in certain cases a bit about the company. If any of these is of interest to the visitor, they can usually read more on a new page which goes into detail.

The visitor gets the information that they want, in the level of detail that they want, and the content flows easily from one level to another. This is effective use of hierarchy in your website content.

6. Make it Legible

Building on the previous two points, make sure the visitor can read the content. No matter how great your site’s design is, chances are that the visitor is there for the content. By making effective use of layout, white space and hierarchy, you can make content more accessible to the visitor.

Other simpler considerations we as designers need to be aware of are font size, use of titles to break up text and create sections, and contrast between the text and the background (and remember that too much contrast can also be a bad thing).

7. Push Your Unique Selling Point

As much as we like things that are familiar to us, we also like it when we come across something that is different or even unique. If your website has a unique selling point, or is selling a product or service that is doing something different, use this to your advantage and push its unique selling point to its limits.

However if you are creating a website where the subject matter is fairly run-of-the-mill, then you may want to find a different design solution to communicate to the site visitor, to help you stand out from the crowd.

After all, variety is the spice of life!

In the End, It’s All About the Site Visitor

Design considerations which keep the end-user in mind can go from fairly skin deep decisions, such as text and background colour, to more thought-out and carefully considered decisions that can affect the whole site’s layout.

What I have discussed above is by no means an extensive list but points which I hope highlight the importance of good design choices in order to make a successful website that people will want to spend time on.

I am sure that there are many more points which come into play in your design process, some of which I may not have even considered. And I hope that you’ll share these in the comments below.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways we can build up our confidence so that we may show ourselves off as professionals and to our full potential. Here are my top 10 tips for helping you build some self-confidence as a professional website designer or developer:

1. Dress Sharp

It is true that real confidence comes from within, by being comfortable in your own skin. However dressing sharp can do wonders for an instant confidence boost. Taking care of your appearance by dressing smart and being well-groomed can give you that extra little push that you may need, such as meeting that big client for the first time.

And also by dressing for the occasion, you send across the right message to the client – that you are a professional and will provide a top-quality service.

2. Walk Faster

It’s so simple yet so effective. Pick up the pace when you’re walking, walk tall and strong, walk like you have somewhere important to go and people to see. This makes you feel important and gives off a sense of importance to those around. You are someone to take note off!

Plus you’ll get to your next meeting on time and may even get fit in the process!

3. Good Posture

Similar to walking faster, practice good posture. Sit up straight, keep your head up and make eye contact – we all know how important eye contact with a client is when aiming to seal the deal. Good posture conveys enthusiasm and alertness; you want to be there and you care about your client’s needs.

Your energetic movements will leave you feeling empowered! And of course, we should never underestimate the importance of good posture with regards to your health – especially in a profession were we spend a good portion of the day sitting down.

4. Personal Commercial

Just like getting into a ‘bad crowd’ at school and falling under negative influence, we can also find positive influence by following confident people. Today this is perhaps easier than ever thanks to social-networking.

Try listening to confident people and speakers. Create a 30-60 second speech or mantra which highlights your strengths and goals, and go over your speech every time you need a little confidence boost or need to re-focus your attentions. There is nothing wrong with reminding yourself of what you’re trying to get out of a situation and where you want to go in life.

5. Gratitude

In today’s economical climate, it can be all to easy to focus on the things you want and the things you don’t have. Your mind will create additional reasons as to why you can not have these things – further adding to the negative affect and making it more difficult to get motivated.

Instead, be thankful for what you do have and spend some time reflecting on how far you’ve come – this will help you see the good in your situation and help you stay motivated.

6. Compliment Others

Sometimes as designers and developers, we can be too wrapped up in our own little world; spending all day looking at the computer and not communicating (in person) with anyone. No wonder some days when we finally switch-off we feel so stressed out and miserable!

Unfortunately these negative feelings can easy be projected on to others, such as through insults, sarcasm or just plain bad manners.

Break the cycle and start praising others and their work. Look for the best in other people – you’ll be surprised at how good it makes you feel. And you never know, you may even receive a compliment in return.

7. Sit in the Front Row

A great tip for conferences, large team meetings and even designer/developer get-togethers – sit at the front and get noticed. People who sit at the back have a fear of being noticed or for some reason do not want to be noticed, just think of school.

Sitting at the front helps you get over this irrational fear and gets you noticed by the important people – such as the conference speaker, the company director or manager, or the designer/developer that everyone wants to work with.

8. Speak Up

If you are like me, the bigger the group, the harder it is to share your thoughts and ideas. However this too is an irrational fear – what exactly are you afraid of? Speak up and share your ideas – you never know, your idea may be the winning formula!

By speaking at least once in a group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker. This helps you build up confidence in your own thoughts and ideas, as well as helping you become recognised as a group leader.

9. Work Out

Carrying on from the health benefits of walking faster, working out and physical fitness has a huge affect on your confidence levels. Firstly, exercise releases endorphins which makes you feel great! And by being physically fit, you look and feel better. Exercise regimes also create positive discipline which you can carry through into your work ethic.

And again, in a profession were we spend a good portion of the day sitting still, the benefits of exercise really can not be underestimated.

10. Focus On Contribution

Often we focus too much on ourselves, our misfortunes and our flaws. Instead try focusing on contributing to your community or even the world at large. By switching your focus from internal to external, you’ll not worry so much about your own flaws.

I personally feel that as designers and developers, we are very good at supporting each other through our on-line communities. And there is nothing like the confidence boost you receive when your little pet-project suddenly becomes a global phenomenon!

To Conclude

We all lack confidence in different areas of our lives and the list above aims to cover many of these situations. This is by no means a comprehensive list of confidence building techniques but I do hope that you are able to take away at least one point.

Now over to you. Do you have any tips or techniques which help you build up your confidence? Please share them in the comments below so that others may learn from your experience.