Discuss: Redesigning Your Own Site
by Lea Alcantara
- Editorial Comments
2 New angles
I’ve been thinking about redesigning my personal freelance site recently too and you’ve provided some angles to consider that I hadn’t really thought of up until now.
Like the new look too btw. :)
posted at 09:59 am on August 4, 2009 by John Faulds
3 Food for thought
I love this article. I am in the process of getting ready to launch my own website redesign and after reading this it has made me good back and look at the design and think about whether its just me that will like it or whether others will. I always struggle with my own designs forgetting that its not just me that has to like it. I could design a site and love it but if nobody visiting the site loves it then what’s the point?
I have asked other designers for feedback on my own work, but I think after reading this that I will start asking people that are not designers their opinions.
Having never worked with the grid system, and reading your comments about it being a guideline is a good point and one that I will keep in mind on my next project.
Also I love Trebuchet MS for the body font. I use that font myself when appropriate and love it!
Great job on the new design as well.
T
posted at 10:06 am on August 4, 2009 by tbathgate
4 Timely
It’s about the time my own site design is getting stale, so this reminder couldn’t be more timely. Thank you for documenting your redesign journey, Lea, and for giving me the impetus to begin my own.
posted at 11:19 am on August 4, 2009 by Jesse Gardner
5 Always Tough
One thing I would recommend as well is forming a “board of directors” for your redesign. Most companies do this to define the strategy and make good decisions with the steps their business is taking. Even something as simple as forming a Google Group of close friends and colleagues to review your ideas and concepts and offer opinions, it’s best to get feedback early and often from people you respect that understand your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
posted at 02:44 pm on August 4, 2009 by chriswallace
6
Thanks for your comments everyone. :) Glad it resonated.
I just wanted to add to Chris’s statement about a “board of directors.” I think this is absolutely important though I would also be careful about who you let in this “trusted circle.” I personally limited my circle to only 2 designers that are not only good friends, and thus know me personally, but are also unafraid to be blunt and honest about design choices.
I also would limit the number of items you show. Just like with clients, you don’t show every iteration to them. Only the ones you think are ready for prime time. It’s great to get feedback early and often, but you don’t want to get bogged down in a cycle of endless revisions or nitpicking — often a stalling tactic at the heart of it.
posted at 02:53 pm on August 4, 2009 by Lea Alcantara
7
@Samantha Great questions! While I also despair when some awesome fellow designers don’t nurture their own sites, I can also relate. I think the answer is two-fold: one, a lot of designers don’t think in business-terms, and try to think that their work “speaks for themselves” or that “marketing is evil.” Therefore, it’s easy to dismiss the importance of branding. Next, it’s incredibly intimidating because designers are an extremely self-critical, perfectionist bunch. So, we decide to do nothing because doing nothing means you don’t fail and you’re not open to criticism.
In short, to get over the hurdle is to have a shift in perspectives. First, to realize that their number one client is themselves. For example, would you hire a personal trainer who was overweight? No. Neither would a client or peer appreciate a designer who didn’t keep their site “fit.” Design is visual and if there’s nothing to see, there’s… nothing to see. :)
As for perfectionism, this is still an uphill battle. I purposely mentioned in the article that I launched the site 90% complete. I think setting real deadlines for yourself helps get over this. Sometimes a do or die approach works. And like I mention in my article, I invested some of my own money so it became more of an urgent priority.
Regarding the pink choice: yes, absolutely, especially since it’s an overwhelming part of my design. However, branding is not just about attracting the right people, it’s also filtering who you work with. There are definitely pre-conceived notions about pink, but those who fixate on that aren’t clients I want to work with. To me, it means they aren’t seeing the big picture nor are they open minded. It hasn’t harmed my business one bit. The majority of my clients are men, in the 40-50 range. :) They work with me because they receive quality work and like me, pink site and all.
posted at 03:15 pm on August 4, 2009 by Lea Alcantara
8 Know Thyself. Then Redesign Everything.
This post couldn’t have come at a better time. While designing and writing for my personal Blog site http://ruthlessmind.com I’ve found that deviating from who really are is always a mistake. Successfully creating a brand/look/message that fits who we are is so difficult precisely because it takes time to understand one’s self.
For example, what are the characteristics that draw people to you? We can always aspire to be something more (or different), but if we lead with our values—as an individual—then at least we start in the right place. It’s all to easy to loose yourself in the image you’re trying to project. But everything we do in life still comes down to relationships. We’re loyal to the brands and personalities that align with ours. And if some don’t align, that’s okay too. There’s room for everyone.
And that’s the point. If “you” were easy to summarize on a Web site, then you wouldn’t be a very interesting person. So enjoy the struggle! It means you have something different worth sharing.
posted at 05:10 pm on August 4, 2009 by Ruthless Mind
9
Boy, I couldn’t agree more with your article.
I think the first design, when you’re at the beginning, is the easiest. It gets harder with each redesign, as you evolve in your design skills and you always want something new and different. And of course, better then before. :)
posted at 06:25 am on August 5, 2009 by ribic
10 Personal User Experience
This article has really given me perspective on the idea of making a user experience, from the designer’s perspective, more personal. I am currently trying to redesign, and have been for a few weeks. Thank you for the inspiration.
posted at 02:43 pm on August 5, 2009 by zvineyard
Discussion Closed
New comments are not being accepted, but you are welcome to explore what people said before we closed the door.
Got something to say?
Discuss this article. We reserve the right to delete flames, trolls, and wood nymphs.
Create a new account or sign in below if you’d like to leave a comment.
Subscribe to this article's comments: RSS (what’s this?)
9(unknown*no*no*0)&guid=ON){kind=small}
1 Redesigning your self!
First of all, I have to say I love the illustration for this one. I’ve been saving costs on haircuts lately by cutting my own hair and that guy really looks like me. I think it’s a brilliant analogy.
I recently redesigned my personal site as well. I freelance, but I have a bit of a strange structure to my company/business operations. I tend to move by word of mouth, but I built my website to look for full-time jobs specifically.
What I like about this article is that you basically described the design process that most smaller companies will use to design for established clients. That is, you took and existing brand and made it stronger and more complete.
The Art of Self Branding, or the “Introspection Phase“ as I like to call it, that I think most people go through during their personal redesign, this time around seemed to be more seamless and integrated into the process for you, since you’d already done that field work. But I know for me, I had to really think long and hard about who I was, and where I wanted to go. Maybe because it was the first time I’ve “redesigned” in over 5 years.
Thanks!
posted at 09:33 am on August 4, 2009 by arjun.mehta