Front End Design Conference – Andi Graham – The Right Tool for the Job: Designing in the Browser for Agencies

  • Benefits of designing in the browser
    • Eliminates redundant redundancy
    • Keeps designs consistent vs using PSDs
    • Allows the client to actually interact with the page and see how things behave
    • Allows the client to see the designs on different devices
    • Color changes are extremely fast
    • It actually works.  It’s a piece of the final product.
    • Cons of designing in the browser
      • Lose some of the design aspects
      • CSS and HTML are not design tools
      • The browser is not a design tool
      • Clients want to see and understand.  They are not good at seeing through to the end product.
  • They create a lot of the content for clients because clients are bad at getting content together
  • RWD sites look like RWD sites
  • Steps
    • Get on the same page (manage the expectations of the client), not just at the beginning at the project but throughout
      • Use “mood boards” ( example: http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2008/12/why-mood-boards-matter/ ) or Pintrest boards
        • Check out http://visage.co/
        • Create “style tiles”
        • Understand project constraints
          • Budget, time, seo, colors, etc
          • Set priority for constraints
        • Show your work
          • Even the first iterations that are ugly
          • Share the “ugly baby” with the client along the way
        • Help them help you
          • Clients were never trained to be clients
          • Hold their hand as much as possible and show them how they can help us
          • Be specific on what you need from them
          • Let them know that they should question things they don’t like or don’t understand
        • Pick up the phone
          • When you send over the first designs, do it over the phone or face-to-face
        • Don’t be afraid of Photoshop
  • Let the creative vision dictate the best approach