How did you get into web design?

I've always been a computer geek, starting off on the Apple, hanging out on BBSs, and moving onto a local freenet which gave me my first introduction to the Internet. My first foray onto the web started way back in 1995 and I enjoyed it right from the get-go. I loved that it was visual and so easy to use.

It became a personal hobby of mine until 1999 when my wife pushed me to make it a career (as I oft dreamed of doing). Luckily, it worked out, getting a job at a local web development shop. The rest, as they say, is history!

You're a designer, developer, writer and speaker. How does doing these four things at a time supplement or interfere with each other?

They only interfere with each other in so much that they take up a lot of time ? especially writing! It basically comes down to two different activities: teaching and solving problems. As a designer and developer, my job is to come up with solutions that fit the needs of my clients and their customers. Writing and speaking, on the other hand, are outlets for sharing what I know.

Describe how your design process flows to us.

I tend to be a logical thinker so I look at the content, what needs to be included, consider the importance of each piece and then begin to lay that out. Then I start layering on aesthetics and seeing if there are ways I can present the information to be straight-forward. I like to simplify interfaces and will often look at ways to present information in new ways to reduce clutter.

To you web design is more of an art, science or technique? Why?

It's all of the above! There's an inevitable science to it based on specifications but there are nuances in every implementation that are only discovered through experience. That's where the art and the technique comes in. You discover where the boundaries lie and where you can push those boundaries. And there's always more than one way to solve a problem, each solution with its own pros and cons. Experience gives you the wisdom to make the best decision for your clients.

There's a tendency to usability on the Web. What do you think about Mobile Web as a next big development in ?usable Web?? What are its advantages and disadvantages? How will it be influencing web design in the future?

Listen to people like Cameron Moll and Brian Fling talk about the mobile web and one of the important concepts they talk about is context. When you're mobile, it's not just that you're on a smaller screen and need to work around those limitations. It's about understanding how to take advantage of what people are trying to do. If people are looking up a restaurant, displaying phone numbers and making it possible to dial them is a huge step forward in helping users reach their end goal. That drive to simplicity has often been recommended for the traditional web and in both cases, it's the people that take that advice that will be successful.

Internet apps continue to increase in use and functionality. In April of 2006 Ryan Stewart wrote for Read/Write Web that ?it is going to be an exciting time for anyone involved in building the new Web, because the interfaces are finally catching up with the content.? How have web applications changed web design?

I don't think it's so much that interfaces are catching up with content but rather that web users are getting savvy enough to understand more complex interfaces on the web. That, combined with tools that make it easier to create more complex interactions on the web allows for a lot of growth in the field of web applications.

What does Semantic Web mean to you? To your opinion, when will it arrive?

To me, the Semantic Web is being able to define and pull out more meaning the content we're producing on the web. I'm not sure it'll arrive in the sense that we'll be able to pull out all the semantics from every document but there will definitely be those people who put in the effort to include the extra metadata.

Who is your web design/development idol?

I don't have one particular person but if I had to pick somebody then Shaun Inman comes closest. I say Shaun becomes he's done what I've wanted to do: be good at design, be good at development, and build a really cool product that everybody likes (and be able to live off the income of that product). Maybe one day, I'll get there.

Do you think it's more beneficial to be a kind of web design jack-all-trades, or specialize in one field but deeply?

It's always a good idea to understand the entire cycle. You don't have to be an expert at every part but the more you know, the better off you'll be. These days, I think there's the opportunity to specialize. When the market is tougher and companies are smaller, the need to where multiple hats at any given time really expands what you know.

What recent web design activities or product releases has caught your attention?

Nothing specifically. These days, I've been so busy that I'm like an ostrich with my head in the sand. After awhile, I think you become numb to all the information.

What web sites do you admire the most and why?

I've always looked to Roger Johansson of 456 Berea St because of his consistency and quality ? a rare combination these days. There are so many other sites and I just respect anybody who takes the time and effort that running a web site deserves.

What web design blogs/magazines/books do you read?

I have over 200 feeds in Google Reader. Way too many to mention! For magazines, I like to read the UK mag, .net, as there's plenty of good content and about the only web design magazine I know. I just wish it weren't so expensive to buy here in Canada.

If you had one thing to change in web design industry, what would it be and why?

It'd be nice to be able to develop within a single environment. If there was only one browser and one browser version, life would be just dandy. But I still enjoy what I do so it's hard to complain too much.

What advice would you give to beginning web designers?

There are plenty of books, plenty of online resources, and plenty of people who'd love to just chat and share what they know. Learn as much as you can.

Helen Walker

Helen Walker graduated with a degree in Mass Communications and Sociology. She worked as a newspaper journalist for two years after that. Having always been interested in cyberculture and its impact on society, Helen switched to online journalism and joined Design Interviews blog in July, 2007. Ever since she's been interviewing web designers and administrating the blog. Helen is a keen movie-goer and she is also a panda lover.


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Get in touch with Helen: helen.walker4@gmail.com