NOTES:

Everyone needs a website. Agencies, WordPress, Wix, HTML, Joomla, DreamWeaver,  SquareSpace, Google, Argh!…What do you do? Join us on today’s Straight Shot Marketing Podcast. Coming right up, after this….

 

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Hello straight shooters… We are joined again today by Frank Scott, webmaster extraordinaire. Welcome Franks, Thanks for being here. Discussion

So, web design… well, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got 3 web folks here. You’ve probably seen our work. Just to name a few examples:

• I’ve worked on Napa & label village

• Frank on dicks sporting goods and xbowling

• Zachary on Lowe’s home improvement and Bank of America

We’ve worked on several together and separately

We know web design.

 

It’s one of the most important things that we do for our client companies

#1- brand development

#2- consumer targeting

Then #3- web development, which actually should be referred to as digital since it includes apps and so much more

 

So Zachary, all these resources being put into the internet. Tell me, why are websites and webdesign important?

 

Well, there are several reasons why the web is so important…. And it is… no mistaking that.

• It shows viability for a company. If you don’t have a website, people want to know why. Not having one makes them second guess your viability. Same thing if it looks cheap, poorly made, or thrown together.

• It is in the second part of the customer experience. It’s the first place people will go upon hearing about your business

• It’s your home on the internet. It’s the hub. The center of your company’s digital universe. It’s attached to the company’s overall communications universe. EVERYTHING points directly to the website. It is your real estate on the web.

 

 

Now, buzzwords rules corporate America and can confuse business owners. So let’s first talk about the latest terms UI and UX

 

UI designer and UX designer are both terms born out of the growing importance of web design… again because it’s your home on the internet and you need to take care of your home.

 

At first they were thought to be different approaches, different web development philosophies.

• UI is user interface - it was a buzzword first. It’s the hands-on designing. It is centered around how a user is going to interact, or interface, with your site physically…it’s about function. What happens when a user changes screens or clicks a certain button; What buttons or elements need to be where; etc. It focuses on presentation and operation… and W3C compliance of the website.

 

• UX came later, and was thought to be a different, “human-first_ design philosophy. However, since that time, it has been agreed upon, in most circles, that it’s simply the bigger picture of the overall design process. UX is UI plus all the addition work that is necessary for good UI. It’s bigger picture view of the process.

 

• Its primary goal is that the user comes away from the website with a positive user experience – with them getting everything they needed to become a customer of your business. It determines to meet expectations, enhance satisfaction, encourage loyalty, and ease of use. Focusing on strategy,  content and what those elements mean to the user, it ensures business needs and user needs are connected.

 

In larger firms- these are defined roles within a firm … all working within process.

• They have to do with the different skills sets involved in the various stages

• You can be in ux and not be a programmer or visual designer

o (you can do consumer research, determine and test flow,...)

 

• UX is what concerned with the overall goal, what are pain points, what would make it easier They are crafting and designing the experience. Not necessary the interface itself.

• UI is more focused specifically with how does this go on this screen, most important element on this screen, visual. They are designing the actual interface using all the home work provided by the UX designer.

 

Now, in larger firms or projects, these roles are split up among different people…sometimes several people. For smaller projects or firms, they roles tend to overlap.

 

For new projects, what are Reformation’s typical stages:

1. Development

• We answer questions - why, what, how, where, who

• We seek to understand the users based on our targeted consumer profile

o Their goals

o Needs

o Wants

o Desires

• We determine:

o Structure and Navigation

o Flow

o We construct wireframes

2. Design

• Ensuring brand compliance  - consistency in message and presentation

• Copywriting

• Visual Design

3. Programming

4. Testing

5. Hosting and Maintenance

And these steps aren’t always sequential.

 

We’re going to take a quick break and pay some bills. We’ll be right back after a few words from our sponsors.

<PLAY SPONSOR CLIPS>

 

Ok now let’s talk about design itself:

There are design trends that change from year to year. Some elements stay around, some change and alter, some fade like the mullet and bell bottoms.

• Icons

• Hero images

• 3D/real

• Heavy animation experiences

• flat

• subtle animation

• Parallax

• Larger images

• Typography

 

Frank tell us a little bit about the Rules. There are indeed compliance guidelines now right?

• Discussion

 

I know of another one… one that should always be a rule: good design

• Discussion

 

Another element, we haven’t discuss yet is the importance of video in web-design.

• I personally belie that video is very, very important in good web design because people don’t like to read. You want to convey information to them, but they don’t want to read it. The best thing to do is put it in a video. Video is informative while also being entertaining.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, 24 fps is worth much, much more

• And it incorporates multiple senses, emotions, etc.

• Video really is a no brainer. Is the most communicative tools we have on the internet.

And it’s shareable. Meaning it will reach even more people if it’s done well.

 

Now these guys come together and attack a new project, then what? After the site is launched? I know some companies hire web staff in-house… what do they do after launch?

• Discussion

o stay in front of trends

o being relatable

o updated content

 

 

Zachary, what’s the Straight Shot for today’s episode:

First, I would say – don’t be scared by buzzwords that you hear. Don’t be lead astray by them in conversation.

 

Next and most important – You need good design that incorporates the User Experience and a good User Interface.

And in obtaining that, it all comes down to two age-old elements: Function and form

This is an ancient debate, which is more important. But I agree with Mutt Lange. Mutt Lange is a famous record producer. He was working with one of the guitarists for Def Leppard (an 80s era rock band). He was yelling at them saying that his playing was sloppy and he had no technique. The guitarist fired back saying “What does that matter, what about heart and soul” and Mutt response, what about giving me both! And that’s really the answer. BOTH are important. Too much flash without enough substance is bad. But too stripped down and basic, is boring .. doesn’t matter how true or right it is.

 

Basically, your design must meet three criteria.

1. Useful – it will work

2. Usable – it’s easy to operate and it makes sense

3. Desirable- it is attractive and entertaining (to various degrees)

 

Oh, and include VIDEO. It’s part of a great way to accomplish all three.

 

Well guys, I think that will draw us to a close for today. If you haven’t already please like and subscribe from wherever you are viewing or listening to this podcast: Pandora, Apple Podcast, IHeart Radio, Stitcher, You Tube, FaceBook. It really makes a difference to the platform algorhythim police. Thanks so much.

Feel free to reach out to us if you have any topical suggestions or if you’d like to be a guest. Email: info@straightshot.net or call 678-825-8086 x 300.

Frank, thank you so much for joining us again for our show. Always a pleasure to have you in the studio.

 

Til next time guys,

Bye

 

 

Reformation Productions is a full service marketing agency in the Atlanta, GA metro. To find out more about the agency  visit www.ReformationProductions.com. Connect with us on Facebook at fb.com/reformationproductions. Blog content is © Reformation Productions. To receive more marketing tips and insights, sign up for our newsletter, Straight Shot, at www.ReformationProductions.com/contact.html to be one of the first to know when they are published here at www.ReformationProductions.com. You can also sign up for notifications by texting "Reformation" to 90210 from your mobile phone.