Portfolio And Blog Of Jeff Sarmiento

Toronto based web designer Jeff Sarmiento’s site is pretty simple. A blog, a little bit of background information, and an archive of his design work. He’s not a freelancer, so he’s not using the site to directly pitch for work, it’s merely a showcase of his skills and a useful online presence.

The sites biggest strength is how it achieves a vintage feel while retaining a really clean and modern feel. The style hints at a kind of 1920s sci-fi mood, think something like Metropolis, with great use of color and a very bold rocket ship image giving the header a real punch. The main content has a really subtly distressed background, with a heavily contrasted sidebar.I particularly like the way the latest tweet is highlighted in the sidebar.

It’s a site where the little touches have a hugely positive impact. The font selection seems perfect; ITC Avant Garde Gothic Medium has a really clean look that’s easy to read and attractive, and contrasts well with some minor use of the more handwritten Bruno JBStd. The use of shadowing bumps up the impact of the main content section, and Jeff hasn’t been afraid to use more white space than usual. It gives the site a really accessible feel.

He’s also incorporated some nice functionality and added interest. The flickr feed on the front page is subtle but really well integrated. The slight differences in mouseover for the navigation menu demonstrate an attention to detail, while his work portfolio is presented in an attractive and welcoming way.

Would I Change Anything?

I’d try to address some of the minor validation errors on the site. Though in truth these all appear to be generated by the flickr feed, so it may be that it’s something that can’t be changed. An example I think of taking the benefit of a nice site addition without worrying too much about the W3 accessibility checklist.

I was trying to decide whether I’d center the site, which is currently left aligned. The alignment means that the small wallpaper border is subtle rather than overwhelming, and it also means the dark gray sidebar is highlighted even more effectively. Hmmm, not sure, I think Jeff probably made the right decision.

Other than that, the only thing I’d do with such a great site is keep it updated (though judging by some of the back posts and his Twitter feed, he might have been getting sidetracked by minor issues like getting married!).

What Do You Wish You’d Designed?

Interested in showcasing a site that you wish you could take credit for, and what’s great about it? I’d be happy to welcome any submissions for the “I Wish I’d Designed…” series, just email robin@fogofeternity.com.

Sarah Palin. Twitter. Why…It Would Be The Perfect Storm!

The story pans out like this. Sarah Palin is speaking at an event in Arkansas and someone asks “what’s the greatest threat to America today?” Someone else in the audience shouts out (predictably), “Obama”. Palin’s response;

See, they said that, I didn’t. Just you watch now, too, because somebody will be here with their little Twittering thing, and it’s going to be on the Internet any minute now.

That’s a smart response. It identifies the prevalence of mobile technology, the speed with which news travels, and the extent to which stories can be easily twisted and misunderstood. You can tell what Palin’s saying, that it’d be no surprise if a story didn’t turn up along the lines of “Palin says Obama ‘Greatest Threat To America’” based on a cat call at an event she was at. Let’s face it, the facts don’t get in the way very often when it comes to media coverage of Sarah Palin.

OK, so Palin has responded pretty quickly to diffuse one issue, so she gets jumped on for using the phrase “little Twittering thing”. Oh dear god, a criticism… of Twitter?! Obviously you have to ignore the fact that a) she’s talking about mobile devices, not Twitter and b) it’s not disparaging, but then it’s game on. Present Palin as making a critical remark of Twitter and here are some responses from Mashable’s site comments and also from their Facebook page.

I think she needs to close her mouth and her legs and the world will be alot better off…

That we still have to hear about her is a sad commentary on PART of society.

Sadly, it is not her doing alone- and it’s not because of those of us who are sickened by her…. who gives a rip what she thinks.

She’s as dumb as a rock.

just a dismissive remark, made by an unthinking, arrogant hairdo masquerading as a human being. we should be just as dismissive of her.

This mini story combines two important strands of online life; an overly aggressive response to conservatism in any form (and Sarah Palin in particular), and a preciousness about the sanctity of Twitter or similar technology, both of which exist for the same reason.

But I Thought You Were Liberal…

In many ways web design and online technology blogs and discussion are refreshingly non-political. When politics does rear its head, however, it’s almost exclusively of a liberal bent. Obviously there are a number of reasons for this. The demographic of web workers means that it’s more left leaning social group than average.

I find it funny though, because it leads to an expectation about my own political views. I only have to mention my profession and people will think I’m a left-leaning, liberal, Democrat. It’s surprising that such a young profession as “web design” already has such stereotypes attached to it. A demonstration of its acceptance and importance in the professional sphere maybe.

For the record, I do manage to successfully balance creative and professional success with a conservative political philosophy!

If You Diss Twitter, Well … You Just Suck!

Are we really so precious about the likes of Twitter that it’s insulting if they’re disparaged? So insulted that we have to invent criticisms when they don’t occur, just so we can get angry about them? If anything it suggests that Twitter users simply don’t have enough confidence in the service. If they did, then they wouldn’t have to react aggressively to “put down” a critical comment.

I like Twitter a lot, I use it regularly (@fogofeternity). I’m also confident in the service, I think it can stand up to criticism without my going crazy to defend it. And I’ll accept that lots of people use it for spurious or boring reasons. They still use it though. And, hell, if the best defence people can come up with is “you’re not using it right” then Twitter’s got bigger problems.

Any service that isn’t straightforward enough for people to use easily is always going to fail. I don’t think that’s a problem for Twitter, but perhaps there’s an elitist attitude to that defence; I like Twitter because I’m smart, you don’t like Twitter because you’re dumb.

Reinforcing My Own Belief, Undermining My Ability To Argue That Belief

This is all a demonstration about how the internet, for all the free information out there, actually reinforces people’s beliefs to the extent that they become blinkered. It’s “been decided” in left-leaning arenas that Sarah Palin is to be a figure of hate, to be disparaged regardless of factual accuracy. Passionate Twitter users have decided that Twitter is the most awesome thing ever.

The problem with this reinforcement is that it’s screwing up people’s ability to argue their point effectively. Contrary beliefs become a threat, to be shouted down, not something to engage in debate. The nature of online debate, the immediacy and relative anonymity, encourages this closed off attitude. I can’t remember the last time I saw someone reasonably address their political ideals and why they are better than Sarah Palin’s, better to call her a dumb blonde. I can’t remember the last time someone made a worthwhile defence of Twitter instead of suggesting that people who don’t use it or criticize it are simply too dumb to understand.

And, if I can kind of bring it back to the idea of web design right at the death of the article, blinkered thinking is never a good thing for creativity. I already see it online on web design blogs. There’s a right way to do things, there’s a wrong way to do things. There’s an incestuous self congratulation, where web design inspiration is taken from other web design. The internet for all its freedoms encourages that kind of blinkered thinking. Don’t fall prey.

All artistic mediums have talented and visionary artists. Move away from looking at other websites, and look at art. Here’s an example of some artists who don’t inspire me and inspire my work.

Grace Coddington

Grace Coddington is the Creative Director for American Vogue. She doesn’t see fashion as business, she sees fashion as art. She’s also an artist who truly understands the importance of art that tells a story. Her fashion spreads in Vogue have a coherent narrative. This narrative not only highlights great fashion, it engages the emotions as well.

Take a look at “Brief Encounter” from the February issue of Vogue. With creative direction from Coddington and photography from Annie Liebovitz, it demonstrates two masters of their art working in harmony.

Gerald Scarfe

It’s pretty impressive to be able to move seamlessly from political satire, to rock music, to Disney productions. Cartoonist and illustrator Gerald Scarfe manages it. He’s been drawing satirical cartoons for The Sunday Times for more than forty years, for the New Yorker for nearly twenty, is responsible for the visual creativity of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, designed theatrical sets and supervised nearly a thousand artists on Disney’s Hercules!

There’s a certain visciousness in Scarfe’s artwork that sets him ahead of any other satirist I know. His cartoons have been described as “savage”, demonstrating his ability to provoke genuinely visceral responses.

Irrational Games / 2K Marin

Are video games art? It’s a question that’s been answered far more in the positive since the 2007 release of Bioshock. Games with great graphics are common. Games with a genuine creative vision are not. Bioshock created a dystopian vision that treated gamers as mature and intelligent, drawing on inspiration from the likes of Ayn Rand and George Orwell. In creating the underwater city of Rapture they created a truly original, intimidating and moving setting, realised in both visual appearance and underlying concept. Bioshock 2’s recent release continues that vision. Of course, such a vision would have disappeared without a great game to support it, which thankfully they also achieved!

If you have the opportunity, download the “Art of Bioshock” PDF (75 MB) for a real understanding of the development of the vision, and take a look at the Cult of Rapture.

Valentino

A second fashion oriented artist, but then fashion is one of the most original and creative industries around. An Italian fashion designer who worked in the industry for fifty years before his retirement in 2008, Valentino Garavini inspired and dressed fashion icons from the 1960s to the present day. Valentino’s design achieves opulence without ostentatiousness, and his use of color inspiration from the natural world is superb.

Clearly, despite his retirement, Valentino the fashion company remains heavily influenced by his work, as demonstrated by their Spring/Summer 2010 Haute Couture line.

PayPal – It’s Easy, Everyone Trusts It, Everyone Uses It

The Just So Festival is a family oriented weekend event scheduled for this August, “an unforgettable weekend of adventure and enchantment set in sixty-five acres of ancient English woodland.” This not-for-profit, community interest event has received lottery funding from England’s Arts Council and includes major sponsors such as Waterstone’s and Puffin Books.

Like so many businesses, they chose to use PayPal as their preferred method for selling tickets via their website. They have a business PayPal account, clearly identify their products as “concert tickets” (the closest equivalent PayPal has to “event tickets”), and have read carefully through the terms and conditions. Most particularly they focused on terms and conditions related to events ticket sales, which read;

Event Tickets – The resale of entertainment event tickets (including sporting events, concerts and plays) must comply with all laws and regulations in the applicable jurisdiction.

No problems there. They are selling tickets for a legitimate event, and fulfilling all the necessary conditions as required by UK law.

Tickets went on sale in autumn. Money was received for ticket sales via PayPal, and subsequently withdrawn by Just So Festival without any problems. That was until the event was featured in The Guardian newspaper. A national publication featuring the event unsurprisingly led to a rush on ticket sales. Great news!

…Until They Try And Keep Your Money

At least it was great news until PayPal decided to move the goalposts. Just So Festival found themselves unable to withdraw any of the money from these ticket sales. They contacted PayPal and were told that PayPal has decided they are selling “pre-order merchandise”. So PayPal won’t release any of the funds until 21 days prior to the event. Just So Festival pointed out that they were providing tickets to purchasers, but PayPal told them that tickets don’t count as merchandise, only the event itself does. PayPal’s alternative solution; to refund all the tickets, contact the buyers and suggest they make alternative payment arrangements. Just the kind of thing that’ll make those buyers think well of Just So Festival, isn’t it?

Just So Festival are lucky. With their government funding and sponsorship, organization of the event isn’t dependent on money from ticket sales, so they can go ahead with planning and running a great festival. Many other small companies trying to organize events might not be so lucky. For many (most?) event organizers, ticket sale receipts are vital to the event going ahead at all. If they found themselves in the same situation they might have to cancel. That wouldn’t just impact their finances for that particular event, but their future reputation and business viability. Just So Festival are faced merely with an annoying inconvenience, for others it might legitimately threaten their entire business.

It wouldn’t be a problem if this was a listed policy from PayPal, but nowhere do they seem to make any statement of this kind about event tickets. And it’s not as if they aren’t allowing people to pay, they’re still accepting ticket sales for the Just So Festival after stating they won’t release the funds. In fact they’re doing pretty well out of Just So Festival, because PayPal itself will be the one making six months’ worth of interest from the funds they are holding. A handy little bonus for them.

Clear Policy, Communication, Consistency – As Important Online As Anywhere

Customer service, transparency and clarity are vital in all business. Often it’s assumed that the nature of the internet means such transparency exists, but that’s not true. And with a company like PayPal, one of those success stories that have found themselves as the near monopoly on a particular online service, it’s even more frustrating when they abuse that position.

Still, I’m sure it was a great consolation when, after refusing to give Just So Festival money they have legitimate claim to, PayPal customer service told them “best of luck, it sounds like a really lovely event.”

Further information about the Just So Festival, including events, tickets and contact information, is available at justsofestival.org.uk, or on Twitter @justsofestival.

I saw a tweet asking for feedback on a new website for a firm in Florida, Ryan Design Group. Competently constructed in a technical sense, it’s a site that demonstrates the problems caused when client demands are at odds with good design practice.

The Good

The site in the main is reasonably well put together. It has a clear design ethos, a solid layout and good use of color. While not truly outstanding design, it’s better than most sites created for small local businesses. It showcases the company’s brand, has a nice (if over-engineered) navigation system, and lays out Ryan Design Group’s work and contact information effectively.

There are no major complaints about the core design and functionality of the site. Nothing to suggest the design company doesn’t know what they’re doing. It’s clear from their wider portfolio that they have the capacity to offer decent web design as part of an overall package of graphic and print services.

The Bad AND The Ugly!

Unfortunately, two huge errors mean the solid core of the site is going to be seen by a lot less people than might otherwise be the case.

Don’t have a lengthy loading Flash splash page.

It’s a core rule of web design, and this site falls straight into that trap. An eleven second Flash animation splash page. The Flash work is well done, but that’s beside the point.

I want to visit a website and immediately be able to access the information I’m looking for. It’s a two stage process; navigate to website then navigate to relevant content. A flash introduction page triples that; navigate to website, splash page loads, I acknowledge I’m not interested, I look for “skip intro”, I click it, I navigate to relevant content. Six steps instead of two.

The splash page adds no value, and a lot less people are going to stay on the site simply because it exists.

• Varying studies suggest that a splash page can reduce click through rates by anything from 25% up to more than 70%. People just give up.
• Flash splash pages lack important keyword phrases and significantly undermine search engine optimization.

Splash pages provide a barrier to information. They can mean the difference between winning new business or losing it.

Don’t embed music on your page, don’t open new windows.

The site automatically loads music, another fundamental error. It compounds this error to ensure the music keeps playing by loading the rest of the site in a new tab/window! This wrests control of the browser from the user and is confusing. I didn’t realize initially that the site had loaded a new window so I couldn’t even work out where the music was coming from!

• Sound loops increase page download times. Load times should be optimized. More than 5% of US internet users still use dial-up (with evidence that in tough economic times more people revert to that cheaper option), and broadband speeds can be variable.
• Musical tastes vary widely. I don’t mind the music on the Ryan Design Group site. Others might be put off because they hate it!
• I’m already listening to music. With online radio stations, iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Last.FM etc, millions of people are listening to music while they browse. Adding another soundtrack just leads to a horrible clash of noise. It could be even worse; if your visitor is on a Skype phone call while they browse you’ve just messed up their call.

Do You Say “No” To Your Client?

The designers have done what they can to alleviate these huge problems, providing options to skip the Flash introduction and mute the music. But those are such negative issues for a website that there’s little that can be done to avoid the massive downsides to the user experience.

Should the designers have refused to integrate these client requests into the site? I would have. Clients hire me to be a web designer. They acknowledge I know more about web design than them. I’d explain to a client the problems of splash pages and integrated music, and why I wouldn’t do it, regardless of how insistent they were.

That’s a tough path to take. It’s where you have to have the confidence to say to the customer that they’re wrong, and to stick to your guns. I have no idea about this designer’s relationship with the client, their economic situation, or any of the other factors that made they accepted the client’s demands for this site.

I still think they should have said “no”. Every designer makes compromises, but compromise shouldn’t mean agreeing to something that you know is outright bad design practice. A clearly competent designer now has a portfolio piece that fails to demonstrate their ability. The immediate benefit of agreeing to this client’s demands could easily harm their future business.