What I did like about this plug-in

The plug-in does what it says it’s going to do. There is sometimes nothing worse than getting a plug-in or technology activated on your website that doesn’t live up to the hype of what it claimed to do. This plug-in claims to reduce a 6 step checkout process down to a one step checkout process and it delivers.

One of the biggest if not the biggest problem in ecommerce today is shopping cart abandonment. This is a statistic that takes into account the number of people who started in the checkout process compared to the number of people of finished the checkout process and placed their order. What a one page checkout does or is supposed to do is decrease the number of shoppers who abandon their shopping cart because they are frustrated, give up somewhere in the process or are affected by performance.

Also, one step checkout processes enhance the customer’s experience which can drive up the conversion rate and if you bought this plug-in you’d be best to test it on your Magento ecommerce website.

This plug-in also gives you the ability to disable or enable certain fields quickly and easily including “Fax”, “Company Name”, “Terms and Conditions”, “Comments” and others. I am hoping to see them implement more customization aspects into future versions but here is what some companies have already done to customize and implement the OneStepCheckout plug-in into their everyday businesses.

What I didn’t like about this plug-in

It’s only available for Magento users which mean that if you are using another ecommerce platform to run your online business then you will not be able to use this plug-in. It’s a solid plug-in as you can see from the screenshots… Who wouldn’t want to use it on their ecommerce website?

Another point to consider is that it literally takes the checkout process from six steps to one step so if you wanted to customize a checkout process to say three steps this plug-in will not allow you to do that easily.

Because the plug-in doesn’t currently support adding custom fields having and using what are known as “Coupon”, “Promotion” or “Discount” codes when a customer checks out could pose an issue if this is something that your ecommerce business does currently and it is something that you should be aware of when buying this plug-in for your Magento ecommerce website

I was checking out the screencasts on the OneStepCheckout website and it makes mention multiple times of being able to use” GeoIP” which is a technology that allows you to base where a customer is globally using their IP address and fills in the blanks of the OneStepCheckout page using this information. If you are sold on this feature in particular you may be sad to hear (I know that I was) that GeoIP is only available on their “ENTERPRISE” version of this plug-in but if you need it then maybe you can justify spending the 590 Euros for the enterprise addition of OneStepCheckout

Why should you run out and buy this plug-in?

If you are running a Magento ecommerce website and you are looking to enhance the checkout process and increase those lower than expected conversion rates this plug-in will help you do that successful. The one page checkout collects the following information all in one step…

• Name and address information
• Shipping method information
• Payment method information
• “Review your order” information

… Lastly your customers will simply click the “Place Order” button and the one step checkout process is complete!

How much does One Step Checkout cost?

The Standard version of OneStepCheckout will cost you 190 Euros and includes most of the functionality that the enterprise version has except for GeoIP as I originally discussed, use of the plug-in on multiple domains within the same installation, Free support, 1 hour of technical customization help and only six months of free updates.

The Enterprise version of OneStepCheckout costs 590 Euros but for that you also get a lot of extras not included in the standard version including GeoIP, use of the plug-in on multiple domains within the same installation, Free support, 1 hour of technical customization help and UNLIMITED free updates and priority on requests for new features. This is well worth the money if you are using it on multiple Magento ecommerce websites or just want access to all the bells and whistles.

Kean Richmond is a web designer and developer from North Yorkshire, England in the United Kingdom. He first started designing websites using FrontPage and quickly moved up from there. Today his work in web design, web development and front end development is very professional largely in thanks to the education and his drive to learn more about web design. In 5 years from now, Kean wants to be doing what he does currently but better and that’s not to say his websites are bad or not high quality because they are. When asked about how he started web design and how it feels like to work in a company where he is the only designer here is what he had to say.

Luc @ SWD: How did you first discover web design?

Kean says: I don’t quite think this is when I discovered web design but the first site I ever built was one I’d built as part of my ICT course at college. We had to build a site using FrontPage; I think it had something to do with Pirates or Treasure. Of course being a newbie I covered the website in loud colors and odd DHTML animations.

Luc @ SWD: When did you first charge for your services as a web designer?  What was the web design project all about?

Kean says: I was on placement at IBM, which I did as part of my University course. My then manager’s son was part of a band and he asked me to build them a website. The site was a fairly simple one, though it did push my Photoshop skills. Half way through the process one of the band members left so had to be removed from the group photos they have professionally done. Luckily for me the site has since disappeared, and unfortunately I think so has the band.

Luc @ SWD: Kean how has your educational experience at Teesside University helped you to become a better and more confident web designer?

Kean says: Before going to University I didn’t know enough about Web Design to go straight into a job and lacked the drive to learn at home so University was where I felt I had to start. I’m don’t think University made me a better designer but without going to Uni I don’t think I’d be a Web Designer at all. In fact if it wasn’t for Teesside offering a full web course I could have gone on to do any IT related course, as at the time I was certain I was going to University but not sure about what to study.

Luc @ SWD: Where do you want to be in 5 years? Still in web design? Why or why not?

Kean says: Definitely. In 5 years I hope to be doing pretty much doing what I do now just hopefully better. I love the work I do so all I would want to happen is to do more stuff that compliments that. I’ve always liked the idea of getting more involved with clients as well as involved in the larger web design community. I like the idea of being able to pass on the stuff I’ve learnt to others just starting out.

Luc @ SWD: In terms of tools that you love to use, what are your favorites?

Kean says: I don’t tend to use that many different tools, mainly because I don’t work on a Mac where most fun apps live. Instead I tend to just use Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Firefox. These are pretty much all I need and they compliment how I work.

I started using Photoshop and Dreamweaver as they seemed the industry standard at the time. Changing from these would just make simple jobs harder to do as I learnt new software. Firefox I use mainly for the plug-ins, I have stuff like Firebug, Echofon, ColorZilla, MeasureIt and more all installed that make building sites a lot easier.

Luc @ SWD: In your work experience as the lone designer at a company do you find it hard to talk about what it is you do with other colleagues?

Kean says: Probably Yes. Though the people I work with are awesome and really know their stuff I can’t imagine having conversations over border-radius or the 960 Grid System. I don’t think it affects my work though, being the only designer forces me to push my own skills as I’m responsible for ensuring all the design work we do is usable and is a high standard.

Juliana Rojas is a web and graphic designer from La Plata in Argentina. She first started designing websites in 2004 as a break from graphic and print design learned the ins and outs of the web and designing for the web. Since then in the last five years she has really come into her own as a web designer and even with her background in graphic and print design she is producing innovative and highly creative web designs. Juliana originally studied a one of the most prestigious universities in Argentina called “UNLP” and became a graphic designer in 2003. Even though English is not her first language she writes very well and had this to say about her knowledge and background in web design, where she draws inspiration from and her approach to laying out a web project.

Luc @ SWD: Juliana, When did you start designing websites?

Juliana says: I started on 2004, when I decided to make a break with graphic design and printings and start developing the web area…at the beginning I had no idea of web at all! So I worked really hard to get in this new world and understand it.

Luc @ SWD: What and where did you study at university/college? Has it helped you to become a better web designer?

Juliana says: I studied at UNLP, one of the most prestigious universities of Argentina, which is located in La Plata city, 60km from Buenos Aires: there I became a Graphic Designer in 2003, and was very helpful to study there because this institution has a strong orientation in visual communication.

Luc @ SWD: Besides your experiences in web design how does your understanding of designing for identity and print help you on web design projects?

Juliana says: Knowing all the areas makes us handle projects with a complete security. A designer must be able to do a comprehensive job knowing what the limitations are…as designers; we should have an integral management of all the possibilities we can work with.

Luc @ SWD: What are some of your favorite tools to use currently?

Juliana says: I´m used to work with Adobe programs, especially Photoshop and Illustrator; I also use my own drawings, patterns, textures, photographs…

Luc @ SWD: What is your approach towards designing for the web when you are laying out the design portion of the project?

Juliana says: At the beginning of the project, I think it is very important to know what are the specific attributes that designers have to reflect on the site…

Only when you get to this point, you can start with the designing part.

Luc @ SWD: How do you stay up to date with the latest web design trends?

Juliana says: I dedicate a lot of my time looking at design and photography portals.

Ryan Dean-Corke is a web and graphic designer from sunny ol’ England (Birmingham in the United Kingdom) to be specific. From the time he was in college at the University of Worcester, Ryan’s interest around web and graphic design grew from CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) programs and later he discovered Photoshop and the web. Since 2007 he has been designing websites professional but originally he studied Creative Digital Media at university which has allowed him to lay the ground work for his career. Ryan’s style is board hinging on his passions for web, graphic, identity and 3D design and when asked he had this to say about his knowledge, skills and education.

Luc @ SWD: How did you first start designing websites and how long have you been designing them professionally?

Ryan says: While studying product design at college, I took a keen interest in the CAD programs. My teacher later introduced me to Photoshop 6.0, which changed my life pretty much. I began reading tutorials on the web and experimenting in my spare time. Eventually I wanted to bring life to what i was creating, and initially used Geocities (RIP) to build (very awful) websites for myself and friends. Once i had a taste for the web I self taught HTML + CSS, so i could build sites properly! My first actual paid work was while i was at University (2007), that’s also when i was taken on as a designer for Wapple.net.

Luc @ SWD: Where did you receive your degree in Creative Digital Media?  Has it helped you become a better web designer?

Ryan says: I earned my degree at the University of Worcester, which was a very interesting experience. My course was very broad, so I wasn’t taught a great deal about web-design, but the whole course in general was more about getting a taste of something in lectures, and learning more off your own back. So in that respect, it’s very similar to what I’m doing now (makes me wonder why it all cost so much…). I however did learn a great deal about project planning, time management, usability, collaborative projects, and generally matured as a designer.

Luc @ SWD: Why did you decide to work part-time for Wapple.net and is your goal to go freelance on a full-time basis?

Ryan says: It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but i felt like i needed a change. Now I get to try new things and develop new skills, and continue to work as part of a creative team. Freelancing is probably my end goal, but i personally love working as part of a great team, so i don’t think it’s something I’ll do anytime soon. Besides, i think there’s much more for me to learn from experienced individuals before i can go solo full time!

Luc @ SWD: What are your “tools of choice” when you are designing?

Ryan says: Moleskine note book, Photoshop, Illustrator, skEdit, Mac OSX

(Also, on occasion: Logic Express, 3DS Max, After Effects, Premier)

Luc @ SWD: I see you’ve worked on a number of projects outside of freelancing including AcidPie Productions?  Do you enjoy taking a more “entrepreneurial” approach towards your career as a designer?

Ryan says: Since the early days, I’ve always wanted to create new sites and realize ideas. Very few of them actually come together for one reason or another, but at the moment I working on a couple blogs in my spare time, which i hope to build into community driven projects. The first being Vgrepublic.com and the second i can’t really talk about as it’s just on paper at the moment!

Acid Pie Productions was something me and Tor Burrows (of notorious design) started during university, for our dissertation project. Through this we met some great people, and designed/produced some great work. I just love the thought of people using something I’ve created or been a part in creating, and that’s always been my drive.

Les Reynolds from Burlington, Ontario in Canada is web designer who currently runs, L Squared Design, a full service web design and development studio. Les received his first taste of web design while working for an electrical contracting company while learning to design an email newsletter. He credits his experiences before he got into web design as part of his success where he learned the ins and outs of operations, marketing, purchasing and business in general. Les has been designing professionally for the past 3 years and when I asked him about his experiences to date he had this to say…

Luc @ SWD: How did you originally get started designing websites?

Les says: I was working for an electrical contracting company, and they wanted to send out an email newsletter. So I taught myself HTML using articles and tutorials I found on the web. Once the newsletter was done, I couldn’t stop, and the more I learned the more I realized that this is what I wanted to do as a career.

Luc @ SWD: What are some of the benefits of working with platforms like WordPress, Textpattern and others?

Les says: The biggest reason I use a CMS is so clients can update a site themselves. However, it makes updates easier for almost any type of site. Another bonus is being able to change repeating content like footer or navigation in only one place, similar to using PHP includes. I haven’t used WordPress, but I love the flexibility that Textpattern offers. With the built in features and rich suite of plug-ins, it is suitable for a very wide range of sites.

Luc @ SWD: Les, you’ve been designing website professionally for the past 3 years.  How have you continued to stay up to date since you first started?

Les says: The speed that things change in the world of web design/development means that if you stop paying attention, you’ll be passed by. RSS feeds from people like Jeffery Zeldman, Dan Cedarholm, Cameron Moll, Jon Hicks, Andy Rutledge, Dave Shea, Jonathan Snook, Jason Santa Maria and other has helped me to stay up to date, and learn so much. And recently Twitter has been a great way to keep in touch with changes as well.

Luc @ SWD: Where did you go to school and what did you study in college/university? How has it helped you with web design?

Les says: When I started getting into web design, I did some research and found that most college/university web design & development programs have trouble keeping up with the fast pace of the web world. I think that is beginning to change, but at the time I decided that I’d be better off going the self-taught route.

Books like Designing with Web Standards, CSS Mastery, Bulletproof Web Design, and Transcending CSS have served as my curriculum, as well as articles on A List Apart and the blogs listed above.

I’ve actually thought about taking some courses in graphic design at the local college. I think graphic design and marketing are both areas of education that would be useful.

The other things that I think has helped me are the jobs I had before web design. The experience in management, sales, operations, marketing, purchasing, accounting, etc has been very valuable.

Luc @ SWD: What are your favorite tools to use on a web design project?

Les says: I started using Photoshop, but a light went on once I opened up Fireworks. It has done a great job of merging vector and bitmap editing, in a way that works really well for the web. However, as I’ve looked at upgrading, tales of buggy, bloated software have made me think twice. There is lots of complaining about Adobe’s apps, and i think it’s time we moved on. I’m currently trying out Acorn and DrawIt. I actually wrote a post about it, and plan to follow up with some comparisons.

For coding, there is lots to love about Espresso, although there is still refining to be done. FTP is handled by the wonderful Transmit, debugging CSS with Safari’s web inspector.  I find small tools like Pipette, Free Ruler, Skitch, and Little Snapper quite helpful for various tasks. Somewhat unrelated, The Hit List for todos, Notational Velocity for notes, Dropbox for file access, SuperDuper for backup, and Tweetie for Twitter are all invaluable.

Emil Milanov is a 28 year old freelance graphic and web designer from Zrenjanin, Serbia in Europe spends his time and expertise in web design and web applications styling and reworking user interfaces. He started professionally designing for the web in 2002 but he has been designing officially since 1999 when he created his first website in high school. Emil originally studied marketing before he found himself designing websites. I had a chance to ask him about his approach designing user interfaces and how he started and here is what Emil had to say.

Emil, how did you get into web design originally?

It was back in 1999 during the dial up internet era when I was in high school. On information science class students had a project task and I choose to create web site (which by the way sucked) and simply got hooked.

How long have you been designing websites professionally?

I’m not sure how do you define professional, but if you mean when I started to charge for my work it was back in 2002.

What are some of your favorite technologies to work with on the web today?

Personally I find that design is not about technology but about communication and common sense. Technology is there just to speed you up. Everything I do can be made with paper and pen, but if Photoshop is your friend it can make things more efficient. As for the code I write my own XHTML / CSS using Coda, product from Panic company and regarding content management there are tools such as WordPress or Expression Engine.

When it comes to user interface design what is your approach? How do you involve your clients with the process? And, what value does it add to a web design project?

Interface design is all about effective communication. At my opinion the most important things here are having the message, proper use of space and typography. Client message helps me to create creative concept. Proper use of space is something that makes distinction between good design and great design. Point of designing with space is to create consistency and distinction of design elements on one hand and dynamic on the other. Grids help a lot there.

When working with clients, I like to make things clear and define interface design as simple business process which consists of three phases: input, process and output. Point of input phase is to define client’s message, collect all the content and define what action is needed from the end user. Creative process is the stage where actual design happens, and output is the final product which is usually balance of what client wants and what client needs.

Where and what did you study in school? Has it helped you to improve as a web designer?

I studied marketing at Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, Serbia. It hasn’t helped me to improve as a web designer directly, but everything you learn can help in some point of time. Design is not about knowing all Photoshop tricks but about thinking and using skill wisely.

Now, when I first think of anyone designing a website for their wedding it strikes me as odd because most brides are more concerned about flowers, the venue and a whole lot of other things. Personally I am not sold on the idea of a wedding blog because it can be a little impersonal. With that being said it can also allow the bride and groom to outline and provide information about their special day! The Mr. and Mrs. Premium WordPress Theme give you the ability to host a bunch of information about a wedding including…

• A number of pages about our wedding including “Our Story”, “Gift Registry”, “About Venue” and “RSVP” just to name a few
• A featured slider for your engagement and eventually your wedding pictures
• Post your latest blog entry about the big day
• Supports cross browser compatibility
• A fully customizable front page so that you can put your own touches on the website

Things that I don’t like about this WordPress theme

It seems that focusing on a niche area like weddings is a poor idea for a website theme like this and even though the design is solid I personally still question the validity of a website theme like this. One other thing that I noticed while testing is that the page breaks in Internet Explorer 6.x so some customization may be needed to allow this theme to perform but on that note the JavaScript seems to be intact and working correctly without any errors on the web page.

What I liked about this theme

For the “Web Savy” couples of the world who are in the process of getting married this is a quick and easy way for you to tell your guests a lot about your wedding and field a lot of questions about where you are having it, a bit about yourselves, any events that are taking place before hand like stag and doe parties (aka bachelor and bachelorette parties) and things like that. It also allows you to setup twitter to broadcast tweets about the big day and things happening which could be useful. Another bonus for this theme is that PremiumThemes.net supplies you with documentation to customize the theme after you buy it. To me, this is a huge selling point of all PremiumThemes.net WordPress Themes because if you’ve ever purchased a theme for your WordPress site you’ll know that most themes either free or premium does not include any documentation so this is a great selling point.

Why you should run out and buy this Premium WordPress Theme?

If you are getting ready to send out the invites for the big day this theme can provide a lot of information about the wedding. You could also use this WordPress theme for other events from charity dinners to fundraisers that will allow you to add information accurately and quickly. It has a lot of uses if you think outside the box and depending on what the event is this theme could make it easy for you to customize and use this theme to add own spin to it.

How much does the theme cost?

PremiumThemes.net is selling this Premium WordPress Theme in a single license for $59 and a developer license for $99 which includes the PSD files so you can customize the graphics if you choose to do so.

Another option is the PremiumThemes.net Club that gives you developer licenses for all PremiumThemes.net WordPress Themes, currently there are 26 WordPress Themes that they offer.  A one year developer license with unlimited access is $399 which seems steep but if you are developing a lot of websites and like what PremiumThemes.net is releasing then its a great investment.

WPZOOM is a premium WordPress theme producer that has some very interesting themes available currently. One of theirs is a Premium WordPress Theme called Magnet that was designed by Pavel Ciorici, a web designer, blogger and one of the founders of WPZOOM.

Some things that the Magnet Premium WordPress Theme gives you are…

• Free and unlimited support
• Twitter Integration
• Free updates for future versions of the Magnet Theme
• Theme Guides and Documentation
• Custom Templates for author pages
• Banner Ads management system
• And a whole host more features…

Things that I like about this WordPress theme

If you are running a media-based website then this WordPress theme has a lot of things going for it! First, the visual cues that represent categories at the top of the page do wonders for visitors to your site giving your audience an understanding as to what the featured article in that specific category is about and it intrigues the reader to click through. This can reduce the bounce rate on your website and keep people on it longer. Second, the “Featured Articles” widget in the sidebar of the WordPress theme allows a ready to scroll through articles quickly and easily using a slider. Lastly, the “Author Profiles” that you can develop allow you to write a brief biography of yourself and any contributing authors publishing on your site. It’s a great way to personalize your writing for your audience when they want to know more about you.

Things that I don’t like about this WordPress theme

The only real problem is that issue of web browser compatibility. When I tested this theme in multiple browsers including Google Chrome, FireFox and Internet Explorer as you can imagine the JavaScript performed poorly in Internet Explorer 6.x. Now this is something to consider if you are looking at implementing this WordPress theme on your website because the segment of your visitors may experience problems viewing the website if they are using Internet Explorer could affect the website usage as well.  This is definitely something to think about before you buy this theme.

Why you should run out and buy this theme?

In terms of this theme being successful as a magazine style CMS theme it does offer some standard features that the other theme studios offer with the added benefit of support and updates being included and the option to buy a developer’s license which would allow you to use this template on multiple sites could save you development time.

How much is it going to cost me?

The cost of the single license will cost you $69 and allows you to use this Premium WordPress Theme on one website. If you are looking to customize this template again and again the developer license is priced at $149 and including the PSDs allowing you to modify the graphics and code very quickly and allow you to deliver and launch websites faster.

Currently, WPZOOM is offering a 2 Premium WordPress Themes for $99 offer if you enter the discount code “2FREE” during the checkout. It’s a limited time promotion so checkout WPZOOM for some WordPress themes to get this deal.

Joseph MacDonald is a web designer from Essex, England in the United Kingdom who has enjoyed working with the web since he was 14 years old. Now 20 years old, Joe looks back on his experiences to date and says that he is glad that he took a more direct route to becoming a web designer. He has been designing websites professionally since he was about 17 years old and has been doing so for the last three years. Joe says that his passion is web development and that he loves seeing his ideas come to life online. He enjoys using Codeigniter, PHP and JavaScript in his projects but he is equally versed in Adobe CS4 and CSS which he uses to add a little flare to his projects. I had a chance to recently talk to the Essex based web design working in London and he had this to say…

Luc @ SWD: Joe, how did you first start doing web design work?

Joe says: When I was around 14 I became very interested in digital art and dedicated a lot of my time creating pieces for fun, during that time I picked up fairly good knowledge of Illustrator and Photoshop and decided I’d like to try and design myself a website where I could showcase all of my personal artwork. I created the design and spent the next few weeks learning about the key aspects of web development, I eventually got the site up and running and once I saw the final product in the browser I was hooked and have been building websites ever since.

Luc @ SWD: How long have you been professionally designing websites?

Joe says: I’ve been designing and developing websites professionally since around the age of 17, after 3 years of messing around in Photoshop and spending hour after hour staring at code I felt I had the necessary skills to put myself out there in the real world and hopefully get a job in the industry. I began freelancing to try and gain some commercial experience and boost my web portfolio, after a year of freelancing I landed a full time job as a front-end developer and haven’t looked back since.

Luc @ SWD: Where and what did/are you studying in college or university?

Joe says: I was never fantastic at school; I wasn’t interested in the subjects and had no real motivation to learn so instead of going to college and learning something that I wasn’t 100% enthusiastic about I decided to search for a more focused college course. I took a course that focused entirely on web development and management which then enabled me to come away with a good solid foundation to build my web career on.

Luc @ SWD: I see that you have a good amount of experience using PHP and JavaScript.  Do you consider yourself to be more comfortable with web design (designing) or web development (coding/scripting)?

Joe says: I would definitely say development, as incredibly geeky as it sounds I absolutely love to code. I really enjoy sitting inside TextMate going through lines and lines of JS or PHP. I enjoy being able to take a well thought out design concept and bring it to life online. I’d like to think that I have a fairly decent knowledge of design also and am able to judge between what looks good and what doesn’t but development is definitely where my passion lies.

Luc @ SWD: What tools do you enjoy using when designing a website project?

Joe says: As I’m currently a full time front-end developer it’s not often I have to use too many design tools however from a development point of view I love working with frameworks such as jQuery and Codeigniter. jQuery never ceases to amaze me at what can be achieved using it and likewise I find Codeigniter to be the best PHP framework around for smaller - mid size projects. I suppose the only other thing I use day to day would be TextMate, it’s in my opinion the best text editor available and I probably couldn’t function without it.

David Trang from the Chicago, Illinois area in the United States is an up and coming web designer and developer who loves adding function to his clients’ websites and creating clean and solid designs. He completed his degree at DePaul University and after college he started designing for the web in 2003. He had some time to answer some of our questions at SpicyWebDesigners.com and tell us what allows him to enjoy what he does and this is where the conversation went…

Luc @ SWD asks: How long have you been designing professionally?

David says: I’ve been designing on the web professionally since 2003, just after completing my degree at DePaul University in Chicago. At my first job after college, I was given the task to manage and design a corporate-wide Intranet portal, which gave me the immediate “on the job” training that gave me a running start. Just before, I was still working more on the technical side of the field, but I learned that I wanted to branch out into front-end design and development, so it was a great opportunity. Now, I’m currently Web Producer for one of the largest jewelry companies in the country and I also do contract work on the side whenever I have the time.

Luc @ SWD asks: David how did you originally become interested in web design?

David says: Kind of in a strange way, but it started back in the late 90’s when eBay was getting really big. At that point, you were given the option of plain text or basic html tags to use for auction descriptions. Of course, I wanted to do anything to make my layouts clean and attractive to attract sales, so I basically played and learned the code myself to hopefully sell more! Looking back at it now, I’m sure most of my “pages” didn’t look so great, but it was an interesting starting point.

Then, it was in college when I started to look at web design seriously. I took a Human Computer Interaction (HCI) design course, and my professor handed out Steve Krug’s classic “Don’t Make Me Think!” guide. I couldn’t agree more with the concepts I learned and I still like to skim through it to this day (for nostalgic reasons too). It helped shed a new light on the usability aspect of web design for me, something I always try to take particular care of when designing a website.

Luc @ SWD asks: I see that your work uses a lot of well thought out typography and good use of space.  How important are the elements of space and typography in the web design work that you do?

David says: It’s crucial. Typography is something so many people take for granted, and I strive to showcase how powerful it can be throughout my designs. I’ll be honest and say that a lot of my previous work probably didn’t stand out well enough because I didn’t grasp the concepts of using space and type well enough. After utilizing the grid system, I’m able to plan my web sites not only with greater ease, but also having the assurance that the final outcome will succeed due to a few basic design principles.

Luc @ SWD asks: How do you stay up to date with what’s happening in web design?

David says: A ton of ways, including magazines like .net or through design podcasts like RBTL, but I probably learn the most through the ever prevalent web design blogs we see sprouting up these days. There are so many sites to name, where it’s almost become too hard to keep track of all of them, but that’s when Google Reader comes in handy.

As far for keeping up with the “news” side of things, Twitter is huge for me. By just following some of the big names in the web design field, I can gain tons of valuable knowledge each day. It also helps to gain new perspectives on design, and to see what other designers are saying/thinking whenever big news breaks in the industry. I can’t get enough of it.

Luc @ SWD asks: What methodologies and/or technologies do you use to plan out a web design project?

David says: It all depends on the size of the project, but for the most part I always start out with some sort of sketch for wire framing. I have a handy grid notepad, where I like to jot down layouts and ideas. Once I have something solid going, I’ll open up OmniGraffle and Photoshop to begin translating electronically. From there, my editor of choice is Coda and I use Firebug to tweak, all the way to final validation of code.

Other handy tools I use during the whole process are “Things” for Mac to keep my to-do’s in place, Quicksilver, which helps me with the repetitive tasks throughout the day with a few quick keystrokes, and finally Dropbox for transferring files between multiple locations.