I'm up early and going over reports. I decided to make a quick blog.

Updates:

I recently finished donating design services to the Susuan G. Komen for the Cure foundation (Central New Mexico affiliate), in conjunction with Michael Roanhorse. We (Jeremiah and I) would like to get into doing more charitable work in this way, which is another reason we have considered signing up for the Taproot Foundation. The ad I finished, which will appear in the August Issue of the Santa Fean Magazine is a 2-page spread for an auction of one of Mr. Roanhorse's pieces, all proceeds will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Ideas:

I wanted to create some kind of presentation for user interface, for ways to explain to clients why we (web designs/interfaces) create the way that we do. I've been thinking a lot about the familiarity of web design and what works best and how that familiarity lends credibility and authenticity. I see a lot of designers complaining about the aesthetic "terribleness" that their clients use and I think it's important to note that many of our clients are searching the web. They have favorite sites, they have things they become accustomed to, so even if they don't know why they're accustomed to those things, we must remember that the familiarity is what lends credibility. We have two choices, we can explain why that familiarity works for or against their cause, but what we can't do is go on the attack.

Any number of designers has the story about how the client wants a design/site that doesn't suit their identity. I think what those clients in particular are longing for more than "that design", is that credibility. They're longing for that presence as well. At least four of the projects I've worked on this year have been "clone" sites. These aren't people who just have an idea. These are companies with actual business plans, competitive analysis, and investors that believe in them. They desire to build trust based on an already solidified identity of another company. In creating an environment that is familiar, they are banking on the ability to create an instant trust. Designers must synthesize this want, and see what they're really asking for is trust, credibility, value, bond. These are things that they figure they can short-cut by creating something people recognize as already trustworthy. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn't, but it's our job to figure out what they're asking for and deliver that to them.