CWS Podcast – Ep. 16: Not Everyone is a Designer

cws_podcastIn this episode I explain how to provide web design feedback, and dispel the rumor that not everyone is a designer. Unlike many other activities, such as tuning a piano, baking a killer crème brûlée, or running an enterprise data center; website users try their hand at designing websites just because they have used one in the past. Later in the podcast, I will explain how designs can be successfully altered with the right types of questions, and hopefully without offending the designer.

These questions include:

  • Does this reach our target market?
  • Is it clear what this page does?
  • Can you explain your decision for this?

Action Item: Most professionally trained designers that went through the ranks of a corporate design shop or an advertising agency understand what a design critique is. There is a reason this practice starts all the way back in college design classes. They need to get used to having their designs picked apart. However those critiques are typically not based solely on personal preferences, but rather on foundational design principles. Although you most likely do not have that background, you now have a few approaches that will make it appear so!

Note: This podcast is based on my previous article “Not Everyone Can Design

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Author: Stephen Morrissey

I have been making websites since 1996, and using social media since 2006. My current profession is designing user experiences for corporate software, websites, and mobile applications. I started sharing my knowledge with the world in 2011, about a year after a revival in my faith.