Web designer’s workday routine: about the stereotypes

[Tatyana Vuks]

Yesterday's announcement of several interesting threads at habrahabr in addition to user ctulhubris's post last night about the design of a web site developed by one painter which was meant for u..., as well as some other events made me think that existing stereotypes about web designers impact both web designers and their potential customers.

«...a "...standard" designer (and actually all the representatives of "creative profession") painfully accepts any critisism. It would be better to have them work in so called "perfect conditions", i.e. distantly and independently from the customer...»

It may sound funny, but designers are also human beings, and they can be social or reserved, they may always owe a grudge or consider any problem with wisdom or humor.

Speaking about the best (i.e. distant and independent) working conditions for designers, we imagine them working hard somewhere in the cell or even in the underground shelter protecting them from a severe and cruel world outside.

But we forget that a designer is supersensitive to criticism as much as any other person would be. Sometimes, and I agree with it completely, criticism is killing us but sometimes it makes us stronger and influences us. But in any case this is an experience that may turn to be useful for both the project itself and the designer's personality.

«...most designers are people inadequate and maladaptive, so you always take a high risk while introducing them to the customer..."»

What can I say… Or am I the only unlucky person in this world but… I have met inadequate and hard-to teach managers much oftener than inadequate designers. And even more to say - professional or even talented project managers, analyst managers, negotiation managers, presentation or sales managers are very hard to meet, believe me!

The main problem that we face in the team work is find a wise and talented manager!

I personally know a lot of qualified designers, professional and experienced and each of them can perfectly carry on negotiations with a potential customer.

To my regret I cannot say that I have met so many managers meeting the requirements we are talking about - I don't have enough of them either in my contact list or from my working experience in real IT-companies.

As for the thread dedicated to user plevis' s designer that's quite another thing.

Here is the root. Web developers are to develop a good web site with complicated features and in my understanding they co-operate with a designer (s) on a contract basis.

The model of the web site presented to the customer surely left much to be desired demonstrating just a simple solution but the customer was consulting with a PROFESSIONAL PAINTER (a real artist) whose weighty opinion played its role. So the painter rejected the design project and stated that he would create all the design himself. If you follow the link presented here you can watch the result of his artistic work and as well check the original sketches that were valued as "too simple".

I would say that the situation presented here looks conflict.

Such a sketch is not a sketch or a model and surely it is not a real design. If I were user pelvis, I would stop my further participation in this project or I would try my best applying different psychological methods to persuade the customer (that I finally advised). But…. "if I keep on standing on my own, the execution of the project will be dragging on for more than 6 months. I'd rather do what they want and then just use their "skin", it is very simple. I would even do this for free, just to have them walk twice in the same water. And finally we will initiate a paid contest and present a true working instrument. I hope I don't sound too cynic? It is just the only way to persuade them as they are listening only to their "advising painter" and there is no chance to offer our concept at the moment".

This situation gives birth to another stereotype: a designer should not be a painter, a painter should not be a web developer (of course this is not axiomatic, I just simplified the wording as I have met such a situation many times before), so as a conclusion one may think that a painter is a bad web designer.

From my own experience I know about all the difficulties that rise up during the work with qualified art designers and graphic designers who tried to make sketches for the web sites.

I remember well the year 2001, it was my first experience of such a co-operation (I had to try my best, adjusting a very creative but unpractical web site design created by one graphic designer), so I can state with assurance that I have met problem before.

However, to make this situation a rule is incorrect.

Nevertheless I can compare my negative experience of co-operation with off-line painters and designers with my positive one. I've met art designers developing fantastic solutions and leaving far behind professional technical designers who are good at useability decisions and standard solutions but who are incapable to feel the color and its scheme, who cannot jump over own head and get beyond the frames of free cliparts and traditional modular grid.

If you know other false and "crusted" stereotypes, you are welcome to share them with me as in my opinion this subject is to be discussed more and more.