Jeffrey Zeldman presented the first session of An Event Apart Chicago 2009, discussing the process of redesigning a website and demonstrating the process of redesigning his own site and the An Event Apart website.
Client services: in-house, agency/freelance
- Make sure you’re solving a problem solving (not just “time for redesign”)
- Don’t redesign just because it’s tired/you’re tired of it (amazon, apple haven’t changed much over the years)
- Public isn’t as tired of it as I am
Research
- is the difference b/w art and design. Designers are problem solvers, not artists.
- yields achievable goals
- makes you a credible partner
Business goals & user needs
- corporate market research != user needs
- usually no budget for user needs testing
- informal, casual interview – ask for 5 minutes
- don’t ask about website, general info about subject
- develop customer profiles (composite of people talked to)
Content Strategy
- start with content, design with real copy
- no lorem ipsum
Dealing with Clients (internal/external)
- Alzheimer’s method
- back up and refresh their memory, remind them what you discussed before
- like backing up a movie a couple scenes to get the flow
- Translate
- don’t just answer their question, client may be being nice/tactful
- ask questions to get down to the real issue
- “Sell ideas, not pixels”
- Have discussions about the meaning of the design, then ask if the design supports that meaning.
- Some objections & responses:
- “That color is UGLY”
- go back to research, focus on the user
- “That button is too big”
- we did this because research shows users weren’t seeing it
- Find out the real problem and respond to it.
- if it’s a problem, fix it
- if it’s not a problem, use the research to calm the client
- don’t try to calm the client without the research; if you do, you may come across as a know-it-all
Homegrown
Competitive Audit : Client Services :: Inspiration : Homegrown
Samples
Homegrown – Zeldman’s redesign
- problem: invite people to read the writing
- design around the content in the browser with CSS
- designed the nav last interesting
- navigation as content
- there is no fold
- fewer shapes allows more flexibility (recombine the layout later)
Business site – An Event Apart redesign
- problem: needed to show value (economic downturn)
- old site was brand over content
- need persuasive content
- What do we have?
- great sites
- great speakers (in action)
Q&A
- How do you sell info architecture to someone who doesn’t want it and doesn’t have the money?
- expensive to change coded site, less expensive to build it right (faster, cheaper to change napkin drawing than coded site)