"Professional Website" - What it is???

[kiumars]

Dear friends and colleagues,

My special thanks goes to Carju1 for his careful understanding and inputs as well as my sincere apology to Sudhani for taking a wrong picture of his situation.
You were right that we jump into conclusion because of the lack of information or not having enough time to read the whole history behind a subject. Sometimes our mistakes happen for good reasons to learn and define hidden values. It’s true that a designer’s brain is located inside the heart. That’s again the reason why an artist sees the world so beautiful and clean. Once again that’s another reason why artists afraid of facing impurities as if of a definition of the word distrust. Design is not only dealing with drawing tolls and computer but public relation and friendly communication which are the core of inspiration. The candle wouldn’t light without matches. Recently Rocky came with a caring topic in this forum and I was very touched and praised him ever since. He mentioned that a couple of our Canadian colleagues had a car accident and asked every one to write for them. That was so nice and makes us to believe and trust in each other’s faith and manners.
I really was not hurt by the “Hahaha thing” in fact laughing is healthy and much better than grieving. My sadness was due to getting a wrong picture of the situation that you were in and therefore asking you kindly to forgive me on that. However, I became very sensitive by putting myself into your situation dealing with a group of inexperienced fashion designers who wanted you to make them look great out of nothing. That work was too good for that client, but never should be presented as job reference to the board of Armani designers, unless to make them understand that the job was done to the need and the level of the quality design and performance of the client that you were working for. Your client had only a dozen of primitive sketches to tell the world what? And you as a web designer expected to do what? If you have super imposed your design, then the site represented you instead of your client, and that is a big mistake to do. As Brettgodfrey said earlier in this forum “I hope the sites I deliver for clients say much about them and nothing about me.”

I still believe that it is so important for a designer to have the courage to refusing projects that does not feel to fit in. That’s what I do, not when I was young. Those times I was getting so exited of taking in of any coming assignment as a potential job. Today, I study the project very carefully and try to see whether it is anything for me or should refer it to someone else. Twice I had inquiries to design porno websites and I turned them down immediately. However, a week ago had a nice inquiry regarding September eleven, and that is what I love to work for. Some projects I like so much that I even love to do it with no charge. I have done some of those and earned a lot spiritually rather than materially.

Sorry for a long writing, and must stop hear because I am very behind a tight schedule and have to hurry up before Monday.

Well, thanks again for clearing a better picture and a wonderful topic to discuss.

Best regards,
Kiumars

[sudhani]

Hi Kiumars,

Its ok it happens sometime ... we are soo busy sometimes that we cant really fo through everything meticulously. Thanx, now you understood!!!

After you raised a point that you need to be a good salesman to sell your website to the client, I really started thinking about it ...... And it did work for me .... and i feel it works!!!

Now I am just wondering what specific points we need to say when we design a website .... like what we need to say about colors, graphics .. etc we used ... I think you can throw more light on this ... any ideas???

[kiumars]

Hello Sudhahi,

Thanks a lot and welcome back. About some further inputs, followings really work for me almost on every case. However, what I learned is based on those tremendous bad practices in past. Let me give you a short picture of my experiences. I was born in a famous art family and practiced nothing but arts the whole my life. I lived alone since 18 and traveled all over the world, graduated in 3 major academies of arts. My goal was never to change courier even if a day facing financial difficulties will stay on top and never give up my dreams. I was young, enthusiastic, energetic, honest and full of ideas and very potential.
Now, look what happened. Too shy to deal with people, too shy to speak about fees, too shy to negotiate about terms and conditions in an agreements. However, too eager to give an open heart to the most challenging work when in most cases appeared to be nothing to challenge for. To define the last part, is very important. Sometimes we take a job too seriously, which is in fact of less importance to the client and because we are too exited, unintentionally make the client scared and uncomfortable to work with us. This happens a lot. Young designers speak more than they should. More talks means less control over the situation. Clients do not have enough room to capture a long speech and go unplug long before the speech ends.
Loosing one job after the other, made me to realize that the blame was not on my clients but me. I started to focus more on PR and sales issues and little by little built up a strong character able to discuss, negotiate and control a pleasant communication until to close a positive conclusion without even giving a clue about my design. That part remains as a magic card in hand to surprise later. At this point you have the chance to turn the table and make the client exited enough to wait for your delivery. The reason is logic, because when you seat in front of your client, you must make this clear that even you won’t know about the perfect design matching their needs, unless to spend some more times to learn and study about the nature of their business. I listen very carefully and keep eye contacts and make my questions very simple and short. I do not make notes during conversation, because that is too formal and a sign of insecurity. If they ask whether you should take notes, just say, not yet is necessary, let me to get a general idea and will return to collect more details later. This way you let them to feel comfortable and relax while talking. Never talk about other samples or speak negative. If they start with showing you some samples done by the others, just look. If they push you to give your opinion, It’s wise not to jump into discussion. If you do, the subject changes and you loose control. You can say, that it is too soon for me to judge whether those samples have any significant relevant to their needs.
Now, before I continue with every possible occasion, am sure that you noticed that it is all about creating an atmosphere not demonstration. The following atmosphere or scenario is my favor:
Have your client to challenge to make you interested in taking the job. Make them a success to hiring you not vice versa. During the first meeting let them to have the doubt whether you are willing to take the job. When you say yes, that means you have understood the project and committed to the work. That “YES” should not come easily from your mouth. If it comes out, worth a lot to your client.
Now back to your question, whether to talk about colors or graphics. I think that I have already answered to that. You should not know about the outcome of your design yet. You have already sold your participation as a designer to your client. Now you are ready to return to your office and start creating your masterpiece or whatever you may call it. That part is the shrine of your imagination, a forbidden temple to outsiders. During design process all doors are closed to others. And the client with full respect will be anxiously waiting for your call for the next meeting. Take enough time and do not hurry. When you are ready go only with one best proposal, never with several solutions. If you do, the job will never come to end, and in most cases the client starts with drawing lines or putting wrong colors on your sketches.

Now, how to start a new design? Below is my way:
One week relaxation, and during this period never start putting any idea on a piece of paper. I trust my feelings rather then relaying on academic backgrounds or any experiences before, Never look after duplication of ideas. First week is to see from inside not through the eyes. Have you ever practiced meditation? That’s what more looks like. Tense minds can not be creative.

The last important issue:
There is a big different between a sales type of person like a car dealer than a sales person who sales his/her own arts. The first one is the skill of selling without believing in the product, the second one is the one who absolutely has the belief and trust in the ability of doing the job. That confidence should be strongly noticeable to the client at the first meeting. After you said “YES” to your client do not start the job prior receiving at least 50% down.

One more last thing:
Take the job that you really fit in, and it is more than OK to say “NO”. Give your “YES” the highest respect as you can. That is an unbreakable, irrevocable, unconditional commitment.

Conclusion:
The whole scenario is similar to relationships between a man and a woman’s first day of dating. What do you expect? Honesty, confidence, understanding, not jumping into any conclusion, not to be over exited, letting the other to speak first, no self boasting, stop talking about others, creating an atmosphere of comfort, avoid promising much, no pushing attitude, make the next meeting even more exited. Above all, the excitement of discovering an untold mystery is the key too keep the relationship more interesting . That mystery is the answer to your questions about the colors and graphics. If you disclose those too early to your client, will no longer be considered as a mystery.
Art should first strike the artist before shaking the visitors. Let it bloom naturally.

I am still at the early stage of learning. Next year what I have said today will be of my past bad practice. That’s the mystery of life. After all there are no rules, we just make them to sound good rather than to work better for us.

Best regards,
Kiumars

[dancedevils]

I do not know about anywhere else, but in the UK the term 'professional' is used to describe a service that is payed for.

Something that is not professional looking is not worth buying. (As in PAYING FOR!)

[kiumars]

Hello Dancedevils,

You have just posted two short sentences each of different meanings.
The first sentence does not describe the concept of “professional” and if it does in London, may be that’s why you pay the highest lawyer fees in the UK “150 Pounds per hour where in the States they pay 150 US Dollars” Not mentioning that English lawyers are working too slow and charge more hours on reading documents.

The second sentence is also wrong because you said “professional looking” what about functionality and performance? What about the budget and customers needs? What about false trends or lack of technicalities? The term of "Professional looking" may work better for make up artists not web designers.

Best regards,
Kiumars

[dancedevils]

Erm actually no. I meant what I meant in those sentances and they both meant the same thing in original English if Americans could only speak it!

I live in the part of the UK where buying things is cheaper than in America so I do not know where you get London from. Where I live, we practise and easy way of life and tend to live longer than anyone else inthe UK thanks.

[sudhani]

I do not know about anywhere else, but in the UK the term 'professional' is used to describe a service that is payed for.

Something that is not professional looking is not worth buying. (As in PAYING FOR!)

Yes I think this is another convention across the world!!!

The more you charge, the more professaional you become. Am I right ;)