• In a world where we are constantly bombarded with media (web, print advertising); good design allows you to stand out or at a minimum hold a strong placement against your competitors
• Good design can create a bond (association) between you and and your target demographic.
• Good design clearly portrays your brand and ideals to potential clients/customers; for example, a green company emphasizing their commitment to the environment
• Good design elevates the perceived quality of services by demonstrating your commitment to excellence in everything, including your collateral

USER INTERFACE DESIGN (behind the scene) – Also known as: Information Architecture

Good design must include excellent User Interface Design. UID is summarized in the question: “how difficult (or easy) is the website to use”

• When applied to designing websites, UID refers to the structure and flow of a site. If a site is difficult to navigate, making it hard to find what you are looking for, the user most likely will not contact the site owner or purchase a product.
• Well structured websites have a natural information flow that most users will find comfortable. Comfort on the web is beneficial as there is no knowledgeable salesperson at your visitor’s side to guide them. The web is a self-service environment, with no instruction manual or training. Good UID ensures your user can find what they need, and guides them to your conversion pages
• A good user experience forms positive impressions of your product/service offerings, allowing visitors to intuitively access the information they need. This will be a primary factor in whether or not they come back!

eye9 Design is a leading Denver Design Firm providing web development and Colorado SEO.
Thanks to Bret Glassett, our Senior Web Designer, for his significant contribution to this article.

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I am sure that a quick Google search could return a number of articles from those with similar experiences, and perhaps tips to keep from “getting burned” again. However, I want to approach this article from a different angle, that of a potential service provider.

We often deal with clients coming off negative experiences with companies who lacked competence, were dishonest, or communicated poorly. For the majority of these clients, our steady, thorough, and documented approach to setting up projects allays their fears. However, there is a minority who unintentionally sabotage the RFP process because their previous experience has left them deeply hesitant.

So here are a few tips to help you navigate the proposal process with a potential design firm or SEO company:

• Ask but don’t assume : If you have a particular area of concern, be sure to bring it up in your conversation with the service provider. However, try to share it in a friendly manner that does not put them on the defensive by assuming they are just like that last company .
  An example of what not to say: “You know, graphic design companies always seem to be ripping people off. How do I know your cost is what you say it is?”
  Here is a better approach: “Communication and clarity are very important to me. I am coming off a negative experience with a previous designer, and I know from other experiences that can be avoided by establishing a thorough scope of work up front. How can I be of assistance in creating a detailed project description?”
• Everything in writing : A common problem our clients share is that their previous service provider was constantly submitting “surprise invoices” for work they thought was in the original scope of work. Ask your service provider “How do you setup a project so that the scope and cost are clear to both parties? How do you deal with out of scope work?
• Work milestones : ask the service provider if they can break up the project into 3-5 milestones that associate a payment with the completion of a task. As an example, we have setup small design projects with 33% up front, 33% after approval of site design, 33% on completion. This gives the service provider a tangible goal, and you the peace of mind provided by spreading out payments.

Leave us your comments. What are your recommendations for interviewing a potential service provider?

eye9 Design is a leading Denver design firm providing website development in Colorado and SEO Optimization .

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Need a new brand? eye9 Design is a leading Colorado graphic design company that helps companies create logos based on their unique values, target demographic, and position in their business space.

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So it begs the question…what is good design worth? What would you pay for a website that attracts new visitors, reflects your company’s unique values, and converts visitors into customers?

Here is what one customer had to say about what our design means to her small business.

The most impressive thing about working with eye9 is their ability to respond to my requests and develop a site based on my personal design tastes. Not only is the site aestheically pleasing, but it also suits the needs of my small business
Keri Welch, MementobyKeri.com

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1. If you have space…use it
2. >>> !!! *** Be catchy *** !!! <<<
3. Web content and printed content are the same
4. It pays to be different

Myth #1: If you have space…use it

You paid your designer to create an effective marketing piece for you and they returned a comp that is 1/2 a blank page! Why is your designer wasting costly marketing “real estate?”

This “blank” area is termed negative space, whereas an image or graphic would be considered positive space. To a designer, negative space is just another tool at his/her disposal. Often negative space can be used to emphasize composition, create visual paths, direct the focus of the viewer, and increase the dramatic effect of the overall piece.

Great design is often strikingly simple.

Myth #2: >>> !!! *** Be catchy *** !!! <<<

Some people hold the sentiment that crazy shapes, bright colors and seductive ’starbursts’ are always helpful in attracting attention. Florescent pink anyone? The fact is, just because something catches the eye does not necessarily mean the viewer will be interested enough to open, click, or otherwise respond.

A good example of effective advertising is Apple. Their marketing campaigns are quite minimalist in appearance: black and white, vast amounts of empty space, and a subtle use of color. Their collateral is elegant and reflects an attention to detail. Apple users will attest that even opening the product box is an experience in itself. People buy into the (expensive) Mac lifestyle because its aesthetics tell you this is a quality “must have” product, not because their designers resorted to cheap, flashy design tricks.

There are a variety of ways to attract the eye of the visitor, and your industry and target audience always guide these. What is effective for a used car sale advertisement may not work for a software company website.

Myth #3: Web content and printed content are the same

In most cases, your website content should be different than the content from your printed marketing collateral. All your copy should focus on your target audience and be guided by your overall marketing strategy. However, website content is unique in several ways:

• Keep it concise: website visitors have, shall we say, very short attention spans! If your visitor gets the impression that finding the content she desires will be like finding a needle in a haystack, you can be sure she will leave and likely not return.
• Click here for more info: while brevity is essential, you also want your site to be an effective online resource about your services/products. Towards that end, you can allow visitors who want to know more to dig deeper. If you have 5 reasons your product is superior to your competitor’s product, provide them in synopsis form on your products page. Each reason can conclude with “click here for more info” which guides the interested visitor to a more in-depth discussion of the topic.
• Internal Linking: one of the benefits of the web is internal, contextual linking. By using hyperlinks, you can direct users in one section of your website to another relevant section with a simple click. Make the attempt to have at least a half dozen links in the content of every page that allow the visitor to move with ease throughout your site.

Myth #4: It always pays to be different

In business, we are always looking to distinguish ourselves from our competition. Companies can do this by emphasizing a unique philosophy, an improved formula, and better customer service.

Distinctive is also good when it comes to web design. It is important that your website is distinctive, from the look and feel of the site to the marketing message it carries. We accomplish this by having you fill out a web design questionnaire that (among other things) asks how you distinguish yourselves from the competition. Our design can then highlight your unique approach and benefit to your clients.

However, occasionally clients want to take this to an extreme, and end up with marketing collateral that is completely dissimilar from others in their industry. The famous Sesame Street song said, “one of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn’t belong.” So while it is beneficial at times to buck the system, it is always a good idea to make sure your collateral is in line with the marketing best practices of your industry.

eye9 Design is a Colorado website design company, specializing in web and graphic design, web development, and seo optimization. Denver, CO.

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We begin every project with a website questionnaire. We supply you with a time line for completion, and guide you in what input we need from you. Years of project management have helped us create a smooth process for turning out incredible web work.

That same experience tells us that there will always be curve balls, and often from the client. That is ok with us! We are used to it, and plan for it. Hear what Peter Breese of Billygoose.com said about our work.

A truly positive experience; eye9 delivered a functional site with all the bells and whistles. Not only did eye9 tolerate my ever changing vision, but they made every effort to incorporate all of the elements I thew at them.

As the design and development process progresses, it often reveals our clients’ preferences. The layout, colors, fonts, or navigation you thought you like now seem…unappealing. We work with you to accommodate your changing needs…often without any additional charge. Where a change in scope is required, we clearly articulate your options so as to choose the most strategic and cost effective option.

Flexibility. What you would expect from an elite Denver graphic and web page design firm.

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When we begin a website, logo, or graphic design project, we have our clients fill out a questionnaire that asks questions like:

• How would you describe your company, its personality, attitude and image, using adjectives?
• What is your company’s objective or mission statement?
• Describe your services and/or products, and the benefit to the customer?
• Who are your biggest competitors?

By starting with this understanding of your company, we can highlight your unique benefits to your clients.

As you consider your next design project, or evaluate your current design pieces, ask yourself if your marketing message is front and center. No one knows your services and/or products better than you, and we work together with you to make sure that knowledge is transmitted with clarity in all your marketing media.

eye9 Design is a Colorado graphic design and web design company, providing Denver web page design and Denver Colorado graphic design services.

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