Sure, I’ve done plenty of “design” during the past three decades. However, I’ve also found myself doing things that have nothing to do with it. Things that are far outside the scope of a web geek. I’d argue that half of my time has gone to these other roles.

Perhaps that’s because web design is still a relatively new industry. Outsiders don’t know much about it. The early days were especially rough in that regard. Being a web designer requires a lot of hand-holding. We educate clients as we go through the design, development, and maintenance processes.

Looking back, here are a few unexpected roles I’ve played. Maybe I deserve an honorary degree or two?

Psychoanalyst

I enjoy trying to understand why people do what they do. It’s a good thing, as I’ve found myself digging into client behavior a lot.

Part of the role is figuring out what motivates people. It’s a helpful strategy when projects stall, or someone keeps changing their mind. Motivating someone results in getting things done – which is always a positive.

You can also use these skills to get people to hold up their end of the bargain. Sometimes, clients don’t do what they say they will (like paying an invoice).

It’s not that they are being cheap or stubborn. I’ve found that it happens with people who are being pulled in too many directions. Their website-related tasks get put on the back burner.

The trick is to know when and how to approach them with a task. Reaching them at a certain time of day, for instance, may make it easier to get their attention. It doesn’t always work – but I like a challenge!

Teacher/Motivational Speaker

Website owners often face a learning curve. Most aren’t familiar with the technologies that go into building and maintaining a site. That’s still true today.

However, it was even more pronounced when I started in the 1990s. Some people knew nothing about computers – even checking their email was an ordeal. Couple that with buggy hardware and slow internet connections, and you had a tech support nightmare.

Working with small businesses made this situation harder. These folks didn’t have the resources to hire an IT specialist. So, much of the technical work was passed on to the person building their website.

That led to a lot of teaching and pep talks. I helped clients set up their hardware and software and learn how to use them. I even tried to install broadband for somebody (it didn’t go well). The boundaries of web design were shattered.

The biggest hurdle is getting people to believe in themselves. I still run into that issue when training people to update their websites. The unfamiliarity with a tool leads to nervousness, which leads to doubt.

Regardless of the technological era, the goal is to simplify things. Show someone how to do a task and allow them space to ask questions. Provide a quick reference they can look at when you’re not around.

If they master a task, look out. They’ll have more confidence moving forward.

Researcher & Fact Checker

Let’s face it: the online world is a playground for scammers. It’s amazing our society functions at all, given the constant stream of people trying to take advantage of us.

A lot of scams seem to target website owners. Those domain registration letters US residents get in the mail are but one example. There are also emails about a site’s purported SEO troubles and payment gateway phishing attempts.

Some scammers are more skilled than others. Their work is harder to detect as a ruse. Thus, clients send these items to me looking for clarity. Is this a real message? Do I owe them money?

I’ve learned to spot likely scams. Knowing who each client purchases web-related services from helps. But there are cases when I need to do some detective work.

I believe things will only get worse. Artificial intelligence (AI) will make scams harder to identify. For instance, poor grammar is a telltale sign of a phishing scam. AI tools can help crooks improve their language and more easily fool victims.

Digital Forensic Scientist

Troubleshooting problems on the web is nothing new. However, the way we build websites has become more complex. And the technologies that make up our digital lives are vast.

That means retracing the footsteps of a task gone wrong. In practice, it’s pouring over access logs to track the source of a malware attack. Or determining how an email was rejected by an ambitious spam filter. There’s also examining WordPress post revisions to see how a page layout was broken. And I can’t forget checking an obscure web browser to see why a client’s site won’t display correctly.

It’s a tedious role that seems well above my pay grade. One can spend hours looking for the source of a problem, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll find it.

What’s more, there are often several links in a given chain. It could be the hosting company, the email provider, or a WordPress plugin. Maybe a client had their password stolen. There are so many places to look and so many things it could be. Determining the culprit is often a wild goose chase.

These tasks are becoming a bigger part of my day. Sometimes they span multiple days or even weeks. Much like internet scams, I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon.

Design and a Whole Lot More

Web designers tend to be a catch-all when working with clients. They’re as likely to ask us about an email delivery issue as they are about their website.

On the bright side, it keeps our days interesting. There is no shortage of problems to troubleshoot or technologies to teach. But it also takes precious time away from our core tasks.

It’s a reflection of the industry and of the difficulties facing small organizations. Clients need a team of experts to manage these disparate areas. That’s not realistic, though. The result is that things get passed over to web designers – the one expert they do have on hand.

It has always felt like a part of the job – one no one tells you about. The title certainly doesn’t do it justice.

The post The Unexpected Roles of Web Designers appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

I have wrestled with what AI means for our industry during this time. There’s potential to make our jobs easier. However, there are also questions about where these large language models (LLM) get their data and how accurate they are. Not to mention the eerie feeling of replacing humans.

Is the glass half empty or half full? Perhaps we won’t know for a few more years. New tools and technical evolutions are sure to come.

One thing I can say is that AI has changed my workflow. And it’s about more than saving time. Tools like ChatGPT and GitHub’s Copilot have also changed how I approach development projects.

Here’s a look at how AI has impacted me so far. I hope you see a thing or two that resonates.

A Solution to Coding Challenges

I’ll admit it: I’m not the world’s best coder. My experience with PHP and JavaScript is riddled with fits and starts. I tend to make some progress – only to run into a debugging nightmare. It’s those little things that get in the way, you know?

AI tools have, for better or worse, saved me from scouring Google for solutions. I can paste the offending code snippet into ChatGPT, and it will explain where I went wrong. It will even provide a corrected version.

Issues such as syntax errors aren’t easy to spot with the naked eye. Code editors can point them out but don’t often provide easy-to-understand suggestions. AI acts like an extremely patient friend who holds your hand during these tough times.

I feel guilty for contributing to the decline of traffic to Stack Overflow and similar communities. On the other hand, finding quick answers has lowered my stress levels.

This feature is invaluable for freelancers who work solo. It’s like having a colleague on hand, 24/7. And even when the answers aren’t 100% accurate, they usually lead you in the right direction.

A More Holistic Approach to Development

Time is always of the essence when doing custom development work. Budgets are limited, and deadlines are short. Sometimes, this leads to a result that isn’t as good as it could be.

There’s also a tie-in with limited coding skills. It’s hard to build a top-notch feature when you spend most of your time debugging. I find myself rushing to get things done rather than polishing them.

AI has made a huge impact in this area. Its ability to quickly write code and solve problems allows me to approach projects differently. I can take a holistic view that encompasses how things should look and work.

The experience has been freeing. My focus has changed to implementing and then improving my code. There’s room to add details that make for a better user experience. I also have more time for quality control.

If anything, AI has brought some clarity to my usually-scattered mind. Working step-by-step through a project is easier than ever.

A Newfound Confidence in What’s Possible

Custom development has always scared me. I often doubted something was possible until I made it work. Funny as it sounds, having AI’s help at my disposal has improved my confidence. I no longer cringe as much when a client asks for something I haven’t done before.

That doesn’t mean the build process will be worry-free. There will still be bumps in the road and unexpected challenges. However, combining AI with my existing knowledge empowers me to determine the best way forward.

I think this is another side effect of working solo. Each task feels like climbing a mountain when doing it alone. Having access to the right resources helps to ease the burden.

To be clear, I don’t equate AI with a human developer. People are much better at things like planning and critical thinking.

Machines can’t yet compete in that realm. They provide an extra depth of knowledge and boost productivity, though. That makes a big difference when you’re used to doing it all yourself.

It makes me feel like I can take on projects I might have turned down before.

AI Provides a Helping Hand When I Need It

Believe it or not, I don’t use AI every day. Most of my web design and development work originates from my imperfect brain. As does 100% of my writing. I’m happy to keep it that way.

However, I have experienced numerous occasions where an extra bit of help is appreciated. That led to a lot of frustration in the past. Having neither the time nor money to hire an expert for small tasks caused a lot of headaches.

That’s where AI has been most useful. Writing a WordPress function or manipulating the DOM with JavaScript can be accomplished with minimal effort. They’re no longer sticking points that hold me back.

In the end, that’s what tools are supposed to do. We use them to do more in less time. The tools may change, but the concept remains the same. Maybe AI is just the latest in a long line of them.

The post How AI Changed My Web Development Workflow appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

I had that feeling a lot during my early days in this industry. My work wasn’t great, mind you. But I felt the thrill of doing things I’d never done. And it was even better if I had made a client happy.

There was a lot of creative energy back then. The web was a new medium – and we were building it as we went along.

It’s no secret that the industry has changed dramatically. The old methods of building websites are gone. Now, we work with advanced tools and premade elements.

I sometimes feel like web design has lost its creative flair. Has it? Or have we changed how we use our creativity?

Let’s explore what it means to be creative in modern web design.

We No Longer Build from Scratch

An original web design isn’t always a top priority these days. We often prioritize efficiency, usability, and accessibility in our builds.

To that end, we start projects with frameworks and themes that provide a head start. Tools like Tailwind CSS feature readymade layouts and components. WordPress themes may offer a complete website for us to customize. And we can’t forget about the advent of block patterns.

That’s the reverse of how things used to work. We used to fire up Photoshop or some other design tool. We’d start with a blank canvas and build from scratch.

It’s easy to romanticize that era. We may think of web design as a lost art. It’s as if we were craftspeople who built sites the right way. None of these modern tools could match those techniques.

But that practice isn’t sustainable for busy designers. There’s not enough time or budget for a long design process. Not when there are multiple projects to complete.

For better or worse, our workflows have changed. Web designers have had to adapt to keep pace.

Adding a Personal Touch to Predesigned Components

How can we be creative when using predesigned components? Complete originality may be out of the question. However, there’s still an opportunity to add a personal touch.

There is no shortage of areas to change. An element’s color, size, and typography are prime examples. We don’t have to settle for the default look.

We can also choose components that include minimal styling. The WordPress block editor works this way. A default implementation is typically barebones. Tailwind CSS also prioritizes utility over looks.

Knowledge of these tools also helps. We can design in Figma with specific components in mind. That allows us to use our imagination while staying within the lines.

The process is reminiscent of a collage artist. It’s about pulling all of these different pieces together. From there, we seek to create a seamless user experience. The results can be compelling.

The added layer of convenience might make us feel guilty, though. For instance, page builder tools take the pain out of design. It’s more paint-by-numbers than drawing from memory.

Did we even “create” anything here?

Modern Web Design Is a Different Artform

Sure, the design process has changed. That doesn’t mean we’re no longer being creative, though.

We’re still using our creativity – just in a different way. We’re using our knowledge and experience to build the best website possible. And we’re using our keen eye to make it beautiful and functional.

If anything, we’re fortunate to have these new tools and frameworks. Websites are becoming more complex all the time.

Perhaps that makes web design harder than ever. Designing from scratch and managing functionality might be too much to handle.

Our focus needs to be in many places at once. So, maybe we’re creating a collage while juggling!

Find New Ways to Be Creative

One positive development is that designers don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We spend less time on the basics. That allows us time to concentrate on the details.

It’s the little things that can make a website stand out. We now have the tools to give us a head start.

Yes, these new methods can be limiting at times. However, web designers have plenty of experience in that area.

There have always been parameters for us to work within. It used to be the limits of CSS or user devices. Now, we try to bend and shape tools to match our needs. That also takes creativity.

You know what? Despite my initial concerns, those “a-ha” moments still exist. The change is in how we create them.

The post Creativity Hasn’t Left Web Design – It’s Just Different appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

The challenge is that some clients don’t provide lasting revenue. After their project launches, money tends to dry up. You may have trouble justifying the cost of keeping them.

What costs? The responsibility of looking after their website, for one. If something breaks, you’ll be the one to fix it. The same goes for making small changes. This requires time. And it can get in the way of more profitable tasks.

It doesn’t have to be that way. The right strategies can ensure that every client is a profitable one. The key is in providing value. Here are a few ideas for increasing revenue from your existing clients.

Work With Yearly Maintenance Plans

Website maintenance plans are a great way to boost revenue. And they’re especially important in the age of content management systems (CMS). Apps like WordPress require frequent updates – not to mention a 24/7 focus on security.

The concept is simple: charge a yearly fee in exchange for a well-defined service. Specify what you’ll do and how much time you’ll commit to the job. Clients get peace of mind, and you’ll gain some extra cash.

Not all clients prefer this type of arrangement, however. They’d rather contact you when they need something. It’s particularly convenient for organizations that don’t make many changes to their site.

In that case, you could offer an hourly rate. But you might charge a higher price in exchange for this convenience. That way, you’re still making an acceptable profit.

An hourly rate is completely optional, though. The goal should be to funnel as many clients into a maintenance agreement as possible. This will provide you with predictable, recurring revenue.

Offer Subscription-Based Services to Clients

Maintenance isn’t the only subscription-based service web designers can offer. There are related items that can add value as well:

Web Hosting

There are benefits to hosting your client’s website. First, it ensures that their site is on a platform you are familiar with. This can make building, maintaining, and troubleshooting more efficient.

It also adds to your bottom line. You’ll be able to charge monthly or yearly fees for the service.

Just to be clear: this doesn’t mean setting up a server in your office. Instead, you can resell server space from an established hosting company.

The potential downside is that you’ll likely be the point of contact when something goes wrong. Therefore, you may want to charge a premium to cover the extra responsibility.

SEO & Analytics

Search engine optimization (SEO) has become a cottage industry. But it’s a relatable subject that web designers can master. Thus, it’s a natural extension of your core business.

And SEO goes well beyond the initial setup. Monitoring results through analytics provides important data. From there, you can adjust your strategy to align with client goals.

The adjustments can take many forms. It could be a few simple content changes. Or you might change a site’s structure to better serve users. Regardless, there are opportunities to generate revenue.

This service may be a perfect fit if you enjoy digging into numbers. Clients will be happy to pay for your expertise.

Content Creation & Email List Management

There is also subscription service potential for designers with marketing skills. Creating content for clients and helping to manage their email lists are prime examples.

Many clients have an ongoing need for both services. For example, those without an in-house marketer might need help writing blog posts. This keeps users engaged while your client can focus on running their business.

Email list management could be a stretch for some. But if you’re already creating content for their website, writing newsletters isn’t so far-fetched.

There is money to be made in the right situations. And these projects may fit in with what you’re already doing.

If All Else Fails, Raise Your Prices

If you’re already doing one or more of the above, good for you! That means you’re seizing the opportunity to enhance your services list. And you’re making the most out of your existing client relationships.

But the cost of everything is rising. Thus, you may need to raise your prices to keep pace.

This move shouldn’t be taken lightly, though. Clients who are already tired of increased costs may not be willing or able to pay more.

Therefore, this should be a rare event. Yearly increases, for instance, will eventually alienate some people. But doing so every 2-3 years may be more acceptable.

It’s OK to pad your bottom line. But it’s also wise to empathize with clients. Money for the sake of money isn’t a good reason to raise prices.

It Pays to Focus On Existing Clients

It can be easy to look past existing clients. Some of that may be due to the industry’s narrative. It seems like we’re constantly being advised to go bigger and better.

As such, we don’t always maximize their value. That’s a shame. Existing clients are vital to helping your business grow. We can rely on them even when we’re having difficulty booking new projects.

So, take the time to examine your client roster. Get a sense of how much revenue each one generates. Find areas where you can add value. Then create a plan to increase those numbers.

The extra money you make will add sustainability to your business. And your clients will get the services they need to succeed. It’s a win for everyone!

The post How to Increase Revenue From Your Existing Web Design Clients appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Haggling over price is as old as commerce itself. But we still need to make a living. Thus, if we provided a discount every time one was requested, we’d go broke.

That’s why full price should be the norm for most clients. Doing things this way has several benefits.

For one, it keeps your bank account in good shape. Plus, it helps you predict future revenue and serves as a motivator. A case can also be made that it reduces stress. You’ll avoid becoming desperate for that next project to come along.

Still, that doesn’t mean discounts are never a good move. There are scenarios where it might make sense for your business. Here are a few times when a discount should be on the table.

Charity Website Projects

Many businesses offer discounts to non-profit organizations. For example, everyone from internet providers to banks provides money-saving deals. Some see it as a moral obligation. Others may look at it as a chance to gain some positive publicity.

For web designers, especially solo entrepreneurs, it can be more complicated. We don’t have the financial resources of bigger companies. Deep discounts can disrupt our revenue stream.

There is room for compromise, however. Perhaps discounts could be reserved for causes that are close to your heart. A local charity with a tight budget is a prime example. A food bank, a homeless shelter, or an animal rescue are possibilities.

In those cases, you might find building a website to be a true labor of love. As such, money shouldn’t be the main object.

It is important to be judicious about who receives discounts, however. You don’t want to get into a situation where you’re putting in hours of work without fair compensation.

Loyal Clients Looking for a Website Redesign

The truly lucky among us will have clients that stick with us for years. Not only are they a pleasure to work with, but they also pay on time and make referrals.

These folks help to keep your business going. Because of that, they deserve a special place on your client list. They are VIPs.

Providing a small discount on a website redesign is both good business and a way of saying “thank you.” If they’ve generated substantial revenue, any amount you can knock off the price is worth it.

This helps to continue building goodwill in your relationship. In turn, you’ll know that you can count on their continued patronage. And they’ll be happy to spread the word about your business.

During Tough Times

Inevitably, one of your clients will go through a difficult time. It could be part of a widespread crisis such as a pandemic. Or maybe something localized like a fire or bankruptcy.

Regardless, this might be an appropriate time to provide a discount. Again, it’s about helping to strengthen your relationship. This demonstrates that you have your client’s back.

There’s also some practicality involved. If you charge recurring fees for maintenance packages or web hosting, it may be difficult for your client to pay. Providing a discount or splitting up payments might make the ultimate difference in whether you get paid.

Not sure what to do? It may depend on your experience with a particular client. If they’re generally on time with payment and great to work with, this makes the decision easier.

When NOT to Discount Your Web Design Services

The scenarios above are the exception. Plenty of people will ask you for discounts. It’s usually better to say “no.”

Prospective clients are shopping around for the best deal. That’s their prerogative. But web designers will not benefit from a pricing war. It’s a race to the bottom that will leave you with regret.

Some proclaim that providing a discount now carries the promise of “more work” later. This is one of the oldest tricks in the book – don’t give in. Unless future revenue is guaranteed in writing, you’re unlikely to ever see those brighter days.

Existing clients are a bit more complex. As we mentioned earlier, it’s fine to provide discounts to your VIPs. They’ve more than made up for whatever deal you offer.

But some people simply don’t want to pay for anything. And they expect others to bend to their demands.

It can be a sign of a one-way relationship. One where your experience and expertise aren’t valued. It might be better to see them walk away in an angry heap than to feed their ego.

It’s Your Business, Your Decision

The lesson here is simple: just because someone asks for a discount doesn’t mean they should receive one. You might even make the case that the opposite is true.

Some people do deserve a break, though. For example, non-profit organizations and loyal clients. Their actions may move you to offer lower pricing without being asked.

It’s your web design business. Therefore, you get to make those decisions. Choose wisely!

The post Should a Web Designer Ever Provide Discounts? appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

The web can be a scary place – even for seasoned designers. Trying to wrap our heads around privacy issues, security, accessibility and new technologies can make anyone’s head spin. So, just think of what they can do to the people who depend on us for help.

In some ways, it’s even worse for our clients. Why? Because there are any number of bad actors out there who are constantly trying to trick them, hack their site or otherwise extort a few extra dollars. Not to mention the perfectly legitimate things that, while innocent enough, can put a non-techie into a cold sweat.

With that in mind, here are a few items that tend to put even cool clients into panic mode. But don’t worry. Each one includes some tips for talking them off the emotional ledge.

Mysterious Spam Invoices

If you own a website, or even a domain, odds are you’re going to start receiving all manner of nuisance messages. Whether they appear in your inbox or your postal mail, their aim is to get you to spend money – often out of fear.

One of the more famous examples of this are phony domain registration renewals. A company (if you can call it that) will send a letter that looks like an invoice, claiming the client’s domain name is about to expire. It will probably mention all the terrible things that can happen if they don’t renew this instant. And, oh yeah, the cost is massively marked up.

The only trouble is that your client has never heard of this company. So naturally, they’ll ask you about it. They may wonder if they’ve missed the deadline and why the price is suddenly higher. Have they already lost the domain? What will happen to their business?

Honorable mention goes out to those great “let me fix your website” emails that show up regularly. But they’re only kind of scary.

What to Do

When your client comes to you with a scam message, tell them so. But also tell them, if necessary, who their domain registrar is and why it’s important to have that information on file. It’s a great chance to educate them.

Red Alerts from Google Search Console

No, it’s not just spam that gets a client’s heart racing. The emails sent out by Google Search Console can be even more frightening.

The search/email/operating system/home device/phone/world-dominating giant has been known to inundate our inboxes with all sorts of “helpful” messages about our websites. Sometimes it thinks buttons are too close together or text is too small. In other instances, it complains about missing attributes within breadcrumb links.

That’s not to say these messages can’t point out some legitimate website issues. But often, it’s more likely to cause the recipient to worry about something that is realistically harmless. Worse yet, it gets forwarded to a web designer, who suddenly needs another glass of wine.

What to Do

Whatever rubbish Google sends, it should still be looked into – just in case. Still, it’s worth mentioning that these messages need to be taken with a grain of salt. Clients shouldn’t worry that their site won’t be indexed or that they’re somehow being punished by an algorithm.

Let them know that Google’s automated tools can often focus on the minutiae. And, while you’ll be glad to review the issue, it most likely isn’t a major concern.

The Cache Trap

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a client request a change, which you make, and receive a message back stating that they “can’t see it”.

Even though I can’t see you (Google probably can, though), I’d expect many hands to be in the air. That’s because “cache panic” is probably as old as web design itself. For years, it’s been a game of cat-and-mouse where we attempt to help our clients clear out browser cache – a sometimes painful experience.

I mention this because it seems to be more prevalent than ever with certain website configurations. Managed WordPress hosting services have been particularly difficult in this area. With some, it’s not just browser-based cache, we also need to worry about server-based as well. The result is a lot of wasted time, trying to get everyone on the same page.

What to Do

First, get a stress ball. Next, teach your clients about the wonders of cache and how they can clear it from their browser. In most cases, that will do the trick.

If you find that your web host has tough-to-clear server cache, it may be worth trying a staging environment. This would allow you to make changes on a non-cached location, while enabling your clients to see updates before you push them to production.

Shapeshifting Tools

Change is difficult – especially when it comes to software. And it seems like, just when we find a comfortable routine, it all gets blown up by what vendors like to call “UI enhancements”.

This can really throw a monkey wrench into the lives of clients who update their own website. After all, they’re not web designers and don’t have time or interest in keeping up with the industry. They simply wake up one day, log into their website and find that their whole process is turned upside down.

The most recent example of this is the WordPress Gutenberg block editor. It looks and functions quite differently from the old Classic Editor. Not to mention that early versions lacked the polish we see today.

This led to a lot of confusion, frustration and, yes, even a little fear that things would break.

What to Do

Frankly, it often falls on designers to stay ahead of the game with these kinds of changes. If we see major developments coming along to the sites we manage, we should act to make the transition as smooth as possible (or delay it indefinitely).

In the case of Gutenberg, that meant educating clients about the new editor. And, in some cases, perhaps installing the Classic Editor to keep the status quo. It’s all about minimizing discomfort.

Web Designers: Lifting the Fog of Fear

It seems like just about every day, there’s something to put a scare into our clients. Whether it’s a crafty scammer, a nitpicking search giant or advancements in technology – we web designers are bound to be asked about it.

Certainly, having to calmly explain these situations can become tiring. There is no shortage of other things on our to-do lists. But on the bright side, it can be very satisfying to help clear up misconceptions and bring even a tiny level of comfort to someone else.

That in itself is a reward and it also helps to build a high level of trust between designer and client. And, looking like a superhero isn’t so bad, either.

The post Things That Will Scare Your Web Design Clients appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

The web is finally old enough to see the return of some trends. Brutalist design is a prime example. Web designers spent years building increasingly complex layouts. But many have gone back to the basics in recent times.

I’m wondering if we’ll see the same thing happen with online communities. Years ago, we built niche sites that catered to a specific group. We installed forums (shout out to phpBB), opened our blogs to comments, and tried to stake out a little corner of cyberspace.

Social media changed all of that. Communities began moving to larger, proprietary platforms. The likes of Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit have become places to meet and discuss hot topics.

The move made sense at the time. Access to powerful servers, globalized networks, and providers that handled moderation (to a degree, anyway). Why would we ever go back to the way it was?

Well, recent events have made me long for those good old days. Here’s why I’d like to see a return of niche web communities. That is, with some modern conveniences.

We’re Subject to the Whims of Companies

Everything is great on social media – until it isn’t. Social media companies can change policies (or, ahem, ownership) at any time. And too bad if you don’t like the results. Users have zero control.

Twitter has become the poster child for what can go wrong. The reduction of content moderation staff means slower responses to harmful behavior. Meanwhile, the platform’s user verification policies have been turned on their head.

And Facebook causes its share of headaches as well. Algorithm changes have made it harder to see posts from Groups in your main feed. Plus, I believe that the Groups feature is becoming more cumbersome to use. The service shows what it thinks I want to see. It rarely guesses correctly.

Sadly, users appear to be low on the priority list. Shareholders and overzealous billionaires get top billing. The rest of us are an afterthought.

A web-based niche community can put users first. Stakeholders may not have complete control of the experience. Much depends on the platform being used. But there’s a better chance for stability and sustainability.

Users Don’t Have an Ownership Stake

Let’s say that you’ve decided to leave Twitter. Good for you! But what happens to your tweets?

You can’t simply import them to Mastodon or a similar service. You’ll have to start from scratch. That’s especially painful if you value any of the content or interactions you had.

But open-source tools like WordPress don’t lock you in. You own the content you post. And the site’s data is portable.

This means that you can move to a new host or redesign your website without losing anything. In addition, you’re not reliant on finicky APIs that can go down or start charging money at any time.

How Does a Modern Web Community Look?

There’s a reason why so many people abandoned the idea of web-based communities. Social media was easier. It did much of the dirty work for us. All we had to do was show up and start making connections.

At the same time, building and managing community-based websites was not easy in the 2000s. The tools at our disposal lacked cohesiveness. You could have, say, a website and a forum. But tying them together wasn’t a simple process.

That’s no longer the case. New tools and protocols can solve many of the previous generation’s pain points. With that, here’s how a modern web community could look:

It Runs on a Single Platform

It’s now possible to provide a more unified experience. Membership sites have become mainstream. Several plugins exist that make setup a breeze. You don’t need to invest a lot of money or know how to code.

In addition, other functionality can be added to suit your needs. The community can be open to the public or invite-only. Membership can be monetized or remain free. Content moderation and spam prevention tools are vastly improved.

A single WordPress login is all a user needs. They can use it to access their profile, communicate with other members, and register for events.

WordPress isn’t the only option, of course. There are plenty of platforms for community builders. But it is a natural fit for this type of site. You no longer have to cobble together a collection of unrelated tools.

It Ties in With the Fediverse

What’s the opposite of a corporately-owned platform? A decentralized network of services that can communicate with each other.

That’s what the Fediverse is all about. It encompasses larger services like Mastodon. But individual websites can also join in via the ActivityPub protocol.

Install the ActivityPub WordPress plugin, and you can automatically publish from your site to connected services. It’s like using Twitter’s API to auto-publish. But you’re not limited to that singular walled garden. Your content could go to social networks, websites (via the Friends plugin), or anywhere else that supports the protocol.

Communication is also two-way. So, when someone replies to your post on a federated service, it could also become a comment on your blog.

It sounds complex. But the result is that communities can more easily curate like-minded content. In that way, your community expands beyond your website. People can interact where they are rather than being limited to specific channels.

It Still Uses (But Doesn’t Rely On) Social Media

None of this is to say that social media is dead. It’s still an important way to reach people. But it doesn’t have to serve as a community hub, either.

Instead, these platforms can be used to drive traffic to your website. Posting content to Facebook, Twitter, etc., increases visibility. That can help attract new members.

One positive of this approach is that you’re being self-reliant. You won’t have to depend on social’s APIs or infrastructure. Yes, you’re still beholden to their algorithms. But they’ll have a much smaller impact on your community’s day-to-day operations.

Big social networks can be used as an enhancement rather than a foundation. This allows you to take advantage of what they do best.

The Web Can Benefit Communities

Building a web-based community used to be difficult. The technical challenges of time prevented some groups from reaching their potential.

Meanwhile, the advent of social media brought renewed hope to community wranglers. But the landscape is in a constant state of upheaval. That makes it harder to maintain stability and growth.

Thus, a move back to the web makes sense. Tools like WordPress have grown by leaps and bounds. And they offer more flexibility when it comes to design and functionality.

Is this the wave of the future? We’ll see. But it’s exciting to think about what’s possible. Online communities may find a new home in a familiar place.

The post Could Niche Web Communities Come Back? appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Technically, creativity and commerciality can’t exist without each other – you need funding to continue designing, and there would be nothing to design for pay without creativity.

Is there a difference between so-called “commercial” work and work that’s done purely for the joy of creating? Should they be separated?

A Jumble of Confusion?

Should you risk confusing potential clients with a mish-mash of work, or should there be a clear separation of commercial work and weird, creative stuff that is less commercial?

Personally, I think that the best potential clients for you would benefit from seeing the full extent of your creativity. It allows them to more accurately judge whether you’d be a good fit, not just for a one-time project, but also for future work, and any fun opportunities you might miss out on if they only see you as a one-dimensional designer.

But what will it do to your personal brand to mix styles? As I said, it can be a good thing to be weird and creative, because clients may take notice of your creativity. Personal projects are very important to maintain as a designer.

They can help you open up new avenues of creative inspiration that you may never have discovered had you only stuck to your client work. I’ve heard many stories of people being hired for amazing freelance and in-house jobs simply on the basis of a great personal project that got a lot of traction.

Too Weird To Appeal?

On the flip side, you may feel that your personal projects are really, really out there in terms of appeal, and might do more harm than good if you combined them with your professional work. The question becomes: can your personal work actually be too weird to associate with your commercial projects?

Well, yes, it can.

There is such a thing as too much disparity between what you do for clients and what you do for yourself. If that’s the case, just keep them separate. You can make a new brand for your weird stuff, and keep the commercial stuff in its own space.

Analytics & Tracking

Keeping things separate makes it easier to track what’s working to gain you clients, and what’s not. Every piece of work you publish online, personal or professional, is going to contribute in some way to people finding out more about who you are as a designer.

You want to always make sure you’re sending the message you want to send to anyone who is watching. If there’s non-commercial work mixed in with commercial work, it can confuse things as far as tracking and analytics goes.

This goes for any kind of work that you don’t want associated with the work you present to potential clients. Say you did a piece that you’re really not proud of, maybe just for the money or for some other reason. You can’t stand to look at it, but you’re afraid to remove it from your portfolio for some reason. Time to get rid of that thing!

If a potential client sees it and wants to hire you to do the exact same thing, what are you going to say to them?

Never include work that you hated doing in your portfolio, because you’ll often find that that is the exact thing clients will want to hire you for the most.

Don’t believe me? Just do a few more crappy projects and you’ll see for yourself.

Be Like A Mullet

You may have heard of the joking description of the mullet haircut popular in rural areas in the US: business in the front, party in the back. Sometimes, it’s good to organize your design work like a mullet. Yes, I’m serious.

Put your professional work that’s relevant to meeting the needs of your clients front and center, and place your “fun” projects that you work on simply for your own enjoyment on the back burner, to be shared with your friends and other designers who are interested in seeing it.

Even publishing work under two different names can help make the separation clearer to everyone.

The post Separating Your Personal & Commercial Design Work appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Or perhaps you’re the online type of networker – stalking people on Twitter and LinkedIn, carpet bombing potential clients with form letters and links to your portfolio, sitting by the inbox waiting for it to fill up. Any of this sounding familiar?

I love networking. But not because I do any of the above. Many designers assume that there’s only one way to network, but the truth is that’s just not the case.

Today, I’m going to show you a much easier and more effective way to go about making networking connections as a freelancer, and also tell you why you should never, ever approach networking in the manner described above.

Not Working Out

Why is it bad to network in the “traditional” way? Well, you tell me. How effective have your networking efforts been in relation to the work you’ve gotten? Are potential clients beating down your door, standing with their hearts in their throats with exciting, challenging, high-paying work tailor-made just for you? If you’re reading this article, the chances are good that they’re not.

The reason that it’s bad to network the traditional way is because everyone networks that way. Contacts get bombarded with offers from freelancers just like you at every event, and in every email, mailer, and flyer. If you simply fall in line and do what everyone else is doing, chances are you’re going to get what everyone else is getting: ignored.

The main problem with traditional networking is the mindset most people have when going into it. What’s the number one reason you network? To get more clients.

When you’re running out of leads and you need more work soon, you pull out the business cards, dust off your best business-casual wear, and head out to try and drum up some business. That’s the mentality with which most people approach networking – something to be done when you need work.

However, there’s another way to look at networking, which will work out much better for you in the long run. That way involves seeing networking as something to be done before you need work. Yep, that’s what I said.

Networking is all about building relationships. It’s about a back and forth, constant communication with a person with whom you have a mutually beneficial relationship.

Most people don’t provide valuable information to strangers who contact them once a year when they need something. That would be a waste of effort on their part because there’s no way for them to receive any kind of positive reciprocation from that person.

Put yourself in their shoes – if you were contacted once by some freelancer looking for a job and took the time to respond, then you never hear from them again, how would you feel? It can be frustrating to deal with those types of networkers because it’s obvious that they’re simply using you for what you can provide to them.

To stand out, you need to become the kind of networker who doesn’t ask for anything from your contact and who actually only seeks to provide them with value of some kind.

A congratulatory email, a link to content they might find interesting or relevant. Keeping in contact with people in your network doesn’t have to take much effort, but it is important to make sure they know your primary objective is not to suck them dry and then vanish.

Top of Mind

Staying at the top of people’s minds is another vital aspect to effective networking. If you meet with someone in person and don’t follow up by phone or email, you’re missing the opportunity to form a genuine connection.

Your contact will merely assume you were one of ‘the masses,’ and when you do contact them again (maybe several months to a year later), they’ll not only not remember who you were, but they may also be irritated by your sudden intrusion into their busy schedule. That’s not what you want.

Instead, try following up immediately with someone after an in-person meeting. Email them in intervals – not enough to spam them, but enough to notify them that you still exist and appreciate the time they took to speak with you and provide you with any help you may have received.

A great way to stay at the forefront of people’s minds is through your work. Many designers don’t think to notify prospective clients of new projects, but this can be one of the most effective ways you can advertise your awesomeness without coming off like a pest.

Everyone wants to know about cool new creative projects; this is your chance to show off your newest personal work and establish yourself as a forward-thinking creative professional.

I’ve already written an article about why it’s important for designers to make time for personal work, so for now, I’ll merely say that a monthly email to potential clients about some new project you’re involved in that shows off your critical thinking skills and originality is, to many people, far more intriguing than a formulaic resume and cover letter.

Practice Makes Perfect

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. The vast majority of the time, you want to ask questions and take notes, allowing the other person to speak freely. But if you slip up and say the wrong thing, it’s not a big deal.

You should probably refrain from insulting their family members or anything like that, but people are generally gracious when they know you’re genuinely interested in making a meaningful connection with them.

As the saying goes, the more mistakes you make, the fewer of them you’ll make. The more you practice, the better you’ll become. Again, sincerity is the goal here, not perfection.

Be sensitive to the other person’s time. If you contact someone to request a meeting, make sure you time it properly so that your request is neither disregarded nor an annoyance.

Don’t email someone on a Sunday morning – their emails could be received through their phone, which might sound an alarm, and if they’re asleep, your email might come as an obnoxious wake-up call. Not good.

The post Networking For Designers 101 appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Of course, this affects website owners worldwide, as any site that serves even one EU citizen is obligated to comply. So, whether you’re based in Paris, France, or Paris, Texas – GDPR applies to you.

The internet has been in a mad scramble as companies send out masses of email notices and are changing privacy policies at near lightspeed. But if you haven’t gotten around to dealing with the issue just yet – it’s okay. We have your back!

Below are eight helpful resources you can use to bring yourself up to speed and get your site into compliance.

*And, as the standard legal disclaimer goes, please know that these resources won’t, by themselves, ensure compliance. It takes some work on your part and advice from a legal professional to make things more official.

The GDPR Compliance Checklist

This interactive checklist will help ensure that you are on the right path to compliance.

While it doesn’t cover every possibility, it is quite handy to have a list in front of you if only to help you gain some peace of mind in a very complex situation.

Awesome GDPR

Developer Erwan Richard has curated this list of tools and resources that you can use to become compliant. Included are alternatives to Google Analytics, Maps and even social sharing buttons that don’t track user data.

Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent

WordPress 4.9.6 came stocked with some new privacy tools that have GDPR in mind.

Complianz will scan your WordPress website and generate a cookie consent and policy based on what it finds. The plugin can be configured to display a cookie notice for your specific region, but you can also use a blanket notice for all users. It also blocks common third-party cookies and iframes. And that’s just scratching the surface of what this privacy suite can do.

Anonymizer

Working with a database that is full of personal user information in a development environment? Anonymizer is a tool that will replace that info with randomly generated content.

Obviously, it’s not meant for production environments – but provides an extra layer of security when you’re in the development phase.

GDPR Module for Drupal

If you’re running a Drupal site and looking to become GDPR compliant, this module can be a great help.

It lets users see what data your website collects, while also providing administrators with handy tools to manage data and user consent.

Cookies EU Banner

Cookies EU Banner is a very lightweight JavaScript library for gaining user consent to be tracked by services such as Google Analytics.

All it takes is a little bit of code at the top of your page to get started. The library even has the option of not setting a cookie until the user has accepted your policy.

GDPR Developer Guide

If you’re looking for a crash course in GDPR compliance, this open-source guide is for you. Through 16 chapters, you’ll find information regarding everything from identifying personal data to working with analytics. The overarching goal is to help developers build with privacy regulations in mind.

GDPR is Here for the Long Haul

While the chaos and extensive news coverage may fade, GDPR isn’t going anywhere. It certainly may see some tweaks in the future, but it is the new normal for web designers worldwide. The old way of doing things is, for better or worse, over.

The resources above could prove to be a big help as we navigate the many facets that GDPR presents. Use them to help develop processes that will ensure compliance by default. That way, this regulation becomes just another part of your job, rather than an extra burden to think about.

The post 7 Best Free Resources For GDPR Compliance appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.