Introducing Zenlog: the Web Design Blog with the Client in Mind
About a week ago, I launched a new weblog on the Zenscope Studio site. There are a lot of other Web developers and graphic designers with blogs, but most of them are writing posts that only interest other developers and designers. This is a great way to share knowledge and find collaborators, but it shuts out the client.
With Zenlog, I’m aiming for both audiences. There’s advanced tips and design analysis for fellow pros. There are also beginner tutorials and business-oriented articles for potential clients.
Client communication and education is sorely lacking in this field. Too many design professionals seem to look at their customers as a necessary evil. I’m doing my small part to change things.
Risky Business?
I’m not sure how this approach will work out. Business owners may not be interested enough to tune in, and I wouldn’t be surprised to get some blow-back from other developers and designers. My latest article — stating that the Web industry should “get over itself” when it comes to client relations — will probably raise some eyebrows (and tempers). But how else should I respond when the latest issue of A List Apart refers to clients as “schmucks with money” and “the well dressed nemesis”?
Sound Off
Love it or hate it, I’d like to know what you think. So check out Zenlog, and leave some comments telling me where you stand.
Be sure to subscribe to the new blog, and stay tuned for “How to Find and Hire a Great Designer” — coming soon.
Technorati Tags for This Post
web design, web development, graphic design, client relations, business, blogging
Adam, I think you are dead-on in your thinking. The client has to be a designer’s first priority. My blog is relatively new and I’m attempting to provide similar information as you. My clients tend to be not only computer illiterate, but also very anxious about what they don’t know. Shop-talk only makes them feel dumb and frustrated. I believe that the more we attempt to bridge that gap and communicate in a way that our clients can understand, the more success we’ll find. Best of luck!
Comment by Jack Wheeler — May 11, 2007 @ 12:33 am
What an excellent idea for a blog. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for a review.
Comment by cat — May 11, 2007 @ 9:43 am
@Jack: Right on. Helping the client achieve their business goals is job one. If the designer or developer isn’t speaking a language the client can understand, they can’t do their job.
Taking this approach can admittedly be challenging. Technology-related questions can often be answered with a high-level overview that sticks to the crux of the problem without drifting off into implementation details. Design-related questions are tough, because there are still so many people who think of design as something totally subjective.
I have some good strategies for persuading a client who’s full of bad design ideas, but I’m saving them for a future blog post. You’ll have to subscribe to get them.
@cat: I keep reading that one should find a niche. I’m not sure if this is “nichey” enough, but it’s something I feel strongly about. Thanks for your feedback. I hope you’ll stop by and give me a read in the future.
BoDo, by the way, is an excellent resource. Any designer who’s reading this should go there right now subscribe to the Zenlog RSS feed, then visit BoDo for some business tips. Cat & Co. are doing the designers of the world a great service with that site.
Comment by Adam Messinger — May 12, 2007 @ 6:18 pm