Web Design

Design for Obama Revisited

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Barack_Obama_Hope_posterWe are less than a year away from electing a new American president, and campaigning is officially underway.  There are so many candidates that I can’t keep up with who is who and how their positions will affect this country in the future.  Most people are introduced to political campaigns by brand communications, namely through posters and logos.

Because there are so many candidates, especially on the Republican side, it is hard to really distinguish their differences on major policy issues and what image they are trying to project.  From a design perspective, none of the visual communications of any of the candidates really stand out, with the exception for one by a Bush.

Jeb Bush has rebranded himself as Jeb! – as if no one will figure out that he is a member of the war criminal Bush family.  I am supporting Hillary, but even her logo leaves much to be desired. Donald Trump, well, of course his brand is his mouth and his hair…

It was around this time eight years ago, when a more inspired collection of political branding came to light with the burgeoning campaign of Barack Obama.  After the disastrous Bush administration, starting from 9/11 to the so-called “War on Terror” to Hurricane Katrina, Americans were in serious need of change, and they saw that change in the junior senator from Illinois.

Graphic designers felt inspired by Obama’s brand of Hope, Change, and Yes We Can.  Taking advantage of this new idea of campaigning on the Internet, suddenly there was a variety of print and web designs being distributed everywhere.  The most famous Obama poster is the above image designed by Shepard Fairey, but there were many other designers from the period who didn’t get the same recognition.  

A collaborative was formed – Design for Obama – in late 2007 by Rhode Island School of Design students Aaron Perry-Zucker and Adam Meyer.  Design for Obama was built to be an online forum where other designers could post their work and download other designers’ work.  Taschen published a beautiful coffee table book about Design for Obama with the help of Spike Lee a few years ago.  

Obama was largely elected thanks to online supporters.  Below is a discussion with Sol Sender and Scott Thomas, creators of the official Obama for America logo and website on how political branding has evolved.

Why You Need a Personal Website

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Website Wireframe Sketch On Digital Tablet Screen

One of the most frequently asked questions by my clients is whether or not they should have a personal website.  Many of them are job seekers looking to better brand themselves to potential employers.  In my opinion, I think personal websites can only enhance your chances of finding your dream job.  And, no, I am not just saying this because I am a web designer trying to get new clients.  I say this coming from my own experience with this website.  

I am self-employed in journalism and digital marketing, so it is a must that I have a website that showcases who I am and my previous work.  In today’s competitive market, anyone in any field that is not self-employed also needs a website to get the next job.  

Let’s break down the reasons:

  1. You can control your brand – The first thing most recruiters do today is google the names of prospective job applicants.  As many of you know, both good and bad things about you can show up in a google search.  Having your own website can control your brand and help protect your reputation online.  Presenting information on your own website shows you in the way you want others to view you online.  Also, having your name as the website’s URL (yourname.com) also establishes your brand and will guarantee that your site will show up on the top of the first page in search engine results.
  2. Sell yourself – The whole point of your personal website is to sell yourself.  Why should someone hire you?  Your online portfolio should be a grand showroom of your best work for recruiters who want additional information about you that goes beyond a CV or resume.  You can show off what makes your skills and personality unique and marketable. Also, anyone in the world can see your website, and you never know where your next job will come from.  I have gotten really awesome job opportunities from people who happened to stumble upon this website!
  3. Show your investment – Having your own website shows others that you invest in yourself and career by branding yourself online.  Employers will take you more seriously.
  4. You are accessible – Having a website makes it easier to find and contact you about work.  Your website should have a clean, simple navigation design, where it is easy to find your biography, contact information and samples of your work.  Stick to the three-click rule, make sure your site supports web diversity and avoid busy-looking websites like the plague.
  5. Links to social media and networking tools – Your website can also be the one-stop to all of your social media accounts, which makes it easier for recruiters to find you online in other places.  You can also put links to other online spaces where recruiters can find your work like Behance.  A word on social media: a lot of people ask me why they should have a website, when they already have a Linkedin or Facebook page.  The reasons are already stated above.  Everyone’s social media accounts look the same.  Having your own website distinguishes yourself from others and showcasing your unique skills and personality.  Furthermore, there are always new social media tools coming onto and going away from the market.  Websites are more future-proof that can grow with your career.

Now that summer is over and everyone is back to regular work and school schedules, now is a great time to think about doing a personal website.  Global Wire Design is running a 10 percent discount on all of its services until 30 September 2015.  Contact us about your online marketing solutions!  

New Web Design Checklist for Small Business Owners!

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Short Guide to Business Websites Book CoverThis week Global Wire Books released its latest e-book in the Short Guide series.  In the year since I launched our web shop Global Wire Design, we learned a lot about our customers who are mainly small business owners and their needs.  After a while we noticed they were asking the same questions.  So earlier this year we decided to create a Short Guide that answers the most common questions and issues small business owners should be aware of when considering a website design.

Short Guide to Business Websites is a quick, informative checklist for small business owners looking to create a new website or redesign their current one.  Over 50 percent of all businesses don’t have a website.  Many of them cite the high cost to create one and not having the time to maintain one as obstacles.  Many businesses that do have websites have a hard time figuring out how customers can have the best user experience.

This Short Guide provides a concise list of tips and issues business owners need to consider before embarking on a website design, whether the website is built in-house or a professional web designer is hired.

The tips from this Short Guide come from best practices and case studies developed by Global Wire Design.

Short Guide to Business Websites
Price: US$13.99
Buy it here!

Time To Embrace Web Diversity

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images of different mobile phones and browser iconsSo it is kind of intentional that I have been writing about diversity as of late, whether it be intercultural, workplace or literature diversity.  As a web developer, I have to always be thinking about building websites that communicate to and are accessible to all people.  I recently went to a talk by Rob Larsen, a front-end developer and author of The Uncertain Web.  He made some really good points. Essentially he says that it is time to embrace web diversity.

By web diversity, he means identifying and embracing your online audience, no matter their technological know-how or access.  To do this, Larsen suggests focusing on website solutions that are optimized, not absolute.  With the rapid growth of mobile technology use, an optimized website should look good on a computer, mobile phone or tablet.  More than half of the world’s Internet traffic today comes from mobile devices.  Google just announced that its search engines will now give preference to mobile-friendly website.

Developers also have to create websites that look good on all browsers – Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera and, yes, even Internet Explorer.  While Windows’ problematic browser is reviled among design professionals, Internet Explorer is still the most widely used browser in the world.

Sometimes designers and developers have so many tech bias that we forget that most of the world doesn’t use or have access to the latest, cutting edge technology.  MacBooks and iPhones are pretty awesome, but most people use PCs and Androids.  I personally use a PC and a Mac simulator to build websites and my mobile is a BlackBerry.  Yes, people still use BlackBerrys!  I use it because I need a real QWERTY keyboard for typing the dozens of emails and texts daily.  I am also a government contractor, and many of the agencies I do work for require that I use a BlackBerry for security purposes.

Most people are not that tech-savvy, so it is always better to design websites for functionality first, like the three-click rule, where users should be able to find anything on a website within three clicks.

Web diversity also means embracing all abilities and disabilities.  There are approximately one billion people with disabilities worldwide and websites need to address their needs appropriately.

For example, try using your website without a mouse and a keyboard.  If you are not able to use the site by only touching the screen, it is time to redesign the website to better accommodate those with motor disabilities.  You also have to take into consideration visual blindness, poor eyesight and color blindness when you use certain colors, text and images.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a good place to learn more about accessibility issues.  Embracing accessibility provides an added benefit for all users, regardless of ability.  For example, closed captioning was originally designed for hearing impaired users, but it also benefits those watching online videos in a noisy environment and people learning the language being spoken in the video and need to follow the transcription.

The Web should be as diverse as the people using it.

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