Gather round, folks. I have something to confide.
Most of us work as web designers, web developers or copywriters for the web. Something around ‘web’, in general.
We strive to keep our designs and projects compatible with the latest web standards, we use modern browsers and trendy applications, we design Web 2.0 and 3.0 and n.0, trying to keep up with the latest trends in web design and web technology and web copy. We design for clients of every aspect, clients that are close to the Web or not, clients that know what they want or pretend to know what they want or are clueless whatsoever.
We love the Web and try to keep up with its ever-changing waves every freakin’ day.
I have a question for all of you, webbies: Who do we work for? Or else, who do we kid?
Who appreciates our sweaty forehead, after keeping our HTML error-free and accessible? Who do you think cares about pixel perfect designs and crisp mockups apart from us? Who cares about web standards and basic principles of design anyway, apart from web designers?
More than once in my short career in Web I’ve answered myself: Noone.
Think, webbies, are we designing just for us? Just for a clique of people that will pat our back and say “hey, great job”? What do our clients see? What do our users see? What do they appreciate? Do you think they like new features? Do you think they ever use them?
Sigh.
P.S. Get-in-the-same-lousy-mood-as-me game: Check your perfectly crafted HTML mockup on client’s IE5, repeatedly alternating windows with Firefox. Bang head on desk as needed.
12 comments on this post
Svelon #1
14.Jul.08
If they complain when you are not doing a perfect design, then that is your reward. You are needed, even if they don’t really know it. If your absence disturbs them but your presence is indifferent, then you have succeeded as a web designer/developer/whatever. Your job is to make things work and let everyone think that this is the natural way to be.
As for frequent changes and “new versions”, well, that’s just marketing (and sometimes debugging).
porcupine #2
14.Jul.08
Come on sugar!
We work for ourselves above all.
We want our customers/users to be happy and out of our way, We want our colleagues/supervisors to be satisfied and out of our way. We want our geek-mates to envy a bit and be out of our way.
Most of us we keep doing what we (so passionately) do because we love it and we can’t imagine doing less. For ourselves. It doesn’t have to do with money. Not at all.
And I do believe things are going to change for all of us the ultra-geek-mates. You know what I am talking about, don’t you?
Gerasimos Tsiamalos #3
14.Jul.08
Being a freelancer for almost 8 years now and with absolute zero budget spent on advertising, pixel perfect mockups just bring me more clients. Following Web Standards bring me more “in the loop” clients. This sounds a bit weird but this job is paying the bills so yes, this is the first thing to have in mind. Everything else, comes second.
Penlix #4
14.Jul.08
Lovely post. I guess most of the designers out there who are part of the mass, they tend to create mediocre to bad work, but they survive, they keep on creating mediocre stuff and in the end of the day that pays their bills also.
I like what Gerasimos says about “Following Web Standards bring me more “in the loop” clients”, but is this just a designer fetish thing? Should we put ourselves in the position to need to choose who we are working with, or is it just a job and we shouldn’t be worried?
Silverthan #5
14.Jul.08
The opinion of certain people is more important than others. Kudos from a web designer is better than kudos from a civil engineer.
luc #6
14.Jul.08
Okay, I want to chime in here…
I’m NOT a designer, barely a would-be web developer and a lousy copywriter for the web. In short, I am pretentious enough to think that what I write about might interest some other people (in my case, that’s mostly my family and friends that I left behind in a far away cold and misty country).
But I cannot even begin to tell you how I admire the work that you professional designers and web developers do! That’s why I follow a number of blogs written by you über-geeks. I’m sure you are an inspiration to many. I love to browse through well coded CSS files, beautiful XHTML code is like poetry to me. Even though I could never write it myself, I do and I can appreciate the beauty of it. I’m sure there are many of us lurking in the grey silent masses, soaking in the symphonies that you produce.
Now, if only I could one day make some money off the web so that I could afford to pay one of you guys…
Nick Andrik #7
14.Jul.08
Think about your work (as holds for almost any work) as art.
As porcupine said, first of all, you do it for you!
Recognition is a good thing when it comes, but the most important thing is to feel satisfied and proud when you finally go to bed after hours of hard and successful work
lexx #8
14.Jul.08
it s fun being creative and compatible, valid etc. It s addictive to develop your skills. Like a rpg. Lol. What’s your level?
Sugar #9
14.Jul.08
@svelon I wholeheartedly agree.
@porcupine I hope, my friend. I hope.
@lexx I’m still a novice, I assure you
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