We’ve recently completed a project for a gym in London so that was a bit of a scoop for us down in sleepy Devon, considering that most people north of Bristol think we don’t exist here except for holidays or for getting to Cornwall (no, Cornwall isn’t IN Devon).
Web designers in Devon
The talent in Devon is just as good as anywhere in London (I know, I’ve done the research) but the costs are lower, so it’s a no-brainer for any businesses in London (or anywhere in the UK) really.
What to look for when looking for a web designer
I really do believe that there are types of people that ‘design websites’ and I’ve outlined them below to try and help you to choose someone for your next website design project.
| Description | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| IT person | Can build a technically well-built website and will get your email going. | Doesn't even know what 'whitespace'is let alone other rules of design. |
| Graphic designer | Can design a beautiful looking concept | Doesn't realise the design needs to work fluidly on any screen and have a well-designed 'customer journey' |
| Web designer | Understands design and can design a perfect flow of pages for the best customer experience. | Can't fix your PC |
The table above is a bit cheeky really, but it’s true!
Clients often think that an IT person can build a website for their business. And they can, but they don’t have any design skills or any idea how the site will work, how it will flow and captivate the site-visitor. Indeed, how the site is going to generate revenue, which is the point really.
Graphic designers
Graphic designers generally design for print and anything printed has a defined size (like a leaflet or a poster, for example) whereas a web page is fluid; it changes depending on what the website visitor is using for viewing the website.
It’s no good if the beautifully-designed home page doesn’t work on a mobile device because that part hasn’t been considered at all. Graphic designers tend to think in terms of paper sizes and don’t fully appreciate the fluidity of a modern website.
Web developers
Web developers are another breed of ‘designer’ that you might come across and they are a different beast altogether. They are not web designers, exactly, and they are most definitely not graphic designers either. They sort of sit next to the IT guy. They are clever, they love code and they can build something that is fantastic in terms of functionality. But can they ‘design’? Nope.
and finally, web designers
Your best bet when looking for someone to help with your website design project is to understand that the web designer will do the best job, but he might call upon the skills of the others listed here, to help out and add value to the project.
Oh and when looking for someone to help you with your project, keep things local and choose a web designer in Devon as face to face meetings work so much better than email. Or London.
Check out our web design showcase.