Presentation for Wordcamp Seattle 2013. A checklist of what website owners need to consider when working with web designers, from choosing the right designer to what they'll need to provide during the process.

1. The
Website Owner’s Guide
To Working With
Web Designers
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD

2. What To
Expect
When You’re
Expecting
A Website:
A Website Owner’s
Guide to Working
With Web Designers
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD

3. #wcsea
1 – Choosing The Right Designer.
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Let’s look at the pain points of web design
from the client’s perspective:

4. #wcsea
1 – Choosing The Right Designer.
2 – What You Should Expect.
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Let’s look at the pain points of web design
from the client’s perspective:

5. #wcsea
1 – Choosing The Right Designer.
2 – What You Should Expect.
3 – What You Need To Own.
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Let’s look at the pain points of web design
from the client’s perspective:

6. #wcsea
1 – Choosing The Right Designer.
2 – What You Should Expect.
3 – What You Need To Own.
4 – What You Need To Provide.
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Let’s look at the pain points of web design
from the client’s perspective:

7. #wcsea
1 – Choosing The Right Designer.
2 – What You Should Expect.
3 – What You Need To Own.
4 – What You Need To Provide.
5 – Tools For Communication.
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Let’s look at the pain points of web design
from the client’s perspective:

8. #wcsea
3 Major Factors:
#1
Purpose of
the Site?
#2
Price, Speed, or
Quality?
#3
Design
Style
hmny.co/GTWWWD

9. #wcsea
3 Major Factors:
#1
Purpose of
the Site?
#2
Price, Speed, or
Quality?
#3
Design
Style
Figure out what you need.
hmny.co/GTWWWD

10. #wcsea
3 Major Factors:
#2
Price, Speed, or
Quality?
You’ll never get all 3,
so pick 2 and try not to settle for 1.
#1
Purpose of
the Site?
#3
Design
Style
hmny.co/GTWWWD

11. #wcsea
3 Major Factors:
#3
Design
Style
#1
Purpose of
the Site?
#2
Price, Speed, or
Quality?
Their portfolio is the #1 way to judge
what you’re going to get.
hmny.co/GTWWWD

12. #wcsea
Questions You Should Ask:
#1 – What is their process?
hmny.co/GTWWWD

13. #wcsea
Questions You Should Ask:
#1 – What is their process?
#2 – What is their turnaround time?
hmny.co/GTWWWD

14. #wcsea
Questions You Should Ask:
#3 – What will they require from you?
hmny.co/GTWWWD
#1 – What is their process?
#2 – What is their turnaround time?

15. #wcsea
Questions You Should Ask:
#3 – What will they require from you?
#4 – What type of software do they use?
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Pssst! The correct answer probably
includes the word “Wordpress”
#1 – What is their process?
#2 – What is their turnaround time?

16. #wcsea
1 – Some sort of free consultation.
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Pre-Hire & Onboarding Phase:

17. #wcsea
1 – Some sort of free consultation.
2 – Contract or Service Agreement.
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Pre-Hire & Onboarding Phase:

18. #wcsea
1 – Some sort of free consultation.
3 – Questionnaire.
2 – Contract or Service Agreement.
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Pre-Hire & Onboarding Phase:

19. #wcsea
1 – Some sort of free consultation.
3 – Questionnaire.
2 – Contract or Service Agreement.
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Pre-Hire & Onboarding Phase:
Build Out Phase…

20. #wcsea
1 – Some sort of free consultation.
3 – Questionnaire.
2 – Contract or Service Agreement.
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Pre-Hire & Onboarding Phase:
Build Out Phase…
5 – Testing.
Launch Phase:

21. #wcsea
1 – Some sort of free consultation.
3 – Questionnaire.
2 – Contract or Service Agreement.
hmny.co/GTWWWD
Pre-Hire & Onboarding Phase:
Build Out Phase…
5 – Testing.
Launch Phase:
6 – Proper Hand Off & Closure.

22. #wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
Please Please Please Own These:
#1
The Domain
#2
Google Analytics
#3
Hosting*

23. #wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
Please Please Please Own These:
#1
The Domain
#2
Google Analytics
#3
Hosting*
Register your own domain.
This is your account, complete with
login and password.

24. #wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
Please Please Please Own These:
#1
The Domain
#2
Google Analytics
#3
Hosting*
Create your own account at
Google.com/analytics using a company
email account, such as
companyname@gmail.com

25. #wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
Please Please Please Own These:
#1
The Domain
#2
Google Analytics
#3
Hosting*
*OK – hosting is less important –
what you really have to own is
up-to-date site backups.

26. #wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
It Takes Two:
#1 – Answers & Feedback

27. #wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
It Takes Two:
#1 – Answers & Feedback
#2 – Examples & Ideas

28. #wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
It Takes Two:
#1 – Answers & Feedback
#2 – Examples & Ideas
#3 – Copywriting

29. #wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
It Takes Two:
#1 – Answers & Feedback
#2 – Examples & Ideas
#3 – Copywriting
#4 – Photography

30. #wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
#1 – Tools for Mockups
#2 – Tools for Color
#3 – Tools for Fonts
#4 – Tools for Inspiration
How to give your designer feedback
when have no design skills whatsoever…

31. Tools for Mockups - Balsamiq
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
Web App
$12/mo
Google
Drive
Plugin
$5/mo

32. Tools for Mockups – Powerpoint
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
1 - Screenshot
Win:
Ctrl + Alt + Prt Scr
Mac:
Ctrl + Shift + 4
2 – Paste
Crtl + V

33. Tools for Mockups – Powerpoint
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
3 – Go Nuts.
Comments, arrows, te
xt
boxes, crop, whatever
.
4 – Email to
your designer

34. Tools for Color – ColourLovers.com
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD

35. Tools for Color – Kuler.Adobe.com
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD

36. Tools for Color – ColorSchemeDesigner.com
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD

37. Tools for Fonts – Google.com/Fonts/
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD

38. Tools for Fonts – Google.com/Fonts/
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
“awesome google font combinations”

39. Tools for Inspiration – Dribbble.com
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD

40. Tools for Inspiration – CSS Galleries
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
#1 – CSSMania.com
#2 – Awwwards.com
#3 – Siiimple.com
There’s hundreds of others…

41. Tools for Inspiration – Use Your Google
#wcsea hmny.co/GTWWWD
…shopping carts”
…rate tables”
…contact forms”
…landing pages”
…dental websites”
…blog footers”
…email signup forms”
“great examples of

42. #wcsea
Thank you!
Slides, links, and
transcript:
hmny.co/GTWWWD