Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Where do you work?
I'm currently employed full-time as a Director in the User Experience practice at Roundarch 
in Chicago. Roundarch designs and develops large-scale corporate and government websites.
I also operate a freelance design business, primarily developing websites for non-profits and small businesses. I have been managing my own freelance projects since 1993.
Web Design Questions
Why should I hire you to design my website?
At least three reasons:
- I have a black belt in common sense.
Having spent countless hours watching users struggle with websites, I generally have a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn't. I try my best to communicate that to my clients. Sometimes, that means talking you or your colleagues out of your own ideas of what should go on your site. If that rainbow-colored gradient, three-minute Flash intro, or Garfield cartoon you had your mind set on won't work, I'll fight you on it (diplomatically, of course).
I bring an outside perspective that's not a slave to your business's internal politics or organizational chart. Rather, I strive to act as and advocate for your site's visitors - giving them the information they need, in a manner they understand. That objectivity and experience result in a site that meets both your users' needs and your business goals.
- Value.
I am not the cheapest freelancer you'll find. If you have a teenage nephew who's a "computer whiz" and wants to create a website for you, I won't be able to compete with him on price. But if you're looking for a seasoned professional with extensive agency experience, you can get me for a fraction of the price you'd pay a medium to large company to do the same work. Agencies have important expertise in handling technically complex projects and larger campaigns. But if all you really need is one smart guy, I can help.
It's not "champagne on a beer budget" - more like real good champagne on a less expensive champagne budget.
- I am not an award-winning designer.
Why is this an advantage? Sites that win design awards are often built with other designers in mind. They look cool, but using them is painful. I design sites with the user in mind - clean, clear, and easy to navigate. By the way, they usually look pretty good too. Maybe I'll win an award by accident one of these days.
What are the steps in designing a site?
1. Requirements Gathering
This step is also known as "talking." First, I like to hear what the goals and intended audience are for the proposed site. For example,
- Is the goal to market a company, sell a product, educate, or entertain?
- To whom is the site targeted, e.g., CEOs, stay-at-home moms, or high school students?
- What kind of functionality does the site need?
Answers to these questions go a long way toward determining the content and organization of the site.
Another key part of website planning is understanding where the client organization is coming from in terms of branding. I like to see what communications materials have been produced in the past (brochures, previous websites, annual reports), and hear what's been effective. What visual elements should be carried through to the proposed website, such as a logo or color palette? What "voice" does the organization use? Do branding elements not even exist yet, and need to be created from scratch?
2. Information Architecture
Information architecture can be thought of as creating the "blueprints" for a website. It's critical to establish the scope, structure, and navigational scheme for a site before attacking graphic design issues. The "building a house" analogy is overused, but it does apply here. You don't start talking about the color of the carpeting or what style of bidet you want before deciding how many rooms your house has, what materials it's made of, and in what neighborhood it will be built.
There are two main deliverables that come out of this process
- Site map (also known as a "navigation map" or "flowchart"): A "tree" diagram that shows the hierarchical structure of the site - what the main content divisions are and how "deep" the site is.
- Wireframes (sometimes called "schematics"): Essentially a sketch of each key page in the site. They show the navigational scheme (links and buttons used to move around the site), functionality, general content scope, and how these elements are prioritized and positioned in relation to each other.
Here are some basic examples from a professional association site I built:
3. Graphic Design
Using the information architecture deliverables as guidelines, the graphic look and feel of the site is created. Elements such as page layout, colors, fonts, illustration, photography, and navigational graphics are all addressed in this phase of the project.
I usually begin by creating three different home page treatments. While all three treatments share the same content (as established in the information architecture process), they will differ in areas such as layout, color, and imagery. However, all treatments will be consistent with the client's established branding guidelines. I may also mock up an interior (second-level) page for each treatment. The client selects one of the design treatments with which to proceed. Sometimes, the chosen approach ends up being a combination of two treatments.
If necessary, photography is shot or purchased. Illustrations, animations, or other graphics are created.
4. Production and Programming
The last step before website launch is putting it all together. All of the individual pages - and the HTML/CSS code that makes them work - are produced. When a site requires more intensive back-end programming (such as database development or a secure purchasing system) I partner with other developers to manage this part of the job.
All of the deliverables listed above - from information architecture documents to the final working website - are posted on private page of my website for client review. When everything's perfect, we publish it to the live public server.
5. Website Maintenance
To keep a site fresh, it should be updated on a regular basis. While some of my clients prefer to handle updates themselves, for others I continue to perform maintenance well after initial launch. These updates are usually billed on an hourly basis.
How do you charge for your work?
- I sometimes work by the hour. My rate varies according to the task at hand, in the broad range of $75-$150 per hour.
- More commonly, though, I work on a project basis. I spend some time with a new client going over their needs, and then present an proposal for the entire project. Most of my clients are more comfortable with this arrangement than the hourly system.
- I have also been known to work in trade, so if someone sells a product or service that I need, we can talk about it.
How much does a website cost?
That's a little bit like asking "How much does it cost to build a house?" There are so many factors - how big is it, what special features does it have, what tools are necessary to build it, etc. The costs vary widely.
That said, the small business sites I work on typically fall in the range of $3000-6000. I encourage you to email me for an proposal, or just to ask any questions you might have.
Keep in mind, there are also small fees for domain name registration ($10-20 per year) and hosting (usually $10-30 per month).
What are those sweet photos in the background of this website?
Those are some photos I took around Chicago. You can see the full images on my Flickr site, along with about 1400 other photos I've shot.
Medical Illustration Questions
Aren't you a medical illustrator?
I was, but not so much anymore. I've been concentrating all of my efforts in the web design / user experience area. I have an archived page of my medical illustration work if you're really interested. I also have a few stock medical and veterinary illustrations available for licensing.
I earned the designation of Certified Medical Illustrator in 1997, but I have let it expire.
I'm a high school or college student (or prospective student, out-of-work caricature artist, convicted felon, etc.) and I'd like to get into medical illustration. Can you tell me how?
I get this question a lot. (I guess you could even say "frequently.") To be acknowledged as a professional medical illustrator, one must generally attend an accredited graduate program in the field. In North America, there are currently six:
These are two- or three-year programs, which split teaching time between illustration theory and techniques, and the medical sciences (anatomy, physiology, etc.). The programs require a number of undergraduate prerequisites in both art and science. I recommend University of Illinois (because I went there), but all of the programs have their own strengths and outstanding faculty.
- More information about the field of medical illustration at the Association of Medical Illustrators at www.ami.org
john@yesko.com John Yesko Chicago, Illinois USA
