Executionists - We Get Web Done

By Jessie Jo Blalock

In an age where organic products, green lifestyles, and holistic practices prevail, websites are leaning towards a more modern, Zen approach by drawing upon minimalist design. As far as the success of website goes, it is no secret that “content is king,” however, in 2010 it is about keeping the superficial layer of the website less…. superficial. Akin to Feng Shui , everything in web design should serve a purpose, placement is key, and the absence of clutter is essential. A website should feel natural while being aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly. The last thing a website’s design should create is a disruption to a user’s online chi.

Minimalist web design goes hand-in-hand with the changing tone of media communications in general. As society becomes more Internet savvy and media literate, they are less likely to surrender to noisy, manipulative marketing schemes. Like the persistent salesman in the room who is trying too hard to sell everyone everything, people are avoiding cluttered websites for ones that are less intrusive. Websites are beginning to remove all the useless bells and whistles and strip down to their bare essentials. Now more than ever, the focus of modern web design is on clear, effective communication and content. Though a trendy minimalist design might be just as calculating as it’s predecessors, it produces a more tranquil and raw experience for users while being more intuitive and efficient.

Trends

The notion that history repeats is universal. In the realm of design, to repeat history is to pay homage to its predecessors. Repetition emerges as reinvention and reinvention transpires to become a trend. “Design trends do not exist to be followed. They exist to be broken, reshaped and abolished by the spirit of creativity rippling through the design community” explains Vitaly Freidman, Editor in Chief, Smashing Magazine. The following are design “trends” have been manipulated to sustain the changing web atmosphere.

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Well, I’m pretty sure the same concept works for web design. This is my third summer as an intern at Executionists, I’ve learned a lot from the experience. Just like cooking, it takes a lot of ingredients, all mixed together in the right amounts to make a good web site. Here are a couple of things I’ve learned about the gritty details of web design.

1. Web design is about communication
To the untrained eye, web design is making text and images look pretty. Except, what that’s really saying is that web design is about communicating content from businesses to clients. I’m always amazed at how much time the people at Executionists take to work with clients to ensure their content is presented perfectly. At the end of the day, if your website is empty, nobody will want to look at it.

2. Experience matters
I used to think that anyone could wake up and declare themselves a web designer. Heck, I sure did. Maybe anyone can, but the difference between a good web designer and a great one is experience. An experienced web designer knows when to avoid silly little trends or gimmicks and when to accept and implement important new standards. The team at Executionists has been creating web sites for 12+ years, and designing print for more, and it shows.

3. Balance is important
The team at Executionists has three types of people: managerial types, artistic types and coding types. I work mostly as a coding type, and it is really nice to be able to focus almost entirely on the task at hand. The system that Executionists have developed is effective and helps us crank out web pages quickly. It really shows that the Executionists know what they’re doing.

Executionists definitely has the right mix of skills to make your website work. Richard and Co. have really refined their methods and skills and I now know so much more about the web design industry than I did when I started. It’s a great place to intern, and an even better place to learn.

-Zach Margolis
Executionists Intern

We’re proud to announce some of our recently launched projects!

Studio DNA Salon
www.studiodnasalon.com
November, 2007

The Million Lights Project
www.millionlightsproject.org
November, 2007

The Festival of New American Musicals
www.lafestival.org
November, 2007

Discrimination Attorney
www.discriminationattorney.com
October, 2007

The Safe Sippy
www.thesafesippy.com
September, 2007

As a project manager at Executionists, Inc., I view website development in three phases: pre-production, production, and post-production (Can you tell we’re Los Angeles-based?). The quality of the pre-production phase will generally establish how quickly a client’s site will be completed. Clients love to help, sometimes to the detriment of the project (see: Executionists Take on Dogbert). However, this is the stage of the process where client input is crucial and greatly appreciated.

Meaning: content, content, content. The most important way a client can help us help them is by being prepared with content for all sections of the website. During our initial meeting with a client, we will establish a content checklist, complete with a listing of all the approved navigation within the site. While we do our job designing the site based on this navigation, we expect the client to do their job by providing all content that will eventually be placed on our neatly designed pages. (more…)

Illustration: Dave Abston (www.graphicsbydave.com)

Scope Creep (also called requirement creep, feature creep, and sometimes kitchen sink syndrome) in project management refers to uncontrolled changes in a project’s scope. This phenomenon can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled. It is generally considered a negative occurrence to be avoided.

Typically, the scope increase consists of either new products or new features of already approved product designs, without corresponding increases in resources, schedule, or budget. As a result, the project team risks drifting away from its original purpose and scope on unplanned additions. As the scope of a project grows, more tasks must be completed within the budget and schedule originally designed for a smaller set of tasks. Thus Scope Creep can also result in a project team overrunning its original budget and schedule. If budget or schedule are increased along with scope, the change is usually considered an acceptable addition to the project, and the term ‘Scope Creep’ not used. (more…)