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February 2004
By Brian O'Grady Which comes first online: the chicken or the egg? Q: My web projects frequently pitch the writer, designer and project owner against one another. Who should be in charge and how do you make it work? A: We've discussed testing real users and the pitfalls of trying to integrate all opinions in previous columns (Why Most Web Sites Suck & Why Most Web Sites Suck II). This month, let's focus on the interaction between your copy writer and graphic designer. Which comes first: text or design? Unfortunately, there's no simple answer and I've been involved with projects good and bad that have done both. A third option, more difficult and more rewarding, is to develop them in concert. The challenge with web design is that everything is a variable: there are no hard and fast limitations. You can do almost anything if you have the time, budget and willpower to do so. As a result, contributors tend to look for something that is cast in stone, some aspect of the design that is fixed, that helps to put their piece of the project into context. Thus, I've had graphic designers tell me they won't start designing until they see the text, and I've had copy writers tell me they won't start writing until they see the design. The designer knows her ideas will be impacted by a verbose or succinct writing style, and the writer knows that big pictures or white space will have a direct impact on his copy. For this reason, I encourage contributors to develop their areas in concert. One important ramification of this is that your contributors must share physical space during the development process. Because concepts like "tone", "clean design", "crisp" and thousands of others mean different things to everyone, there's no substitute for face-to-face contact when you're trying to communicate these ideas with clarity. This is especially important when you remember that the best looking design with the best sounding text is not necessarily the best web site - remember to test if real users can achieve real goals. If your contributors can't work in the same place, the increased risk profile demands an effective project manager and an iron clad site plan. A site plan should be the first step in any web project but it's even more important when your contributors are separated by time and space. Your project manager needs to ensure regular - probably daily - meetings with all hands present even if it's only for ten minutes. This helps ensure that your writer and designer stay on the same wavelength for the duration of the project. When you hit a web site that looks great and gives you just the right information at the right time while also sparking your interest, you're probably looking at a site built by a small team in one office. In the barnyard of cyberspace, the chicken and the egg come first. Brian O'Grady is a senior writer with Pens 4 Hire, a professional writing firm with a unique appreciation for audience. Between writing tasks for high-tech, government and non-profits, Brian tries to learn proper grouting technique for his bathroom tile. |