What is is about web design

[Richard Conyard]

That suddenly makes people think they can sit down at their computer with a copy of word / front page / dreamweaver and suddenly think they are a brilliant web designer and should go and try to sell their pap to people :-(

 

[APRogers]

Twenty years ago, it was brick layers and decorators, which I'm sure offended the experienced purveyors of those trades equally as much.

 

[Richard Conyard]

Those have since become regulated industries. And whilst I wouldn't particularly welcome increased regulation in the industry over entry, perhaps some regulation over product should be brought in (there are a few pieces of legislation for this, but no case law).

 

[Amber]

I think any creative industry has the same problem.

I see exactly the same thing happen in the writing business. I've lost count of the number of times I've told people what I do only to be met with, "oh, I've often thought of becoming a writer! I'm quite good at spelling!" Every week I get speculative letters and CVs from people who did High School English and now think they'd quite like to make a bit of extra money from writing. I suspect that because you don't necessarily have to pass any exams to become a writer/web designer/<insert any other creative industry here>, people think anyone can do it, and that it'll be an easy buck.

Ironically, this is probably also the reason why so many people expect writers to work for free…

 

[Twokids]

No offence to the gentleman concerned - but there is a Doctor on the introduction forum who's started up a side business in web design.

I ribbed him a bit that I was a web designer( I'm not ) who was a part time ( unqualified ) doctor.

If I did that for real the BMA would be on my backside in minutes and I'd probally get six months in Pentonville.

Web Designers can set up wherever they like apparently...

 

[Jayne]

Don't worry, cowboys always get found out, no matter what the trade No business is easy and has to be worked hard at, web designing isn't manual like brick laying, but never the less exhausting I guess! One of my husband's friend thought baking was girly and anyone could do it, so we asked him to help us for the morning, he was knacked after 2 hours and has never poked fun at us again, or offered to help again .

Jayne

 

[Rob Holmes]

Hosting is exactly the same.

Rob

 

[chris1317]

I think people get what they paid for and they soon realise that they could have recieved a much better service by paying that little bit extra.

I designed my own website but I would by no means call myself a web designer, I just learnt enough to get myself by ove rthe years and wouldnt dream of selling my services in the field as I dont like the idea of giving someone a sub standard product, I would rather point them in the direction of someone that can do it properly.

The only reason I did mine myself was due to lack of funds and wanted to see what I could do. No that im starting to get some cash together I am willing to pay to have it done properly.

I think that another thing that poeple dont realise is that people will judge you or your business on first impressions and the website is often the 1st thing people see. This could be a deciding factor for someone if they are to do business with you or not.

As Jayne said "cowboys always get found out"

Chris.

 

[DuaneJackson]

I suppose survival of the fittest comes in to play. Those that are crap (And there are many!) will eventually go out of business.

Something that I wonder about is this:

Web design is creative
Putting together a functioning website is technical
Two very different disciplines (if that's the right word)

In my experience those that do excellent design are a little lacking when it comes to the technical side (Wholes blocks of text as images, etc), and those that are technical (like me) are awful at design.

I think it's odd that the industry has gone the way it has. I think it'd make a lot more sense if those that were designers stuck to design and the techies converted a design to a website.

 

[Twokids]

Hey think of it this way,

1000's of amateur WS designers make a thousand cockups so you can show these to your prospects to convince them to get a professional in...

Every cloud etc.

Jim

 

[cynicaldoctor]

I completely agree with Duane.
Design and development are 2 very different things.
My expertise is in development and programming on the microsoft platform (asp, asp.net, SQL Server). I think the most important thing is to be honest with clients - I make it clear at the outset that I am a developer/programmer and not a designer. Most clients have a vague idea of what they want their site to "look" like and what they want it to do - almost none of them have any idea of how all this fits together. I most of my projects I have worked with the site design already created by a designer, with me plugging in the programming. So far it seems to be working well for me.

 

[graham]

I wrote my postgrad thesis on Professionalism in a particular IT sector. The sector however has an industry body which doesn't regulate the sector like Medicine and Law but gained alot of power through organising meetings in UK and promoting services. Its now become semi-regulatory as so many people have signed up for membership because they found consumers like dealing with member companies. The body itself has created its own code of conduct, list of standards and credentials.

I haven't followed the web design industry but perhaps due to the ease of creating basic sites the market is saturated with cowboys and could do with professionalising in some way or form.

It doesn't have to be government backed regulation it just requires a group of web designers complying to standards. This is something which doesn't happen over night though.

 

[Richard Conyard]

There are a number of bodies in the UK, however as far as I can tell apart from vetting that you've a few websites up they do not perform any quality vetting.

 

[graham]

If there are a number of bodies then obviously a significant amount of people have observed problems with professionalism in web design. Perhaps one day they will set up a market shelter for people who actually make good web sites and leave the incapable at a disadvantage (not a member).

This can be done through a recognised body of some kind. Having a load of bodies won't help professionalisation. Consumers are looking for that well known standard provided by a national body which offers assurance. Professionalism has a lot to do with trust.

 

[Twokids]

I wrote my postgrad thesis on Professionalism in a particular IT sector. The sector however has an industry body which doesn't regulate the sector like Medicine and Law but gained alot of power through organising meetings in UK and promoting services. Its now become semi-regulatory as so many people have signed up for membership because they found consumers like dealing with member companies. The body itself has created its own code of conduct, list of standards and credentials.

Hi Graham

are you talking about the British Computer Society (BCS)?

I have been a member since the 80's but I have always felt that they were, and still are, too orientated towards the academic side of computing.

I'll give you an example, a friend of mine was a succesful programmer who developed his own fax processing software that integrated with email ( yes this was years ago ) He not only wrote it, but developed and sold it to 100's if not 1000's of customers worldwide.

He was refused membership of the BCS ( he didn't have an degree in IT ) despite his obvious and provable knowledge. However if he had gained a low grade degree in Computing and was fresh out of college - he could have become a member , no questions asked - he didn't bother again.


There still seems to be a lack of a real professional body that takes any notice of commercial IT and it's practitioners.

 

[graham]

Actually I did an assessment on the IT Service Management discipline. They have a forum called ITSMF and recently formed an Institute of Service Management. (www.itsmf.com www.iosm.com)

It would seem the BCS let them have this share of the market and members from either side can get membership for free.

Unlike the BCS though they don't have government backing and have been a lot more successful providing benefits to members. Its unusual from what I have researched for a non regulatory organisation to gain so much influencial power. They recently opened the institute because of their popularity, again not backed by the government.

I haven't researched the BCS but I have been a member for 5 years. From what I have heard they have been near financial ruin at one point but seem to be improving a little now. There doesn't seem to much reason to join the society in comparison to the ITSMF.

I don't think the BCS intention is to be academic. They've just got an entry method which allows IT graduates to gain member status. Everyone else has to have some years of experience behind them to join but even the graduates have to gain experience to achieve 'full' membership.

At the moment being a member doesn't mean much and thats because the BCS don't have a monopoly over the industry like ITSMF does. Once BCS is actually popular it can then have enough power to regulate the industry. I think thats the actual intention of BCS anyway. The government and BCS acknowledge there has been too many bad IT projects (cowboys) in this country and an institution promoting professionalism is the way forward.

The problem with IT professions - IT Service Management, general IT, web design will never have government enforced regulation like medicine, accountancy and law. Which means they have to win members over and become popular before control can exist. It means a longer process but definitely worth the struggle if it means a more professional industry.

 

[cynicaldoctor]

He was refused membership of the BCS ( he didn't have an degree in IT ) despite his obvious and provable knowledge. However if he had gained a low grade degree in Computing and was fresh out of college - he could have become a member , no questions asked - he didn't bother again.


There still seems to be a lack of a real professional body that takes any notice of commercial IT and it's practitioners.

Well said Twokids !