During that time though, all my freelance came to a halt. I stopped taking on new projects. It’s a cause for concern because I usually need freelance to drive myself creatively. It’s where I push myself the hardest. With no real requirements on time, I just design until I’m happy with what is there. That same freedom isn’t available in the “real” world.

The Design Trenches

But now that the fire is reignited, I’ve been working tirelessly on a new project that should soon launch and I feel like I’m getting some feeling back in my fingers. Be sure to check out the landing page. And follow 70star7 on Twitter and win lots of cool prizes. There is even a chance to win one massive prize that is sure to please even the most spoiled individual.

I’ll be sure to post a peek of the new site as soon as the launch approaches.

I guess I’m writing this post because recently I’ve noticed more and more people pointing me to the Apple site to show how good Ecommerce / product sites should be designed. I think what most online businesses fail to realize, is how beautiful the suite of Apple products are. I mean, you throw up a blank white slate, slap an iPhone on top, and you have a great design. So if you’re product turns out to be less than equal to the loft Apple standards, it’s important to achieve a few simple things that will leave your online store better off.

Make sure the photography or images are perfect.

Get some professional photography done so your product shines as best it can. After you have the pricey pics, go in and clean them up and color correct them so they really stand out on the page.

Organize the store front.

In order for your customers to process everything in an efficient manner, it is wise to adhere to strict gridlines. Couple this with clean and clear titles and you’re one step closer to eCommerce nirvana.

Present your product on the homepage.

People want to know what they’re buying. They’re either going to buy it or they won’t. Hiding the product a few pages deep won’t solve anything.

I hope this helps those of you out there with Ecommerce websites. With the amount of competition that is joining the ranks everyday, it becomes increasingly more difficult to stand above the rest. Taking advantage of presentation techniques will at least push your product a little further in front of the eyes of your potential customers.

Immerse Yourself in the Industry

Before beginning any project, do some extensive research into the soon-to-be-client’s industry. Look at the best companies in their trade, as well as any great websites of related companies (not necessarily just the good ones). Keep these links bookmarked as you will, in the near future, rip them apart and use any good idea for your own gain! Not really…

But I feel any designer worth their salt can most definitely look to other designs for inspiration without crossing that invisible line of creativity theft. There are many times when I’ll use other site’s structure and feel as my foundation. But by the time the site launches, you wouldn’t know the two are related in any way because of their difference in look and feel. Think about high school art classes. They make you study and study Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci and the like to allow you the ability to grasp the big picture of what has been done before. Only then can you can move forward and develop your own unique style.

Sitemaps, Sketches and Wireframes

Depending on the budget, I’ll do one or three of the above. I will always do sketches. Sometimes literally 30 seconds of my time scribbling some lines on a piece of scrap paper… sometimes more elaborate. Those sketches save me hours of time when I sit down at my computer. Sitemaps and wireframes are extremely beneficial as well. But if the project is small and there isn’t as much time available, I can usually make due without these steps. I’d say the biggest advantage of sitemaps and wireframes are allowing the client to structure and priortize the information within the website without getting distracted with the design.

Font and Photography Dig

To get my creative juices flowing, and to equip myself with the necessary assets, I’ll dig through my font collection and the stock photo websites.

• iStockPhoto.com: These guys really work hard to ease the checkout process. Purchasing photos is quick and cheap!
• Stock.XCHNG: It’s awesome because it’s free.

Some might believe this step is a little bit overkill. But I’m a firm believer if you want to kick it up a little bit with a non-web-safe font, by all means, use image replacement and have some more control over the design.

Time to Begin

Once you have a plan on paper and in your head, it’s time to begin! It may seem a little cumbersome at first to plow through these preliminary steps. But the time you spend on the front end is priceless when looking at the project as a whole. I’ve wasted hours and hours of my time on past projects that I could have prevented if I had just done a little more planning in the initial phases of the development process.

So that’s my research process. Feel free to comment on anything I may have missed or if you see any areas that could use some improved efficiency.

I began to become annoyed with the fact that a Google search on my freelance business returned pages and pages with businesses of the exact same name. It’s time for a change.

Out with the old. In with the new.

The amount of information and technology I’ve learned in the past few years are responsible for what you see before you. We’ve really been busy at paramore|redd online marketing. One of the greatest tools we’ve really enjoyed using is ExpressionEngine. The CMS is so flexible, it allows us to integrate all kinds of technology, design and code without getting in the way at all. The result is a better end product and one that can sport all the bells and whistles one might expect of a custom website developed by a team of designers and developers. Well, it’s just me, and I have ExpressionEngine to thank. If you’re a web enthusiast, you should give it a run.

Bee-utiful Wallpapers

One unique addition to the site is the Wallpaper section. I recently moved to Nashville and met Tim Parker, an artist and designer whose art really has a playful and vibrant style. I saw a canvas print of some of his work and wanted to convert them all to desktop wallpaper. Actually, I just wanted them for myself. But after more thought I realized I could just add some room on the new site to make them available to the masses!

Looking forward to 2009.

I feel like 2008 was a transitional period. In January we have released the redesign for our new website at Paramore|Redd and I’m releasing the redesign of this site. Big changes and much improved work flows. I’m eager to work on some new projects and see how far I can push myself in the next year. If you’re interested in working together, fill out the contact form and we’ll be in touch!