Developing a Website is Like Painting a Room
February 2009
Years ago a painting contractor friend of mine let me work for him while I was between jobs. We would get up much earlier than I was used to and sip hot coffee in his white van in the 7-Eleven parking lot. He had already purchased the paint and supplies we needed for the day, and planned out the work. All I had to do was show up and paint.
I still have an image of being in a sunny, many-windowed room. I can hear the wet, rhythmic swish of the roller on the wall and the echo of quiet in the large, empty house. Standing on rumpled drop cloths, stiff with dried paint, I remember that the movement of my arms and shoulders transformed my desk-weary body, even as the room was transformed by light and color. Hexagonally shaped, it was the dining room of a large, custom-built home. I imagined the dinner parties that would be held there. Laughing and talking guests at a table with elaborate candle stands, fine china and a huge, golden turkey in the middle.
I appreciated those colorful, satisfying hours all the more as I came to realize they were only the final stage of a much more involved process. My friend taught me that, as a professional, most of the work was in the preparation. All the right materials had to be assembled, purchased and safely transported to the site. Once there, they were unloaded and distributed, cloths spread out, ladders unfolded, paint stirred. Seams and holes were puttied and sanded, surfaces cleaned and all the edges had to be “cut in” before the “real” painting could (finally!) commence.
I had no idea.
Your website is like this. It’s more than just a pretty picture. It has many rooms and each one needs to serve you well and provide your guests with functional, as well as an elegant (or playful, conservative, brash, or casual) experience. In a professional website, a lot goes on under the surface.
As professional web designer I can guide you through each stage of the work. Look at this Process Diagram to get an overview of what to expect. Fill in the Project Survey Form to see what you need to get started and a free price quote for what you have in mind.