The main requirements for the site are simplicity and ease of use. It has to be easy to navigate and use as it will be used by a group of people that very much differ in both age and technical understanding. I need to make it easy for them to find content, understand what is in front of them and interact as they wish. Long story short, my older relatives need to easily watch a video, find previous videos and understand how to leave a comment. *Quite a bit more difficult than it might sound as we well know.

The only other requirement is that it be something my son would enjoy and find visually appealing were he just a bit older. The enjoyable part here is that I have full creative freedom in both design planning and aesthetic, one of the major factors that makes personal work so enjoyable. (in my opinion)

It’s in the very early stages of design but here is a peek. (Blurred of course for that top secret effect) While I have decided to move forward developing the site in WordPress given certain security requirements, namely the ability to have members only content, I originally considered creating it as a tumbler theme so this is something I may do additionally as a learning experience.

The front facing site has been redesigned and in my opinion improved from the top down. The framework from which it and 90% of the custom sites I do has been slightly modified but overall remains the same. Interestingly, some of you may notice that it is similar to a version or two ago. Perhaps “don’t fix what ain’t broken”?

Some nice features

Full page, two column posting as seen here with a special thanks due to a plugin created by Nathan Rice. New Case Studies – Exploring further some of the work I do. The 404 page, ok maybe not a feature but cool none the less. Check it out. More to come…

Points of Interest

This is a Child Theme. The version you are currently viewing is a custom WordPress theme, no big surprise there. What may surprise you is that it is actually a child theme of the theme framework I have mentioned once or twice in the past. I love working with child themes, super comfortable with them and feel they speed up my development time tremendously. We’ll save more on that for another time.

It’s a new beginning. When I started in on this redesign around three months ago, I decided that I really needed to concentrate on where Papertree Design is headed and what it wanted to do with itself over the year ahead. Needless to say a lot was learned. It was a combination of the discovery involved in the redesign, certain opportunities that arose during this time and the client projects I was involved in.

Thus a new beginning. Focus will be shifting slightly, rather what Papertree does will become more focused in both the projects we take on as well as the work we do.

Finally getting around to… Focusing more on releasing WordPress themes, both free and paid. It’s something I’ve talked about more than once. I have a stack of possibilities stored away in this little folder ready to go, but have only thus far released one. It’s time to devote more attention to making them a reality.

Why, you might ask. WordPress has been and always will be my tool of choice. I have been working with it for several years now and would say that about 90% of what I do revolves around the platform. I have developed quite a little system for doing so and feel pretty confident that I could create one or two themes that people might find useful and that’s just what I plan to do.

Moving Forward

Stop talking and start doing. With so many useful projects on the back burner I have come to reliaze that they will more than likely remain there unless I stop and put them on the project schedule just as I would for any client. In addition to working towards the release of new WordPress themes, I will be putting aside the time to finally complete This Day in Design as well as a few other projects I have yet to mention.

A gradual shift is planned. I can’t say for sure that this will become a reality but during the process of this redesign I began to plan (hope) for a gradual shift in the type of work Papertree Design will be involved in moving forward. Many factors will play into the success or failure of this shift but the overall plan is to begin focusing more on products and sharing ideas. Hard to explain I’d rather we just watch it unfold.

That’s a wrap. I hope you enjoy the new Papertree Design as much as I enjoyed creating it. Following this brief intro article I will dive deeper into the process of planning and creating this new design, so stick around.

It’s been an exciting but rough few months since that time. Turns out I was fairly spot on when it came to my critique as I have noticed a substantial drop off of new project enquires when compared to previous months among various other metrics. Hey we all make mistakes, at least I am willing to make them on my own dime rather than on that of my clients. It’s been a bit rough to hold myself back from moving too hastily in this current redesign we are working on for the simple reason that I know it needs a change. But I have managed to make the time and hold myself back, do this properly.

The process itself has led to quite a few interesting discoveries and new plans for the future of Papertree. What it has become is not only a site redesign but more of a total rebrand that will allow Papertree to progress into the year ahead.

For now I will have to continue to wait while it goes through some of the final checks and developments but here are a few sneak peak screenshots for your enjoyment.

While I am sure that the underlying reason for this version of the site has to do with a need for something fresh, I would like to think that there was a well guided purpose behind it. With this redesign I wanted to illustrate the evolution I feel that I have undergone both as a designer and business owner as well as the gradual development of a stronger focus for Papertree Design. In a way this re-design marks the coming of good things for the year ahead.

Goals Being that I intended to keep the new design as minimal as the two versions prior, I decided that I would break the mold by transitioning from my usual choice of a seriffed typeface (nameley Georgia) to a sans-serif. While I am not sure that this will come accross, I felt like this choice would signify a new direction.

As more of a personal preference, I also decide to go back to the left aligned format I have experimented with in the past. I like the way a left aligned site presents itself, it’s a good fit for Papertree Design.

Bringing new content to the forefront. As you can see I have shifted the content focus of the site, bringing to the forefront both my work and who/what Papertree Design is. With that I have moved articles to a secondary position. While I will continue to share information, I have a project I have long been waiting to jump on and I believe this will be consuming quite a bit of my writing time.

Bringing every thing to you in one place. I have long struggled with a proper presentation for everything I would like to share in one place on this site. The new footer area, I feel, has brought me one step closer to accomplishing this goal. Everything is accessible now, from each and every page on the site. Go ahead look around.

A few things you may notice – I have revived the “shorts” section for which I plan to start contributing to on a regular basis. Shorts are just that quick and easy posts that often times are done simply to share something cool or inspirational. I have also linked more directly to the theme I released a few months ago and lastly provided a subtle clue to something in the works. (Try and find it.)

In addition to launching this redesign I also wanted to note a new addition to my portfolio which I am quite proud of. Have a look at the beautiful new Hopeless Records site. More to come on that, I am definitely looking forward to working with them again in the very near future.

A final note, I think it’s also important that I mention that I went with no initial comps when creating this design, simple line drawings and that’s it. I enjoy working that way and it’s nice to be able to do it once and awhile. Under the hood I am also taking version two of my framework for a spin just to work out any kinks.

While the site still requires some revision and refinement, I have to say that I am quite pleased with what I have to start. I would love to hear your opinions below.

Update: This project has been moved to jeremyjaymes.com/lifestream

Very minimal (of course), very simple, done more as an experiment than anything else. I was pretty happy with Simple Pie and how easy it was to use. I did run into some issues surrounding Twitter, which is why for now I had to use alternative methods for pulling my updates in. Unfortunately I could not seem to get this workaround to pan out for me. The alternative method causes a few validation errors which bothers me, so we’ll see if we can’t get that worked out.

Oh and for good measure I decided experiment with Typekit. Although I was pretty subtle with my implementation I have a good feeling the Typekit service is going to have a lot to offer us in the future. No doubt it is extremely easy to use. I am excited to explore this further when I have the time and the need.

Like with everything this project may undergo some changes in the days to come, but not a bad way to wind down on a Friday afternoon.

That is an extreme example but think about it for a second, the client now has a very real picture of what they would like the end result to “look” like before we have even taken the time to discuss what it is that they would like the end result to accomplish.

Eye candy is a wonderful thing but once the initial thrill wears off the end product still needs to function, make sense and produce results.

My question is how do you lead your client to initially look past these aesthetic ideas and focus in on the important pieces that are going to make up the completed puzzle. To Put it simply, how do you get the client to stop seeing that “buy me” button with the red gradient they would so like you to include and start seeing that “buy me” button as the gateway to selling their product or service?

This infatuation with a certain aesthetic begins somewhere. Example: A client happens to follow a few designers on Twitter. Via his twitter stream he learns of the plethora of web design showcases which capture “the best of the best” in web design today. A half hour or so later he has taken the time to look at four or five examples of what is good web design and has thus formed a very solid opinion of what their site must look like in order to be successful and well designed.

The problem for me is not that they have taken the time to do some research or the fact that they have forwarded some examples of what they like. In fact I welcome that, it gives me a better understanding of where they are coming from and what they more than likely expect their completed product to resemble.

No that’s not the problem it is only the beginning. The real issue lies in the fact that they now have this picture in their mind of what a good web design must look like in order for it to be successful. To wow their colleagues and why not even show up along side some of those galleries. So they go about making requests for gradients here or this button here etc. This is where we run into an issue. Although they make these requests they have not necessarily taken the time to think about why it makes sense for their own application.

And why not, in most cases we are going to see the fresh coat of paint on the outside before we so the beautiful layout of the home on the inside. When they happen on a site that they like they see the aesthetics of the design, they merely use the design in a functional sense. Let me explain. A client of your happens upon a site that they fall in love with, the aesthetics of it are no doubt very pleasing to the eye. The dive in and start navigating around the site but they are not paying attention to where or why they clicked that first link they did. (These are the things that you pay attention to when examining a site, right?) To them it just made sense it was a step taken with little thought. What they don’t realize is that the creator of this website designed it that way, they prompted you to click that link through good design.

So how do we combat this obsession that your client now has with the way their site should look as opposed to the way their site should function which is after all what is going to sell their product or land those clients. Personally I think the solution is fairly easy, challenge their request and ask why.

The next time a client comes to you and says I really like these red gradient buttons on this site I definitely want some of those on my site simply start the conversation by asking them why. Why do you feel that this is going to work best for you website, what is the purpose of your request.

Please note that I am not advocating that as a designer it is your given right to disagree with every suggestion that a client makes. In fact quite the opposite, I believe very strongly in full and open communication with the client throughout the life of the project. I also believe that suggestions from your client be examined because after all your client should know their consumer base quite a bit better than yourself. They will in some instances have a better feel for what will and will not work but simply do not know how to translate that to the web/print etc.

At the same time, do not be afraid to ask your client why and then follow with your own professional guidance if a request is made. Especially if that request seems to have no real value behind it. After all this is what the client came to your and is paying you for. Now if you are in the situation where your client does not respect or even want to consider your professional opinion, then you have an entirely different set of issues you may need to address.

I will be honest I was somewhat hesitant to follow my own advice especially in the first few months of working solo. I was worried that in doing so that I may upset or worse yet lose a client if I where to question their request. However I eventually realized that this is a very important part of my job and have found that if handled professionally, 9 times out of 10 not only will your client react well to this but they will be extremely appreciative.

You have to remember and in most cases convince yourself that if the client could do this themselves then they would not have contacted you in the first place.

The Key is to handle this in a professional manner, raise the question, address the issue and offer your professional advice or solution. You have to remember that unfortunately some clients are coming into this relationship under that assumption that as a “designer” you may be both arrogant and quirky. You also have to remember that as a business owner, CEO or whomever your contact may be, that they may not be entirely receptive to taking direction from someone they may see as just another hired hand.

In the end your willingness to question and advise throughout the entire process will get you one step closer to producing a professional, beautiful end product that you are proud of. A product that will please your client and produce the desired results.

What are your thoughts? How do you work with your clients to encourage focusing on the important?

The RedMark Mission Statement
RedMark’s mission is to help designers and clients find a common language through visual collaboration.

What it is.

We all need to collaborate with our clients, teams etc at one point or another throughout the life of the project. Feedback is important to the process in order to ensure that the final product is the best it can be.
Redmark allows you to do just that with ease. Simply upload a design and subscribe your client or team member. They will receive an email alerting them to the fact that there is a new document up for review. At that point they can easily markup and annotate directly on screen. Once they have added their comments they simply click Send Feedback and you will be notified via email that feedback has been left. All revision will be tracked throughout the life of the project.

If you have a look at the screen shot below you will see how easy it is for the client to leave a note. No more of those instances where you have a client saying “You know that blue box at the bottom next to the black text, yeah, can you move that up by the other black text”. With Remark they can simply attach the comment to the specific area in question and keep the process moving, no need for you and the client to hop on the phone in order to sort out what black text they are referring to.

Another feature I really like is the fact that there is no log in process for the client. They receive a link directly to the uploaded project and can begin marking it up immediately making the process extremely smooth for them.

My Review

I took a bit of time reviewing this one before I decided it’s a winner because in the past I got burned by a similar service that froze up and did not allow my client to review anything. So after testing it out quite a bit myself. I can say that Redmark is extremely easy, responds well and runs nicely.

Upon review I did have a few questions/suggestions so I sent them off to one of the creators. He responded within and hour and noted that the particular featured I had mentioned was already in the works. Can’t beat customer service like that.

So in the end I definitely recommend it and I will definitely use it.

That’s all I am going to share, for the full scope get yourself an invite code and try it out for yourself.

About Those Codes

I can get you an invite code no problem, shoot me a DM on Twitter @jeremyjaymes and I will get back to you with an invite. If you would rather not follow me on Twitter because you feel I am rather annoying or you are rebelling against Twitter, that’s fine too. Just drop me an email at jeremy[at]papertreedesign[dot]com and I will be happy to send one out to you.

Overall the process has been and exciting challenge. Not having to work under any constraints, adding new features here and there. just kind of putting something together for myself. If you like it, you like it. If you don’t you don’t kind of thing. Needless to say it has been more about polishing my WordPress skills than anything else.

The first two the I have been working on are pretty clean and simple as I am trying to get back to the basics and focus more on a traditional blog framework. As you probably notice my own personal style tends to be pretty minimalistic, but not to worry, those of you that are looking for a bit more along the way frilly bits, I have more ideas and plans for the future. What you are about to look at are the early stages, more of a rough draft but none the less I needed to share.

The Block and Blue theme is actually adapted from on of my old blogs (with quite a few improvements in the making). The second one is just something I really wanted to do. I have always been inspired by the clean black on white design that’s more about layout and typography than anything else, so that’s what I’m hoping to accomplish here.

As you can see there is still quite a bit of work to do on the front end and the back end additions have only just begun. I am expecting to finish these off mid January, schedule permitting and will be writing quite a bit more about the process as I get nearer that time. So if you are thinking you might like to scoop one up and play around with it just sign up for RSS or Email delivery over on the right side there and you’ll get every update you need.

Enjoy and feel free to leave your thoughts below.

RT @WordPress: Introducing WordPress 2.7: Coltrane. http://wordpress.org/development/2008/12/coltrane/

Normally I am pretty hesitant to rush out and upgrade, either due to time constraints or past experience, but I just couldn’t help myself this time around, it’s way to pretty. That’s right Papertree Design is now “Proudly Powered by WordPress 2.7″, ah the excitement.

The user interface is completely different from past releases and thus you would think that it might take some getting used to at first. Not true, this baby is surprisingly easy to adapt to, I feel like we’ve been together for a long time. ( I have to admit that I have tinkered with a beta release or two prior to this new install but I am pretty confident that you will have no problem making the transition, trust me you’ll be happy you did it.)

I imagine it is going to take me a bit of time to fully navigate every nook and cranny of the drastically redesigned admin panel but the important thing is the front end seems to working fine. Looking good and all the little additions, including plugins, are 100% operational.

On the back end I am have to say I am pretty impressed, here’s a couple of things I have noticed thus far:

1. Wider write panel.
2. Typography has changed a bit and getting better.
3. The overall color scheme seems to be a bit easier on the eyes, especially for those of us that spend a lot of time back here.
4. The theme editor, which I often find myself using is a lot more organized. My stylesheets actually look like they do in my offline editor.
5. Preview, Edit and Quick Edit links, so much quicker.
6. Add Media, seems to be “fixed” runs much nicer anyway.

This list will go on I am sure, go ahead have a look

I will have more updates on this beauty in the near future, I just needed to pause and share my excitement. Back to play!

If you would like to read more see what Matt has to say about the release here, then treat yourself and go download a copy immediately!

So from the “Design” Notebook made possible by Google Notebooks, here’s the list:

On Grid Layouts in Web Design

“Setting Type on the Web to a Baseline Grid” on A List Apart – Excellent article on the use of grid systems in web layouts.

“Five Simple Steps to Designing Grid Systems” on MarkBoulton.co.uk

“Gridding the 960″ on CameronMoll.com

“The Funniest Grid You Ever Saw” on Subtraction.com (Khoi Vinh)

On WordPress and Deisgning For

WordPress Codex – Theme Development – The WP Codex

“Tutorial – Creating Custom Write Panels in WordPress” on Wefunction.com

Sandbox Theme Readme.html on Plaintxt.org

“How to Create a WordPress Theme from Scratch” on Nettuts.com (Basic but a good starter)

Designing for Sandbox on code.google.com The Sandbox Theme Wiki

Themeshaper on themeshaper.com (A wealth of information on WordPress, Creating Themes and Web Design in general)

A Collection of Themes and Theme Frameworks (The short version as I have reviewed several in the past)

Thematic on Themeshaper.com

Starkers on ElliotJayStocks.com

Artisan Theme on Artisanthemes.com

Sandbox on Plaintxt.org

Thesis on diythemes.com

Books

I also spent quite a bit of time with “Grid Systems” by Kimberly Elam

I am of course leaving quite a bit out when it comes to the topics covered in the sections above, however I can only cover so much material in one day so enjoy.