Stop Jon: the writings and ramblings of Jon Pederson

Understanding Web Standards for Business

Lately I’ve been noticing many designers and developers understand the necessity of creating Web sites according to standards, but that is not being communicated to whom it is most important – the client.  As people building Web sites we know that the standards set forth aid in creating sites that will be easier to access, maintain and support in the future.  We know the technical aspects of why standards-based design is best.

Somehow, the people we are building Web sites for still don’t understand the importance of Web standards though.  Their reasoning for standards vs. non-standards is often ungrounded.  For some it is the cost; it’s easier to find a “Web Guy” that will slap together a quick, image-heavy, table-based-layout Web site for cheep, than it is to find a team that will put together a well thought out, efficient, accessible and scalable Web site.  Then for others it’s ignorance; just simply not knowing the benefits of a site built correctly.

So here’s a few main things to point out about complying with W3C standards:

• Following standards ensure your site will work in the future, not just today.
• More browsers and devices will display your site correctly, all the time.
• Your site will perform faster when complying with the W3C Standards.
• People with disabilities will be able to access the content on your site easier.

It is our responsibility as professional Web designers and developers to educate our clients, and help them understand the importance of having their site done right.

Prioritizing for Design, Development and Feature Creep

In a previous post I wrote about how I would be speaking at Refresh Seattle.  The talk went well, and there was great discussion afterward.  There were many questions about handling different challenges with clients before and during a project.  It gave me a lot to think about for the future, and how to help guide clients, project managers, designers and developers into and through the production process.

The presentation is on slideshare.com.

Refresh Seattle

Recently I was asked to give a talk at the Refresh Seattle event coming up on June 18th. I’m going to be giving a presentation on how to help prioritize Web development projects. I see many clients who come to our company with all these grand ideas, but often too many ideas. The project quickly becomes a cobbled-up mess with no clear direction or objective. New features get added to the mix half way through, and by the time it’s ready’ish for launch (27 revisions later) it needs a redesign. My hope is to give some practical ideas on how people can determine the objectives of a project, and help stick to them.

Note: The presentation will be posted on slideshare.com

Set Objectives, Remember Priorities

There’s a reason why any organization has a Web site developed, and for most there are several reasons.  They may need the site to sell a product or service, educate a customer, gain information from a large group of people, provide an online productivity tool, etc.  The list of what is done on the Web is growing fast as capabilities expand, it is almost limitless.

With everything that can be done on the Web it is very tempting to want to do it all, or at least do any hair-brain idea that one thinks is good.  The problem is this leads down a road to the Weberswamp, and is the cause for so many failing sites on the Internet.  The key is to understand what a particular Web site is for, and prioritize it’s features accordingly.  Here’s a few rules:

1. Know the main objective/goal of the site
2. Communicate that through the site
3. Create everything necessary to accomplish the stated objective
4. Prioritize features that will support the objective of the site
5. Scrap anything that does not support the objective

One big thing to remember is that just because someone has a really good idea does not mean it should be part of the site.  Be honest with yourself about what the user wants.

The Making of a Good Team

Working with people is what I do, and what most of us do every day. No matter what we produce with our time each day, very few of us can do it alone. We may not be interacting with the guy that has no idea what it means to clean off his desk, has major hygiene issues, lacks any sense of humor or social skills, and stands way to close to your face when talking to you on a daily basis, but none the less we have to deal with people to get our job done. The question on my mind is, how does this interaction help or hinder our production?

The short answer that carries such profoundness that even I want to quote myself is, “Yes, it does.” There you have it. You have just witnessed the wisdom of Jon Pederson (the full extent of it). But seriously… I’m just joking… but seriously, no really…. OK, shut-up and move on Jon!…

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