English Website Designer | About AB Design

About

I'm English and grew up just south of London. I studied at Oxford University and worked for several years as Marketing Manager of a language school. I then switched career and became an Operations Manager at Eurotunnel.

In 2005 I submitted a design to CSS Zen Garden, which at the time was the most influential website design gallery on the net. My submission, named Mozart, generated considerable attention and was published in several different books, one of which was written by Jeffrey Zeldman, the so-called "Godfather of Web Standards".

Inspired by the success of the Mozart design, I began offering my services as a website designer. As of 2024 I've worked with clients in Europe, the USA, Asia and New Zealand.

Tools of the trade are pretty straightforward. To simplify workflows and improve efficiencies, I generally stick with proven software that for the most part is free and has been around for ages.

Photoshop

Photoshop has been my design software of choice ever since I got started. Nothing else comes close.

SciTE

A good text editor is indispensable, and SciTE is the best I've come across. No nonsense, no frills. It just gets the job done.

Canary

Designed specifically for developers, Google's Canary browser offers all the tools needed for a fully-fledged testing environment.

Staying Current

Website design technologies change very rapidly. For example, this list of Ultra Modern HTML5 websites, published in 2010, claimed that HTML5 is "set to revolutionize the way designers create websites and the way visitors use them." One of my clients, Little Coogie, is at number 15 on the list, yet the technologies I used when making that site are these days simply de rigeur.

Keeping abreast of new techniques and the latest trends requires dedication. I typically spend about an hour a day reading up on what's happening, what's new, and the "next best thing". Sure, a lot of new methodologies fall by the wayside, but a few stick around and have the potential to produce better, more time-efficient outcomes.

New Clients: Building Trust

In my opinion, three factors are key to developing and maintaining trust:

Flexibility When starting with a new client, trust is sometimes quite limited. I counter this by offering design samples and suggested layouts gratis. The work is high quality and represents a stepping stone to what could become the finished design. If the client decides to take things further, I guide them through each step of the design process and make sure they get the product and/or services they want.

Negotiation I usually have firm ideas regarding design, and so do my clients. When impasses occur, it's essential to discuss and re-evaluate the project. If both sides are prepared to consider each other's suggestions, compromises can be made and a clear direction established.

Mutual Respect Mutual respect is born out of understanding each other's needs. It can take a while to establish, but once in place it paves the way for rewarding, long-term relationships. Worth mentioning here is that I've been working with some of my clients for over a decade.