I suspect that I have had a career change, or at the very least a career refocusing. I’ve come to this conclusion quite suddenly, although it could have something to do with the complete lack of sleep I have had as of late. I have been a web developer in one form or another for quite some time. I suppose the change began during my senior year in college.

It started with my thesis for my Writing minor, “Conversations: Social Computing and Collaboration in Online Writing Labs.” All of a sudden, I was pulling Web 2.0 (of course, before the term was created and trademarked) content into an academic environment. My professor was rather impressed and I had no problem getting a nice strong grade in the class. I thought that was the end of my social computing forays, but I was wrong.

Aside from this site, which is in its third incarnation, I have had a number of blogs (some before the name was common) beginning in ‘99. Again, having a personal presence on the internet has been something I’ve been proud of (despite a strong desire to change some of my early opinions), but I always kept that stuff out of my professional work.

My web development work has an interesting subtext; I left the field just when table-based design was beginning to catch on and returned as standards-based design was taking off. My return to the industry had me reading Zeldman, Hicks, and others. They also had blogs, so I learned that this personal soapbox of mine could be used for more professional ends (it took me awhile to figure out a strong implementation - hence, 3rd incarnation). It still didn’t make it into my work, but some concepts started creeping in.

I created the building manager log where I worked. It was a blog without many features, but pretty much had all the standard features (minus commenting). Today, I went back to help after the webserver had crashed. The database would need to be rebuilt and a couple of files were not in any production-level shape. We installed WordPress. It’s a bit much, but it does what is needed.

This is a situation I have found myself in time and again as of late. A problem is presented, and I modify WP to fit the need. At my current job, I built a WP-powered internal CMS just a couple of weeks ago. Thinking on all of this has led me to one question: did I accidentally become a Blog Designer/Developer?

I am a web designer.  Well, not really.  I’m more of a web developer with the ability to put together moderately (according to others) attractive websites.  I like simplicity and focused.  I like readable.  I like content.

I am working as a web designer, according to my job description.  The position is more of a developer position, which is fine.  I am not redesigning web pages.  I have accepted this fact.  I do get to make changes to content, so maybe the job is more data entry.  This is also fine, not preferable, but acceptable. I make minor changes to any number of minor pages. If my job was simply this, I would merely have an issue with being bored. I don’t.

Once upon a time, I worked with a certain program.  This work was not primarily involved with the program, nor was the end result used.  I did use the program.  In my defense, the web was still in its difficult teenage years: drinking off of window frames, putting tables within tables, or any other idea that would make even Escher cringe. I used it, but I didn’t inhale. I swear.

The web is now a young adult. It still drinks from time to time, but usually on tables. Most people don’t even remember the frames incidents.  It uses big words like semantics and compliance. It gave up on the excesses of youth. I have to work to find a site that hasn’t graduated from HTML to XHTML. CSS is passe. Developers focus more on issues like RSS or AJAX, not on indiscretions so prevalent in previous ages.

Yet the drug remains. Usually it can be found on media sites: movies, bands, and high school web pages. Finding a user is easy. Simply look for the "skip intro" link below the garish visuals and garish sounds. Like many drugs, this one has activists who push it, often literally. The tell us to just give it a try. Just one hit, and we will know that it will be OK.

These last few days have included me being force fed that hit.

Having tried the drug allow me to tell you, my wary reader, some interesting facts. The plethora of changes in the last six years have not changed the poor feeling one gets from using it. Smokers cough the first time. This drug isn’t quite as obvious. You feel a sense of apathy and disgust deep down. Listen to it.

All joking aside, I will make a harsh generalization. The situation requires it.

This drug assures a poorly designed site. It is never done for the web site visitor, but both for the Flash designer and the client. The desire for something edgy and impressive neglects the user. That’s right. It neglects the user.

The user, and I know this because I am one, wants information. We want to know if your company will help us make sense of our lives. Why should I buy your product, use your services, or talk to a representative? Unless your services consist of overwhelming my viewpoint on your site, please let me get through to your site. Especially if you are a business. Would you buy a car from a salesman wearing a pink polka dot mu mu? Probably not. Why dress your web site in one?

Scoble talks about plentyoffish.com.

What’s the secret to his success? Ugly design. I call it “anti-marketing design.”

Huh?

He says that sites that have ugly designs are well known to pull more revenue, be more sticky, build better brands, and generally be more fun to participate in, than sites with beautiful designs.

I wonder if it really is the poorly designed sites, or the sites that are designed to be quick and simple.  As far as I would understand it, simple and quick would generally win.  People don’t want to go to a site often that takes minutes to load (an irony this guy with a splash image on his front page does accept), but do the want to go to one that has clashing colors, poor text choices, and other design mistakes.

Web design should follow a number of different paths: visually appealing, quick loading, and easy to use.  Each of these is important.  A look at plentyoffish shows that the site is not truly ugly; it looks amateurish but acceptable.   Another important detail is the fact that it is a free dating site.  Those generally have good traffic despite quirks.  I would love his eyeballs and revenue on some of my work, but I’m fairly sure it is not due to any amazingly good poor design decisions.

It’s due to having a service people want at the right price.

Why is it that when I need to write a quick message, my writing application gets in the way?  I click on Word (for Mac), and the Project Gallery comes up asking me if I want to do any number of tasks.  These tasks on the first screen ask me if I want to create an Excel Document, a Word Document, etc.  Don’t I already know?  Didn’t I click on Word?  Why ask for confirmation?

Now, Scoble will tell you that the Project Gallery will provide you with more features.  And he’s right, it will.  I have no problem with it as it stands; I take issue with it being turned on by default.  Most people just want to jot something down, not create a daily planner or any number of other templates available.  Keep them available, just don’t show me them the first time I turn on the program.

This is good advice for Microsoft, but it is even better advise on the web.  People come to a site and make a decision as to whether or not it is worth their time in a manner of microseconds.  What does your homepage show?  Go ahead look at it.  Do you have a Flash intro?  Is it really required?  Is it the message you want to advertise to people?  Does it make getting the information easier, more difficult, or just wastes time?

I’m not a huge fan of the Flash intro if you couldn’t notice.  In many ways, it acts as the Project Gallery does – it gets in my way.  I’m visiting a website for information, be it a description of some product or service, a review, or even a price.  I’m not visiting to see how good a Flash animator that your company hired is.  Generally, if I see Flash, I look for a skip intro link.  Failing that, I find some other site.  If you absolutely must have Flash movies, put them off to the side, so that those who want them can still get to them.  Leave those of us whojust want to know about your stuff alone.