Web Design Portfolio

My philosophy on web design is to make it powerful, have clear communication, and a strong call to action. In the first 6 seconds, a customer should be able to tell who you are, what you do, and why you're better than your competition. This is best achieved with imagery to convey the brand, a clean user interface, a catchy title, and an eye-catching call to action. I try to make it absolutely clear exactly where a customer is supposed to click from the second they visit a website. Once the user is engaged, the sale can happen. Content is king, but the first step is to gain the interest of your consumer.

I have included some of my favorite site designs that I feel demonstrate a range of styles from edgy to corporate. I give a lot of attention to details to give each site that extra polish. Click any thumbnail for an expanded view of the site. All images represent my personal favorite version of their site, and the live site may have changed.

To view more examples of my work, you can visit russelljackdesigns.blogspot.com

Corporate ID Portfolio

A company's identity is more than just a logo. A good brand creates emotion. It's based on imagery, colors, and feelings. I design logos that help convey what a company is all about.

I also make my best effort to follow good logo design guidelines: make sure the logo is unique and memorable, looks good small, and can be recreated using one color. My logos are created in Adobe Illustrator so they can be scaled easily to fit the clients' needs.

Click on the logos to view an enlarged version and more information. More logo examples can be seen at russelljackdesigns.blogspot.com

Before + After

Wind River Herbs needed a make-over badly. Not only was the site pretty ugly, it wasn't performing very well. It converted less than 1% of its visitors. The owner had actually given up a little on the site.

I submitted a new design focused on getting people to take action. It's much livelier, and has a more vibrant color scheme. It lets people know who Wind River is, what they do, and why they're good in a very short amount of time. The site holds its consumers' hands, and makes them feel they can trust the site.

We're waiting on the new conversion numbers, as the site has not yet officially re-launched.

Design Process

I feel there's more to a good website than just being pretty. During the design interview I ask the client lots of questions — about their customers, their product, their image, and ultimately "What is the one thing you want your customers to do when they visit your site?" From there I create mockups with clear calls to action; I really try to engage the user.

I have a reason for just about everything I design: the colors i use, the way the page is laid out, the imagery I implement. I believe education is the key. Frequently clients will make requests that I know will ultimately go against what they're trying to communicate. I've found it's best to explain to my clients exactly why I've done what I've done. If then, they want me to proceed with their request, I do so (letting them know it may affect site performance).

Ultimately the goal is to produce a site that the client likes, and I am also happy with.

Banner Ads

Obviously the point of an ad is to get people to click. Enticing people to do this is a bit tricky, as the ad needs to have enough information in it to grab your attention, but still have enough space and organization that it doesn't get lost in a jumble. And, as always, a VERY clear call to action.

Conversion

From what I've heard, CRO is the next big thing. Everyone has been learning for years how to GET traffic with SEO and PPC, but few people know what to do once they get the eyeballs.

In my experience, CRO is about trust and communication. Credit card logos, secure checkouts, and clearly visible privacy policies all contribute to trust. Also forms that require as little information as necessary. If you can get the client on your list, you can entice them with your product or service until they eventually turn into a sale. A sale with a relationship results in a loyal customer.

A site clearly communicates when it tells the customer what their product is, and why it's great. Ease of navigation makes the learning process enjoyable for the customer, which helps conversion.

Usability

I once read a quote (that I can't source) that basically said "Sites that look good are perceived as easier to use." Layout, typography, and imagery all need to work together in a way that helps the user find exactly what they're looking for, and feels good in the process.

If a customer is able to intuitively use your site, they'll stay on it longer, which then makes them more likely to purchase something or join your mailing list.

Typography

I LOVE fonts. It's always intriguing to me how words just feel different in different fonts. I think typography is a critical part of design. More than just about anything it helps set the mood of the piece.

Print

One of my favorite gigs was for a company called "Vox." My job was basically to design clothing mockups, then create print catalogs to pitch the clients the clothing.

Designing for print opened a new world to me (namely the world of CMYK). Layout is much different in print than the web. There's a lot more freedom. I find print work to be very creatively liberating.

Conclusion

Well, we've reached the end of our journey. I feel like we've been through so much together. I'm a little sad our time is ending. Hopefully we can do it again real soon.