Design Interviews

21 January 2008
Interview with Design Interviews

The following article is an interview taken from the web design website Design Interviews:

Design Interviews wants to welcome Gil Gildner of Klar Design. Gil’s portfolio is known for its clean look and high-performance functionality. I always enjoy talking to Gil for good info from a good guy. I interviewed Gil and his responses are here for you.

Do you have an area of specialization? “I’ve done a fairly wide scope of work, ranging from small businesses to engineering firms to corporate websites. I tend to prefer the small business end, mainly because proprietors know what they want and can understand the limitations of web design. I have recently begun to branch out, not just doing web design per se, but related projects in graphic design and 3D multimedia.”

Where do you get your art for these webpages? “Though several times my clients have used stock photos, more often than not I will take the pictures myself. I find it’s easier that way since I have a “feel” in my head for what I need. For any graphics other than pictures I use Photoshop or LightWave 3D or Flash.”

Do you have any advice for new designers, best webhosting, best photosellers, best types of webpages, etc.? “For designers, I’d have to say that learning web design is similar to learning to write. You can’t learn how to write by reading a grammar textbook. You learn to write by reading. That means that in my opinion, the way to learn to build websites and develop aesthetical graphic design is to find websites you like, look at the source code, open them up and literally dissect them. Look at proportions and see the similarities between various good designs. Look at how established designers use white space, or clear fonts, and harmonious colors. . . The next best bit of advice I can give is ‘learn to code’. It’s even helpful to learn computer languages comparatively unrelated to web development, like C++ for instance. It can help your understanding of syntax and dynamics incredibly. My code has improved greatly after learning the basics of other languages besides html. Good code equals good compatibility. . . For the best webhosting service, I would recommend Network Solutions. They have surpassed every other webhosting provider that I have ever had experience with. They are more expensive than others, but their customer service is unexcelled. They are also one of the most established and reputable companies in the business.”

What will be the next big development in webpage design? “In my opinion, development in web design has slowed down a bit as far as what you see right on the screen, art-wise. The big developments seem to be under the surface: Ajax, for instance. I think that this trend will continue. Perhaps in a few years we will see a new rise in creativity in aesthetics.”

Have you ever worked with website templates? “To be frank, no. Except in the case of ’skins’ or ‘themes’ for forums or WordPress blogs, I have never had the need.”

What do you think about Flash technology? “Everybody has their own opinion on Flash. I see it over-applied and misused all the time, yet sometimes it makes all the difference in the world. It’s got a lot of character and great potential. I mainly utilize Flash in portfolio-type sites that don’t require a lot of interaction with the user. For multimedia-related sites, it could not be better. It can serve high-bandwidth video easily and works for everyone.”

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Flash? “Load time has been one of the main complaints. That’s not a large concern for me anymore since my sites target broadband users. Another has been search engine optimisation, which is a valid disadvantage. The disadvantages can sometimes outweigh the advantages, or vice versa. It’s all relative to the website. The thing I appreciate about Flash the most is the almost limitless ability to lay out content how you want it, and have it display the same in different browsers.”

What inspires you in your design work? “Graphic design anywhere. On billboards, book covers, magazine layouts, or mailouts, even motion graphics.”

What are your favorite website designs that you did NOT design yourself? “Right now I’d definitely have to say it’s the Audi R8 minisite. The Germans have multimedia down pretty good!”

What was the toughest project or customer situation you’ve encountered? “That would have to be language barriers while working with a Swedish company. I’m no expert in Swedish, so it is sometimes quite a challenge. But for day-to-day issues, it would be verifying that my sites work in various browsers: Firefox, and Internet Explorer, and Opera. Usually this is fairly simple to work around while building the bare bones of a site but as the website gets more and more complicated, there are always things to fix and update.”

What are your interests and dislikes in webpage design? “I like uniqueness. It’s a very hard thing to achieve in web design because there’s so many restrictions that apply, so many standards to adhere to, and so wide a range of users to serve. But every once in a while I’ll run across a site that’s truly creative. But then, as far as dislikes, the mint green page background is king. It’s supposed to be easy on the eyes for reading, but I’m not so sure about that. A particular pet peeve is when webmasters underline the titles of books without hyperlinks. It may be correct grammar but it sure is confusing. Animated gifs are also a royal plague to the retina. . .”

Congratulations to Texas A&M and North Carolina on first round wins!
Arthur Browning