The Big Noob

As designers, every decision we make is informed by what we see and hear. The things we experience. Our inspiration. Our passion. For me, that passion is film. The whole idea of watching a movie gives me the warm fuzzies. Sharing a tub of buttery popcorn with a good friend. The glow of the screen in a dark theater. An excuse not to speak, only to watch. A rare chance to let go of the day—and to see a happy ending. Venturing back outside after the credits roll. The tell-me-your-favorite-part game on the drive home.

But the thing that fascinates me most about film is how thousands of pieces make up the larger storytelling puzzle. From the dialogue and its subtext to the way a scene is lit to the actor’s performance—they all contribute to furthering a story.

In the beginning, there is the screenplay. The story, the IDEA. Your Photoshop canvas is blank but your mind is racing. The time has come to pool together all the resources available to you, and to decide how and when to use them. You obsess over every pixel the way a good director would obsess over every frame. You delight in finding that perfect font, in sculpting that subtly rounded corner, in choosing the best line height for the main copy.

Now, imagine what your page looks like in a viewfinder. Try to see what your audience will see. Are supporting parts upstaging more important ones? Is the scene balanced? Do the colors convey the right mood? When you step back and look at the big picture, you immediately see when something isn’t working. And that’s where you start the editing process. Even if you personally love something, if it’s not serving the idea, it’s got to go. So you cut it.

Okay, so no one is going to throw a red carpet premiere for your www.acmeinsuranceonline.biz project launch. And your client may not understand why you debated over Helvetica or Verdana for half an hour. These little behind-the-scenes battles are what turn average websites into masterpieces. When everyone else is content to say “The End,” keep bringing it all into focus. Be a storyteller. Let your point of view shine through, and everything you create will have a depth that is sorely missing on the web.


I don't write much these days. Before becoming disenfranchised and apathetic about writing as a means of "self-exploration" by my early twenties, I would always carry a Mead 5-star with me in case I thought of that perfect line for a poem or a song. I found it cathartic, but more importantly — challenging. Designing visually always came easily for me, but using words was a struggle.

So when UK magazine .NET asked me to write a 400 word piece for their January issue on any topic of my choosing, I was excited for the challenge, and simultaneously terrified. So, here's the article as I originally wrote it (.NET edited it without notifying me). Of anything I "created" in 2007, I am proudest of this wee article.