“I need a website” is usually the first couple words that are said to me before I start a project, obviously. But when I get these types of requests most of the time a problem arises that is not always seen until the project starts. Not all people are educated in the techniques and process that goes into good web design. These types of projects tend to get lengthy and stale due to the fact that the client does not understand the full idea in developing something that will be successful for them.

I have run into the problem before many times. The client knows what they want, but fail to understand the principals behind good design. Fighting creative freedom is not always the best route to take when dealing with designers. In order for a creative pro to get into a project and give it the best treatment necessary it is important to honor the requests and advice of the creative director that is handling the project. Micro managing every fine detail takes the “fun” out of the project and tends to produce a stale result.

Communication is important in any situation of this type. Trying to understand the clients vision is the most difficult process of any project. Once understood and the two parties are on the same page, the project can turn a new leaf and become something that will be beneficial to both the client and the designer.

For this reason it is one of our jobs as designers to educate the client on the process before the project is even started. Anyone can spit out a generic website that maintains the basic structure and is functional, but successful hard hitting websites don’t come easy. It takes time and effort to develop a site that is both engaging and portrays the image, message and feeling behind the subject matter. Educate and create and the design process will be a lot smoother for both you and your clients.

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In an age where everyone has access to post the innermost workings of everyones lives, broadcast for the public eye to see we come across this idea of Lifecasting. The success of reality TV, MySpace and YouTube has shown us that people want to know all there is to know about other people’s lives. I came across this idea of “Lifecasting” the other day in one of my magazines. Its an interesting concept that people have been doing for some time now. The posting of pretty much everything and everything that has to do with your everyday life. Blogs like this one are an outlet for people to display their info or lives and have become a large part of the web containing some of the best up to date information on the web.

The popularity of blogs, the posting of random funny pictures of unusual antics by random people, the success of the media mentioned above are all proof that everyday people are becoming more interesting than the stars in Hollywood. It’s a free expression of ideas, and people love it. Sharing photos, videos and everyday life excites the viewer creating a new type of community online. The basis of the internet is the free expression of ideas, a voice to the world to say what you want with no limitations for everyone to see.

We can apply this concept to Interactive Media and capitalize on the draw that this type of idea creates. If visitors are able to customize and personalize, they attach a certain ownership to the media that they have created. Create a profile, pick out a picture to associate your account to, change the color, change the layout, control hooks the masses. X-Box Live does a great job of hooking its users by allowing the customization of gamer profiles, tags, pictures, slogans, motos, friend groups, a message center, and more. This type of engagement attracts people to keep going back and checking in time after time to see what more they can customize and change.

Forums and interactive user communities are another sample of this and add a sense of validity and ownership to a product or service they are attached to. In user forums people can speak their minds regarding certain subjects and or products and help guide the company to better serve their customers. Its the new type of customer service, a integrated database of user opinions, rants and free ideas. It’s the idea of transparency, allow your customers or people interested in your business to freely speak their minds and help guide others and aid to sculpt a company into a customer service powerhouse.

We are integrated with the web in our everyday lives. Lifecasting is the beginning of a new era of technology being fused with society. We can either embrace this new media or be left in the dust…

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