Selecting a Web Designer - Hints from the Pros

[KDLA]

Hi -
I'd like to thank all those who make this forum possible. It has provided me with invaluable insight into web design. With this in mind, I'd like to use this medium as a sounding board for a presentation/article I'm planning.

Besides being a webmaster for my agency, part of my job is to provide web consultation services to our state's public library system. I do this through one-on-one meetings, but mostly through presentations and/or published articles.

One facet of web design I'd like to factor into my presentations is a section describing the actual selection process for a prospective web designer. Many times, library staff haven't a clue as to how to select a GOOD web designer - usually it ends up being someone's brother-in-law's cousin, a high school aged son of a trustee, or a bored homemaker with design flair.

If possible, could some of you list a few of the things you feel important in the selection of a web designer (and why), and/or any possible resources that I may refer them to when needed?

Please keep in mind that this presentation will be given to people who:

a. have limited understanding of technological language - most will be those that hire staff, not doing/checking extensive mark-up

b. have websites that range from one pagers that have a picture of the institution and the address, to complicated in-depth sites that house online catalogs and services.

c. usually employ web designers through personal service contracts or through volunteer services

Thanks so much!

[the tree]

Accessability is always worth checking, if they say that they know about the web accessability inicitive (WAI) guidelines then that's a good sign. Accessability is especialy important for public orginisations like libaries.
You might want to tell people how to use the validators to check that the developers are up to scratch.
Always look at a designers portfolio, else how would you know that their own site isn't just fluke?

[DaveSW]

One important thing is 'how easy it is to find what you want on their site?'
Another is, 'does this person design with different screen resolutions in mind?' In other words, if you resize your browser window what happens?
And, 'how long do the pages take to load?'
Or you could google it...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=how+to+choose+a+web+designer&meta=

edit: If you go by the validator then you might want to suggest a few errors are permissible - it could be an affiliate link, or other block of code sent by someone else that screws up the validator.
Obviously if there are over about 75 errors then the designer has probably never met html before...

edit #2: Also ask the person how they design. If they say they make a big image in Photoshop, slice it up and export it, RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!

[KDLA]

Could a Moderator please move this thread to the Coffee Lounge, in hopes of getting more responses?

Any additional comments to this thread are welcome.

Thanks!

[buntine]

Due to the nature of some of the Web Sites, you will need a Web Developer with some experience in server-side database programming.
You may also want to know about their previous industry experience and tertiary qualifications -- designing a Web Site is easy, but alot of the "i taught myself" software developers dont know industry standards and correct programming concepts.

Regards.

[amazing_andr3]

I posted on my site a list of questions that looks like this:

* How will the (potential) visitors find the site?
* Can every visitor access the entire site?
* Does the site load fast enough?
* Is the site easy to use?
* Is the site providing all the necessary information?
* Is all this information properly presented?
* Does the site look pleasant?
* Does the site encourage the visitor to return?
* Will the site be easy to modify and expand in the future?
* How much will future changes cost me?
* How will I have access to the site's traffic statistics and analize its success?

I think that covers it all, but feel free to suggest more questions if you can think of something else.

The candidate should have a good answer for all of the above (when asked about one of the sites he's already made, of course).

His answers shouldn't contradict each other, i.e. none of the above should come at the expense of something else.