My Proudest Moments as a Web Designer
By Marc Carson · Wednesday September 12, 2012
I’m a proud daddy of three now. My daughter Lucy Jane was born two months ago, and I love to hold her, try to make her smile, and imagine what she’ll be like when she grows up.
While it doesn’t compare to time spent with my family, in my work as a web designer I’ve had some pretty happy moments, too. Here are a few:
1. Helping a financial institution replace its 10-year-old website.
When I signed on to help develop a new website for them, Mendo Lake Credit Union staff told me their existing website had not been reworked in 10 years.
If your website is even three years old, it probably needs some work to catch up with the times. But 10 years without significant changes—that’s almost unheard of these days.
With a new website, MLCU keeps their information updated almost daily with new promotions, rates information, upcoming events, and more. It’s exciting to see what staff can do when they’re empowered with tools that let them get things done.
2. Creating things that make people smile.
One of my favorite sites to work on has been the Art of Jim McKell. Jim’s artwork is beautiful enough that I decided to put a lot of work into simplifying the experience. Visitors love browsing his site to find works that interest them. They tell me that the presentation helps Jim’s work stand out. It makes me happy to hear that.
3. Helping medical patients get the help they need.
From the feedback we received about the old Mendocino Community Health Clinic website, we knew visitors were experiencing troubles finding information they needed. I especially felt we had a worthwhile upgrade on our hands when I visited the site and struggled to find a commonly-used phone number.
These problems affected medical staff across the city and county, as well—not just patients.
The new MCHC website solves these problems, but we’re also ready to add new features, and address new problems as they arise. Hopefully this will get people the information they need without adding to their pain.
4. Realizing I have helped create more than 20 jobs in the last five years.
Recently I sat down and tried to determine what effect my business had on the local economy. Since I provide software and training to help my clients do their business online, it’s becoming more common to hear that they are hiring new employees to assist them in their new web marketing efforts. New websites would go nowhere if it wasn’t for the staff who keep them fresh and reach out to customers.
In the end, I determined that I had helped create more than 20 jobs in the last 5 years. And that’s a very conservative estimate, since I don’t want to sound like a politician. But as a sole proprietor, this was a big discovery for me.
More to come
I’ve got some exciting stuff in the works. I’d love to hear what you’re up to, as well. Let me know on Facebook or Twitter, K?
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