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Web design can be incredibly frustrating. You'd think that with the infinite possibilities of what-goes-where it'd be pretty easy to land a design that works, yet somehow we've all been stuck before: working hour after hour on a design that refuses to look right. Throwing away pixels like they're going out of style.
- Design from the inside out
This is some of the best advice anyone ever gave me about web design (thanks Cameron). A lot of designers start off a design by focusing on the header. Often times what's inside the page is what makes it look good; the header is supplementary. Try leaving the header alone for awhile and working on some elements in the body, you'll be surprised at how much easier it is to design a page once you've got a solid body going. The next time you're designing a header with no body imagine yourself adjusting a tie in front of the mirror, but being completely nude. (yikes)
- Sketch something
My whiteboard is my salvation. Pencil and paper works too. I read an article years ago by a designer who would draw dozens of little 2x3" mockups in his spiral notebook before even opening up a graphic design program. It helped him identify where elements were going to be placed and what options looked best . The best part of creating mockups this way is the speed at which you can burn through possible layout ideas. Sketch something, scribble it out. Sketch something else, scribble it out. Do this ten times and you've probably got a fairly decent idea of how to the page should come together. I've used a few wireframe applications like Axure, but I've still found myself to be my most efficient while bathed in the saucy aroma of whiteboard markers.
- Seek inspiration offline
If you've paid attention to anything design related in the past two years then you've no doubt seen a few of the countless CSS galleries and design showcase websites that popped up. These are excellent sources of inspiration, but sometimes a bit of offline media can be just what you need to spur some fresh ideas. Open up a newspaper or magazine, go to the grocery store and look at the packaging, watch a television ad. Pay attention to things that are applicable to your design such as typography, color, and element placement. Ask yourself questions like "What is it I like about this magazine ad?" and "What is about this packaging that just works?" There's a lot you can learn from observing traditional media. A few years ago a co-worker of mine lent me a book full of Russian posters and print ads from the 1920's. The lessons learned from looking at some of the material were invaluable - I was particularly impressed by how they were able to cram a ton of information into a tiny area but kept it from appearing too "busy."
- Learn to let it go
Ever make a button that looks ridiculously awesome but just doesn't belong in your design? You put so much effort into your ridiculously awesome button, you'll go to great lengths to make it work. You'll bend the laws of space and time to make that goddamn button look right in your page.
Learn to let it go. Save the button and file it away. Although you've lost this battle, you'll soon have an arsenal of ridiculously awesome buttons you can use in designs later on.
- Step away from the computer
We've all heard this before: If you're having a difficult time with something, leave it alone for awhile and come back later. It'll probably be easier after you've had a bit of a break and your mind has settled. Regarding web design, I've noticed this always plays out in a certain way: If I'm hating a design I'm working on and I shelve it for a few days, a lot of the time my reaction upon returning will be "Holy crap that's fantastic!" On the flip-side, I'll often toil away long into the night working on what looks like the best design I've ever created. The next morning I'll look at it again and cringe at the horrible abomination I've created. The moral here is to give your design some space.
- Be absorbent
No art is born in a vacuum. Learn to effectively pinpoint what it is you love about other designer's work and incorporate it into your own. Don't steal designs, but don't deprive yourself of external stimuli either. Become better at identifying why you love the way something looks. When I come across a design that blows my mind, I try to pick it apart what aesthetically makes it tick.
The Tangerine Tree is a good example. Sure, it looks wonderful, but why? Personally, I love the way the designer has taken a very modern set of shapes and applied them against a vintage medium: Cartoonish bubbles and clouds that appear to be cut out of distressed paper. When looking at this design I ask myself: What could I do with textures like that? What is it about those shapes and icons that look so remarkable?
- Don't be a one-hit-wonder
Try to avoid using the same techniques over and over again, even if you've done really well with them in the past. Gradient rectangles are my crutch - I have a terrible habit of using them whenever I feel like a design isn't working. "This design sucks...I'll add a rectangle with a gradient fill!" The result is usually something that I'm unhappy with because it looks the same as all my previous work. Try imposing yourself with silly rules, such as "No drop shadows today" or "2D elements ONLY." Locking yourself out from certain design habits forces you to learn new ones. My happiness as a designer coincides with my ability to produce something that looks great but is different from anything I've done before.
- Seek input from others
This is a tricky one. There are so many ways to ruin a web design, especially when the wrong kinds of people are involved. Be careful who you ask and find people who can provide constructive criticism. I've seen many great designs die at the hands of aesthetically-challenged secretaries who have printed a few corporate bake-sale flyers in the past and consider themselves to EXPERTS at all things design. If anyone ever tells you that your design doesn't "feel right," or that they "just don't like it," you might want to look elsewhere for input. Find someone who can tell you specifically what's wrong and how it could be improved. Grow some thick skin, too. Don't assume every criticism is an attack on your work of art. Roll with the punches.
Matt, Great post. I find myself doing a lot of these things without even realizing it, so you've really hit the nail on the head.
One corollary to "Don't Be a One-Hit Wonder" is to come up with a design (or a section of your design) that is a 180 degree turn from anything else you've done. I did that for one of my clients' preliminary designs a couple of weeks ago and it ended up being the one they liked the best, despite them giving me explicit instructions to do the opposite (the reason they hired me was they liked X, Y, and Z about my portfolio).
We didn't end up sticking with that design, but it gave us a great starting point to interpret what they did and did not like about some of the other comps I came up with, and I think the revised set of comps was better for it.
Paper and pencil saves a lot of time because you can whip out an idea in 30 seconds - and that same idea would take a lot longer if rendered in code or even in a graphics program.
I really like your designs, they are very clean and put together. The above aritcle has some great points. I especially enjoyed the section on "Don't be a one-hit-wonder".
So many designers portfolio's all look exactly the same. You can glance at any two of their designs and in 2 seconds recognize they were made by the same person. My hat is off to anyone who continually challeneges themselves to create more and innovate. With that said, it's all important not to do too much. Too many websites have too much going on in the visual design and it detracts from the overall usefulness and effectivness of their website. A mold removal site shouldn't look like fine artwork. It shoudl be designed to present the information as quickly as possible to potential customers and serve as an information source. Just my two cents - oh yeah I need some thumbs up please click "thumbs up icon" I know you want to....
I can't agree more. Being able to look at the client, their style, their current website, what they like and what they don't...and then create a website that is them and doesn't look similar to everything else you;ve done is where you want to be in web design.
I wouldn't call myself a designer, but I know enough to be dangerous...
Thought I'd point you over to this post that shows the design process that this kid (I think he's a senior in high school) goes through.
My major lesson learned is: put your content first. Don't add extra div's or other stuff if there's no semantic reason for them to be there. Forcing yourself to code "semantically correct" (if there is such a thing, but you get my point I guess) forces you to make sure you put your layout in your CSS and NOT in your data. I'm a firm believer in separating content and design (yet still guilty of a few hacks, of course).
That's a great idea Joost, not only for reasons of "code purity" but sort of as an intermediate step between pencil-and-paper and final graphical product. I will definitely be using that one!
I sound like kind of a dick in that comment
*points at cameron*
DICK!
I'll add one. Keep a pet project on the backburner.
As you noted, when you stay focused on one project to the exclusion of others it's easy to burn out and run into creative or writer's block. It's useless to stare at the screen and to try and force it. Switch to a different project for a while. This will help clear your mind and keep you productive. I usually find that after I've worked on that backburner project for a short time an idea for my main project will pop into my head and I’ll be off and running, productive on the primary project once more.
One caveat; do not loose track of your deadlines or GNAT. Stepping away does not mean procrastinating.
Good call...some time you simply have to look at something else. :)
I couldn't agree more. Also, you might be able to use in a pet project that new killer button/idea that didn't fit in the current project. And switching the projects can be a very productive form of the point #5 (Step away from the computer).
Wow! Its great idea. We should really follow some of these tips.
Thanks
Matt,
Nice post. Sometimes you really need to get away. From your system, from your connection, etc.
We lost connectivity a couple of times in the past few months and I can't tell you how much I was able to get done while offline. There were so many things that I wanted to get to, but didn't have reason to until I was 'offline'. Disconnect for a little bit, you might be surprised at what you force yourself to do (and no, I don't mean drive to Starbucks).
roblaw
I was working on a button today that completely rocked, but didn't make any sense. I saved the file, but ommited it from the final. Great points. I especially like to seek inspiration off line.
Some great points Matt.
Re: #2, a while ago I put together a "web designers sketch template" which is essentially a sheet of paper with monitor resolution guidelines on it.
It's available as a PDF for printing (for UK A4 size paper).
https://wv4.co.uk/53/website-design-sketch-template/
Thought that might be useful for someone.
Rob.
Rob, your template was such a cool and simple idea. Thanks for that!
That's a great idea, very helpful. Thank you.
I'm not sure how to use such a template... You wouldn't make 3 different designs and redirect the user to different web pages specifically made for their resolution would you? hmm... I know in the Flash sites I have made, I set it up so that the site was scaleable to fit any broser resolution... But now that I know a lot about SEO, Flash is out the window and I will have to deal with resolution again... I tremble thinking about it!
I would add to the #3 (Seek inspiration offline): seek inspiration outdoors. When you see something outsite, be that a landscape, a cityscape or a detail of either, try to figure out why it caught your eye. Personally, I find the best color combinations in nature.
Totally agree...Nature has amazing color combinations and getting outdoors is one of the best ways to clear my head and get ideas. Conversely I like to get ideas form urban areas too.
I've made it my goal today to read all these old posts and I'm amazed at the amount of spam comments I've found. Crazy!
Ugh, I know. I just came across this thread and cleaned everything up.
#5 is probably the most underused technique in webdesign.
Taking some time to refresh your mind is very important.
"Study the possible and impossible, and learn how to implement the impossible."
IMO the worst design blocker is limited knowledge / letting limited knowledge to chain creative visions. Only last week did I meet a designer who created boring web page layouts because somebody had taught her to "believe" web layouts consisted of specific table-powered structure.
PS. Typing comments with Opera bugs. For some reason the write/edit-box wraps and/or breaks up the lines with very mixed way.
Very true. I like that kind of thinking. "Implement the Impossible." Designers definitely have to expand your knowledge by doing design research and seeing what's out there. I say let all the different influences out there - art (whether museums, pop art, etc), nature, city life, anything really - inspire your creativity.
Matt this article is cool but I think you hit the nail right on the head with #1 I had never really thought about this and it make total scenes great post seven thumbs up.
Matt,
This is a great article! I find myself coming back to it regularly and forwarding it to other friends who are web designers. We all need a little inspiration from time to time. Thanks!
Great post. I couldn't agree more. I've been designing web sites since 1996, and all of these points ring true. Some of the most imporatant for me, are #2 (Sketch Something), #3 (Seek Inspiration Offline), and #5 (Step Away from the computer).
Looks like you're more than a designer, you link-baiter you. :-)
I usually open inspirations (other websites) in other tabs when building a page out. I find that, when stuck, I can simply go to these other pages and see how they execute on it. This applies to both layout and design. I don't copy directy, but instead make some tweaks.
- David
That is a FREAKING AWESOME approach to getting through design difficulties. I will definitely be doing this from now on! Thanks!
I really like the notion of designing from the inside out. I am definitely guilty of starting with the header and designing the site around it. I've gone as far as to ONLY design a header and then have textual information in the body before as well.
Sometimes the problem is the client themselves not providing enough information for you to work with. Along those lines, a good piece of advice is that not everyone's expectations are the same. The client may expect certain things but may not voice them. At the same time, you may be trying to create something far beyond expectations and then find out later that more time was spent than necessary. Try to develop very clear expectations up front to establish the scope of the project. This could save lots of time in every step of the process later, but especially with the design.
Funny you mentioned Design from the inside out. I've just come home from a nice arrangement with some of the best usability experts in my country, and the focus was on designing inside out - or the core model as they called this way of thinking. SEOs and SEMs can have a lot to learn from this, so I recommend a trip to IA Summit where the core model (among other things) will be presented.
Just a reply to myself with the link to the IA Summit where the core model will be presented.
Geat post and very well timed for me as I'm struggling with a redesign of my own site. In fact I'm here right now because I'm avoiding working on my design.
I practice several of these tips, but the reminder is always good. Designing from the inside out is new to me and I can easily see the value in the advice. I'm defitnely one who usually starts with a header and have found myself at times over designing it. Several times I have moved away from the header and added some body elements and watched the design come together almost immediately.
Know that whatever else you've accomplished with this post you've inspired me to get back to a design I've been avoiding much of the week,
I think the idea of going offline can be very important. There is lots of great inspiration in touring some of the, especially CSS, gallery sites, but then you can find yourself back in the trap of doing the same stuff or perpetuating the newest "in thing" whether it makes sense.
Looking for design ideas and trying to increase the chances of the client being thrilled? If you have a chance to meet on location, ask if you can take a few digital photos for inspiration... look for architecture, colors, logos, decoration, interior or exterior.
This can be really helpful if they have customers or clients who often come to the location or would recognize it, but even if they don't, the client will often recognize and connect with some visual cues.
I used a very average digital photo of exterior brick of the building of a client (not your average brick, the building is a historical landmark) and it has been used as the overall background of the site, even after a redesign last year... and the color used for both designs doesn't even match the color of the building!
Man there is so much good stuff here, I'm not sure where to start. This whole post could be applied to any creative process. I particularly enjoy copywriting but sometimes feel like my brain gets tied in a knot. Stepping offline for inspiration, letting go of a headline, writing from the inside out, and getting solid critical opinions are all things that can enhance copy.
I shall adapt this list and use as my own.
Thanks Matt!
Planning is essential when designing a website. Without this, your design will lack the main components that keep users entertained and revisiting your website. As a designer myself, I always plan out exactly what I am going to do beforehand. I do research on other companies, look at potential images I can use and also talk to the customer to get feedback.Using your initiative is crucial. If you do not understand the brief in hand, then you could end up with a website that is not even relevant to that particular customer.
Good Article - I find I get stuck the most when I get stressed. As soon as I relax my creativeness comes back. What really helps is allowing enough time in the design process, nothing worse than being stuck on a projct near to dealine.
dugg
Can someone tell me whats wrong with my portfolo layout I think I need to take a break from the computer and let my brain settle lol
Although this article is dated, it sure does ring true for me. I can't tell you how many countless hours of my own personal unpaid time I have spent zoomed into hundreds of pixels trying to get that one perfect button to work on the page just because it was (or I thought at the time) one of the coolest designs I had ever come up with. It's amazing how much time we burn. In my six years working as a graphic designer for Orlando Web Design I have taken steps to eliminate this problem. Go back to it the next day! See if it's as cool after 8 hours of sleep.
These links are nofollowed. Orlando web design FTL.
Great tips, thanks!
Yeah, great post. A lot of people get caught up on making sure they plan for making sure they take in account every possible scenario for the code/design and trying to take in to account how their site will scale. And while scaling is very important, you can't waste time trying to take in to account everything...there will be plenty of time to deal with scale issues -- many of which you can't even see now. Just release the damn thing now, and fix later.
Great post,
A solid web site design strategy is very important to the success of your website. By laying out your strategy at the start, even before choosing a domain name or design will save you months or even years of redesign and wasted promotion efforts. Based on my experience with my own Maui, HI Web Design website I find this to be very true. Planning and hard work will always pay off in the end. Thanks for the great website information.
Fantastic post and bookmarked! (and not just by me by the looks of it!)
I read web design magazines and look at CSS galleries. That gets me motivated to jump back into the designing :)
I like the "Try imposing yourself with silly rules" tip.
So often in web design it is easy to keep doing the same thing that worked on the last site. Especially if the two sites are totaly unrelated and nobody should notice...
Imposing those silly rules is a great way to make sure you have something different going on.
Thanks!
Interesting tips. Very useful! I also can't believe how many comments there are
Sketching is great to have the first rough idea but I think the next step is move that sketching into something more interactive like HTML prototypes. My favorite tool to do that prototypes is Justinmind Prototyper (https://www.justinmind.com), powerful and really easy to use.
Great points Matt. Its amazing what you can find in print material that can translate to the web.
I don't see how that is amazing... The issue of organizing layout and information is the same for any medium - web, product ads, labels, magazines, etc... I think it is second nature to look to say magazines in order to get inspiration for your web design...
Great list. Something that very important is that i think that the website needs to be created to suite the vision of the clients website.
I learnt this hard lesson years ago...the websites not your vision but your clients vision.
Great article. I used some of these points in our new website design. You can check it out at www.hireawiz.com. We are hoping to implement a responsive design to this too. Our blog has tons of web tips and tricks for web design & SEO as well.
Really Good post, I hope we will see some of good tips on SEO too :)
Amazing! The post has everything which describes about website designing inside out. There are a lot of things that I have tried myself and they have really worked, some of the techniques are just impeccable, the point where you have mentioned about stepping away from the computer actually works. At times you have so many things in mind and you just do not know how to execute them, however stepping away from the actually helps in executing and getting new ideas. There are various Web design companies that promise many things but do not accomplish them. While I was looking for web Design Company over the internet I came across an organization https://www.miraclegroup.com that has been into website development and designing for over ten years now. Miracle group even offers various Search engine optimization and marketing techniques.
I should really follow some of these tips. It always hard when you get designers block to get out of it. Brilliant!
Thispost is very impressive as it providing the most helpful way create attractive deigns.
point number 2 is very much true that before opening any web designing program pencil work one should go for pencil sketching. Personally 1st i do pencil work than i go for the software work it helps a lot to understand what exactly i am going to draw .
Most important thing which i realized after reading post is point number 7 that we don't need to apply the same techniques again n again even if they were the best.
But point number one is kind of confusing or you can say i disagree with that becuase personaly what i feel is u can learn a lot from the header it puts you the write way that what draw in body.
If the Header is good and the design is simple you it still looks good. If Desgin is simple but every thing is well managed and you use header as helping tool than it also works well.
What a fantastic article. I love working from the inside out approach...that is not something I have tried before.
My usual approach when my pixels are not flowing right is to become completely absorbed in something nothing related to computers or design.Getting creative in the kitchen or pulling weeks in my garden work a treat.
[quote]
but I've still found myself to be my most efficient while bathed in the saucy aroma of whiteboard markers.
[/quote]
dude....put the caps on when the markers aren't in use....
Great post though.
Edit: awww...no more quote blocks?
I just re-added the blockquote feature, just click the "indent" button
Oh yeah! Hey Matt, is that the tractor that ran you over?
That machine ruined my life.
Great Post :)
Thanks oatmeal,
I am going to call our designer's attention to this post. Your information is not only insightful from a designer's perspective - getting outside inspiration, seeking input from others, being absorbent, learning to let it go, and several of your other points can be taken into consideration as far as writers go as well.
I personally thank you for reminding me to 'sketch something' either in my mind or several times 'offline' before I begin to write or to edit.
I like to combine points 5 & 6 for a manuver I call "Going outside to get a snack," during your trip look at signs, posters, packaging -- anything that isn't your workspace.
I like to write down a few word that identify the target market and try to find brands with a similar essence.
For example, If you were designing a website for Volvo cars, don't just look at other car manufactureres, look at other products that appeal to the same people- maybe Ikea furniture, Bang & Oluson or a website about Scandinavian wood homes. This helps to create a certain 'mood' and design an atmosphere that fits this environment. The picture in your head will become clearer.
hey i need some help designing a website similar to printvenue.com. i have www.ashtechcreations.com but wanna add the customize features. can you help?
# 1 and 3 did it for me, although connecting the other pieces together brings me a complement design algo; i was especially insighted by these these two.
Good points, thanks Matt.
Great post!
I have to say I agree with number 7 quite a bit as I find myself relying on gradient rectangles alot myself when it comes to design!
re. Point 3 :
Some great ideas come from advertising. There are SO many creative heads there (no I aint in advertising) and SO much cash thrown into it....well worth keeping an eye on.
Check out a billboard every now and then....
When I go to the "ruin web design" link, I see the text but then I don't - as if the content area disappears (with the rest of the template present). Opera 9.0, Win XP here.
In the code, I do see the post text, though.
Nice way to take "when in doubt... get back to the basics" and develop an action-list from those basic concepts. Well done.
Matthew, that's a great post. Thank you.
Ad. 1
I recently used this technique while building a corporate web site. From my perspective, the focus on the main body is a very important aspect in web design; it is crucial to present the content in the most appealling and readable way possible. The header of the site is kept quite simple since it gives more weight to the company logo.
Ad. 5
Usually, when building a completely new design, I just lay down and relax. Then it's much easier for me to imagine new ways of constructing the content.
Hi Matthew,
For me the most important source of inspiration is to search for the best web designed sites in the web.
Then adapt those ideas to my logo and colour preferences.
It's easier to get some ideas from the best guys out there.
Mac
I echo to #3. I have 16 magazine subscription for this purpose. (ok, maybe bit exaggeration)
I also pay attention to my client's clothing style. It tells you something about what they like.
Hey, for all Frenchies looking for the French translation of this, you can get it here: 10 secrets d'un web designer productif.
I'll be doing a post soon enough about the last few posts that we translated from SEOmoz.org to Go-Referencement.org.
Hey Guillame, I stuck a link to the french version at the top of the post as well :)
You beat me jeez!
I just found my next challenge: translating back to English the 2 extra tips I added on the French version!
Matt: I already told you your post is a great help to the community. And now let's say a great help to the world!
6 years later, this article still holds true!!
Sorry for the slowness everyone, digg took our server down again :(
We're going through a (prolonged) redesign process over here, and after reading this I passed it on to the designer to try to save some of her sanity.
Also, thanks for putting the link in to your "How to ruin a design" post, I'd forgotten that post, so it was almost fresh again (so it got another chuckle), and something else to forward on to her. :)
Interesting tips Matt. Some of them might not be safe for all occasions, but on the whole a good list. This would fit in the "Seek Inspiration Offline" suggestion -- I would think going to the Museum or Art Gallery can inspire creativity and encourage a competitive, if not creative, flare.
Thank you very much for the nice post. All the tips are very useful and helpful. You really did a great job. Thanks for all you do and thanks for sharing the nice post.
That's a great idea Joost, not only for reasons of "code purity" but sort of as an intermediate step between pencil-and-paper and final graphical product. I will definitely be using that one!
thanx matt
When it comes to web design and SEO, what books/courses are there available to learn the best of both worlds?
Good article, some sound advice. I would also say that getting a good night's sleep *always* helps me (although it is a rare thing!). That elusive problem at 2am always seems so easy at 9am the next day.
I find that brainstorming the basic information needs of each page, navigation style / requirements and considering the target market of the web site is essential. Thinking this way gives you a physical and logical structure to each page, as well as limiting the layout possibilities. I personally find working from a blank page very hard. If I have simple boxes where the content and navigation are to work, I can create around that.
I really like number five in your list. I have worked in professional web design for nearly eleven years and I can’t count how many times I’ve hit that wall where it seems nothing is working. There’s no better piece of advice than to get up and walk away from your computer. So long as your deadline is a ways off I would even recommend taking a few days off, at least from the site giving you problems. When you get back things will be much easier.
Article is great! You should post it on https://www.eioba.com .
This site has some badges for W3C CSS and W3C xhtml 1.0, but what the fuck is that? Vague, and they only link to the W3C top page. Fake!
pretending to be the ones that validate a site.
site doesn't validate, at least not this page.
CSS 1? 2? nothing?
xhtml 1 ... strict? transitional? frameset? doesn't validate as any of them.
So while you're seeking inspiration for your web design, why not try W3C and correct markup. (xhtml 1 strict is not hard to achieve.)
Overkill is easy.
Most of the pages validate - the ones that don't just have a few rogue ampersands or funky html generated by our CMS.
Also, while we're being profane: what the fuck does our sites w3c compliance have to do with web design inspiration?
LOL! Nice! :) I'll thumb up that!!
I don't want to sound like a jerk here, but can you lighten up on the "[Random Number] of Development Tricks" posts? That's two Digg-bait posts in the last two days. I'm sure it's relevant to some people, but I come here for search-related stuff. I know there are probably some SEOs that are also web designers, but I would guess that a lot of them are not.
Also, why do you say things like Digg is lame and Digg appeals to stupid people while you are always writing and submitting articles solely for Digg? I understand that logic that maybe you want to submit your own article before someone submits it with a poor title or whatever, but are your articles truly meant for the SEOmoz audience or for Digg?
I appreciate that work that you've done in redesigning the site and you obviously know your stuff, but personally I am just a little tired of so much SEOmoz/Drivl stuff showing up on Digg.
After reading this, I guess I failed in not sounding like a jerk.
Although SEOmoz is primarily about SEO and online marketing, we want to branch out delve into other topics such as web design, web development, and usability.
I know some of these topics are highly appealing to diggers, but that doesn't mean the content isn't valuable.
Also, if you see a post that is clearly not of interest to you, just move along and read the next one. I'm this way with any seomoz post relating to PPC, adwords, etc. It's of no interest to me so I just move along when I see it.
For me, it is the other way around; I am a web developer who comes to SEOmoz to get help with SEO. My strength is definitately in writing code and designing sites and not in SEO. I find the broad range of topics on SEOmoz to be quite useful and informative.