There’s a common expression among web designers, that goes something like this: “designing your own website is the hardest job of them all.” I can’t agree more. Under normal circumstances the web designer’s distance to the client makes it relatively easy to see the big picture and create a clear plan of action. When designing your own site, you take into account so many different aspects of yourself that things can, at times, get quite messy.

Designing your own website is the hardest job of them all.

Just another day at the office

The solution to the problem is simple enough: approach the project like any other client project. By clearly defining my key values, how I want to be perceived, my short and long-term goals etc, I was able to focus my thinking and ultimately create a better website.

I was determined to create a site that expresses the following characteristics and values: professional, international, personal and creative. With these four keywords in mind throughout my four-month long design process, it certainly made it easier to embrace certain elements and ideas, and discard others.

Reasons for change

But why did I embark on this long struggle of a design process? I evaluated my previous site, and came to the following conclusions. I knew that I needed to:

• Have a designated page for each portfolio piece. This would enable me to have longer descriptions of my work, giving visitors and clients alike a better idea of my thoughts during the design process.
• Implement some sort of modular layout / pleasing tension, to create greater sophistication and customisation possibilities.
• Create a design that represents me as much as possible.
• Integrate WordPress to a much larger extent. Previously, only the blog section was driven by WordPress, and by using it throughout the new site I would of course be able to update content more regularly.
• Rewrite all of the content, as the old stuff seemed outdated and stale, and didn’t express my four keywords.

These steps were all undertaken, and I believe they will ultimately help me reach the following goals:

• Have a website that  expresses my four keywords
• Enhance my reputation in the design community
• Attract even bigger and better clients
• Have a design that I’ll be happy with for the foreseeable future

Enjoy

I hope you find my new website both beautiful and insightful. Whatever your opinion, leave a comment below and let me know what you think!