A very popular new website gaining a lot of attention in the web design industry right now is pleasecritiqueme.com.  The purpose of the site is to create “a place where designers can submit their work and have it reviewed by one of their industry peers.”

Prior to the website launch, the “Please Critique Me” staff researched a large number of web designers in the international online community. Brian Yerkes, owner of Brian Joseph Studios, was asked to join the team of critics on the site and to provide expert knowledge and advice on all areas of web design, from usability to creative design and functionality.

Brian is excited to be a part of this new website and to be acknowledged as a leading web designer in the International design community.

Would you like this level of expertise for your next web design or any other design for that matter? Contact us today and let’s start brainstorming together.

With the current economy, and after speaking to many colleagues, friends, and family, we here at Brian Joseph Studios feel extremely lucky to be doing a steady high volume of projects and client work as many other businesses fail and more people become unemployed.

There are many ways in which Brian Joseph Studios gives back to the community, and we are privileged to be in a position to do so, and thankful for such loyal and professional clients that understand the importance of our services. It is because of our clients that we are able to give back to those less fortunate.

2 days ago, we made a donation to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and were surprised to receive a large number of Melting Pot gift certificates in return. What a great idea! The Melting Pot doubles the money you donate and they also give you $20 gift cards that you can use for your next meal at the restaurant.

So, rather than use all of these for ourselves (although some of the team here REALLY like the Melting Pot!), we thought it would be fun to say thanks to our clients for supporting us throughout the year, and give these gift cards to a number of them. We don’t have one for every client, so we are going to randomly choose who we send one to.

Thanks to the Melting Pot restaurant for the wonderful things they do each year for St. Jude’s Hospital.

Over at DavidAirey.com, there was a guest article written by Sharon Hayes of Round Box Design. 10 tips for writing graphic design briefs

1. Realize that any designer you hire is a professional (or should be) and must be treated as such.
2. Understand that designers are not mind readers – that class is still under development.
3. Before coming to a graphic designer, have your business model ready and your plan up to par. No design can save any business that is not well thought out.
4. Number 3 will allow you to fully understand the goal of your business, the ideas you want to convey and who your target market is for any design.
5. Understand your product or service and be able to explain it clearly – this ties in with number 4. It definitely helps the designer if you clarify exactly what (if it’s a logo) the design will be developed for. Knowing this ahead of time can prevent any future misunderstandings, in-effective design or troublesome production.
6. Understand it wont be free. When people post on a design forum and expect a design service for free it is frustrating and (in my opinion) shows how little they think of the process.
7. Communicate with the designer – dont dictate. If you have questions or concerns, voice them, and return the favour of listening.
8. Don’t try to design for the designer – you hired them for their knowledge and talent. Let them utilise that to put your company in the best light possible. Of course the designer should also take your opinions into consideration, especially if it deals with an industry-specific issue. This is still very much communication on both sides.
9. For the designer: Do not assume you know the client industry! Each industry has its own specific requirements, quirks and expectations. LISTEN to the client, their concerns, what they want to play up, what they are truly selling and how they want to present themselves in the market. Ads that are pretty may win awards but they don’t always win marketshare.
10. Set expectations up-front: Both the client and designer need to let the other know what they expect as far as materials, deadlines and communication. Will you be meeting on a regular basis? Phone? Emails? How are you delivering materials? Are you going to be there for press proofs? How far will you follow the completion of the project. Make sure there are no surprises.