This February marks 3 years that I have been working with DanielTitus.com. It's been a wonderful journey, and it causes me to reflect upon the years past. When I think about my first week at DTC, I still laugh to myself. I felt so over my head, thinking "what on earth have I gotten myself into?" Fortunately, Daniel is a great, patient teacher, so I ended up learning a lot over the course of a few months. Sometimes I think back on the work I used to do. It was undoubtedly simpler, somewhat easier, and at times more fun, but I did not have the same skill set I have now. In a year from now, I should be a more skilled web designer than I am now. I think this is partially due to years of experience, but it's also due to the push of technology.
Challenges push us, and mold us into people we weren't before.
Without challenges, there's a good chance we wouldn't change or improve. Technology is a force that is always challenging those who choose to utilize it. It is always changing, evolving, and as its users, we must learn to adapt to it. The same is true with websites.
Websites are continually transforming into bigger and better versions.
New design elements are created every day and require designers to adapt to these elements, or be left in the dust. The websites we were creating 3 years ago had less-evolved elements than the sites we are creating today. I believe good design and function can hold its ground, but we just have access to more functions these days. Today we have Responsive Websites, which have become the new standard. In the past, we had to create mobile versions in order to make your site mobile friendly, but with the updated technology, we are able to make your site scale beautifully to any size screen it is viewed on.
Here's my big point:
1. Make sure your designer is keeping up.
If you get a brand new site that was designed exclusively with the tools that were available 3+ years ago, (Flash sites, I'm talking to you), chances are, your site will start out the race a lap behind the rest. To get the most out of your site, make sure you are getting the newest stuff! You wouldn't purchase a brand new cell phone plan with the capability to receive a free iPhone 6, only to settle for a flip phone, would you? In doing so, you'd receive a less up-to-date product that is inferior in capability, but it would still cost the same amount as the iPhone 6. Make sure you're getting the most for your money.
..And my smaller, just as important point:
2. Update your 3+ year old sites.
If it's been 3+ years since your website was created, it's probably time for a new start. Websites are continually updating and changing. With the evolution of technology, we can create websites that function and perform better than in the past. I'd say it's just about time for some Spring Cleaning. Let's throw out the old and jump in with the new.