Mar 15 2010
One of the most frustrating parts of web design has nothing to do with the code. Or the design. Or the process. No, those things are part of the job.
For me (and I'm sure for a lot of other designers) it's the content. No, not the writing of it (that's why we have copywriters). Not the dropping of it into the site. It's the fact that clients so rarely deliver their content on time.
Most of our clients are small business owners and we usually work with them directly. So, it's obvious that most small business owners are busy. Very busy. But despite that, often they'll refuse to pay for copywriting services and instead opt for saving the money and write their site's content themselves. There's nothing wrong with that in and of itself (though I think there's something to be said about hiring a professional copywriter). That's not the issue.
The issue lies in the fact that so many clients don't realize how much work and commitment it really takes to write compelling, persuasive and search engine friendly content. It's not the easiest of tasks and sometimes being too close to the subject matter can backfire resulting in boring, uninteresting and lame text. What ends up happening (other than the boring, uninteresting and lame text) is that content delivery is pushed back and pushed back until the last minute. This isn't good web development! Not to mention the site's launch will continue to be delayed.
Content is absolutely critical for the web design process. It allows us to organize the site and the design to help promote, persuade and convert. Plus, it's usually a good thing to see a site's text and messaging in context of the site's new design and layout. Looking at Latin or gibberish text may show text as texture and elements of design on the page (which is good), but it can never really match seeing a new site design with your content (rough or otherwise).
So what's a designer or web design agency to do? I certainly don't have the answers. We continually see the delivery of content late during the design process regardless of when we ask for it. Perhaps the best answer is to really explain to clients just how critical it is to receive content on time and to tie it in to our project schedules in a much firmer way.
What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.