I was having dinner with one of my best friends tonight and I mentioned my new website. 2 1/2 years ago when I launched my old one I was completely obsessed with it for about 3 months and it took up most of my time. Now that I’m swamped with work and creating my new 2.0 website which will have my portfolio, blog, Facebook fan page, Twitter, everything else all in one, I feel slightly overwhelmed.
Since my website will be all new, my branding is also changing and so far it looks like my entire blog header (above) will be toast as well. And everyone I talk to loves it and thinks it should stay (or at least the illustration should).
My friend said the illustration on my site was the best part of it. She said it makes her happy just looking at it. My partner said “That’s what I’ve been saying, but she won’t listen”. And here’s the thing, inside my new website which has tabs and bells and whistles, this header looks busy, so I understand that it might have to go.
Large companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new branding package. Then when it’s launched, people say “That’s so simple, I could have done that”. But that’s what makes good branding great in my opinion.
Anyway, I had a slight meltdown tonight and part of my little rant was this “It is so much easier to criticize something once it’s been created – but WAY harder to create something from nothing. Everyone has an opinion about my old header but no one understands the process of creating a new brand, the limitations you have when trying to fit something old into something new. (not unlike renovating or decorating your house) And that’s just because you’re not here, you are not the one sitting beside my designer saying “Change that, tweak that colour, cleaner, muddier, brighter, darker, ” That’s how detailed it has to be because colour is the most important part.
When I was a new designer, I was totally confronted when I was given an empty room to design. It all became so much easier when I defined what ‘my look’ was and could translate it into my clients home.
I once toured a show home that a Canadian celebrity designer had created, and it was beautiful. The designer I happened to be with, methodically and room by room, criticized and trashed pretty much everything. And in my head I was thinking “Where’s your show house that is so much better than this one?
And just in case you think I’m saying I don’t criticize? That’s not it at all. However as a creative person I understand the process of creating something from nothing in my own business so I have compassion for others that do the same thing. It’s also how I can appreciate a beautifully decorated room even if it’s not my taste.
How long did your website take from start to finish?
If you would like your home to fill you with happiness every time you walk in, contact me.
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So true! And it doesn't only apply to interior design. I had a conversation today with a person I work with in a volunteer organization, and she was slamming every single person who works in it. How about acknowledging how hard every job is, and appreciating the energy it takes to do it, even if it's not the way you would.
And don't EVEN get me started on the potential clients who think you can give them a fully designed room for under $500 in a day.
And FYI: I have learned so much from you since I've been following your blog. Thank you.
Hi Maria
This topic is also being discussed in Australia as one of our beloved bloggers has just starred in a decorating show and is currently under fire by many envious and jealous viewers. Everybody loves to criticize without putting themselves 'out there' to do better.
Anyway, you know I have always thought your blog just perfect so whatever you choose to do will look gorgeous of course!
Mrs B xxo
Dear Maria,
Great post! I can hardly wait for your new look. Love the old, but everything you do seems to have your vibe in it so I'm sure it will be fantastic.
I have been working on my new website for over a year and it's not done! I'm not convinced I will like the look of my new site better than my old one, but (like you) I spend my days creating something from nothing so I figure it will be done when it's done.
It's a really gigantic task to bring together all you are doing into one site! That is something I can only imagine:)
Did you know there is a children's picture book called, "Something from Nothing." It's about a little boy who has his special blanky and over the years he doesn't want to give it up. His grandparents, who are tailors, keep trimming away the raggety bits. Eventually the blanky becomes different things, a vest, a tie and then the boy is grown. He is able to keep the spirit of his blanky in a form that is more suitable to his maturity level.
You rock, Maria!!
Nice post, Maria. I am on the road of setting up a fully functioning website, and it is a long, winding one with lots of bumps and bruises. I trip a lot, too. You have to do what feels right for you. If you try to please everybody, what happens to "you" in your new design?
wow, you have good readers. these previous comments said everything I would like to say, only even better.
🙂 No worries! It'll all be great!
-jenny (an average, sahm renovator who loves your desperately needed tidbits!)
I feel your pain, Maria. I have overhauled my original website too and know exactly how hard it is. A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing and we HAVE to have it just right considering design and Colour is what we are
Selling. It took months to get my 2.0 website just right and I have just added a few more pages. I think for us, they will always be a work in progress. I know yours will be stunning and can't wait to see it.
Jennifer xx
It is definitely easier to be a critic. I also think that us creative types have to keep tweaking continually. Some people do better with change than others. I love change. I played around with my blog header for weeks when I first started. No one else would have really noticed why. Other comments were they liked it before or didn't see a difference. And I have heard that before when I have changed things around in my house ("I liked the way you had it before better"). But what matters is if I am pleased. So I will tweak and change until I am happy. And then when I decide I am bored with it, I will change it again. I look forward to your new changes! Good luck! 😉
It'll be interesting to see what you have in store for us Maria. Don't be surprised though if it is a little uncomfortable for some of us though 'cos you've been living with the process and when we've been happy with the old, it will jerk us out of our comfort zones and take us a little time, perhaps, to get used to. And..if you ask for honesty, we'll tell you!
Maria,
I think honesty and self critique can be one's own worst enemy. Stand back and make your own decision and then be able to say that it was truly your own vision that made your "Colour YOU Happy" – I think the header is nice, but perhaps for a NEW site and all, you are right to change. I think of you – your gorgeous images and your honest sharing are what makes you tick. One of my client's said, "Why in 40 years, we have only made one change to our brand" – Think of Coca-Cola, the red and white classic. What brand do you admire most?
Did it change or did it not need to?
You will no doubt come to the right conclusion.
My site was worth the time. Now I am working on a front page with something new….I think people have so little time that less pages on a site are best.
good-luck to you – my advice, keep it simple!
pve
Great post! I feel your pain, Maria. Everybody loves to criticize without putting themselves 'in that shoe' to do better. It'll be interesting to see what you have in store for us.
Homeowner Insurance Coverage
Web design goes through trends just like every other form of design, and blogs with an illustration of the (female) author are very 2008/9… as current as chocolate brown sofas, basically 😉 Not completely out yet, but well past the days when it was a fresh new look, so your decision to change it now is well-timed.
Your friend and partner might be having trouble envisaging what you might do instead. They love you so they love that the site looks like you, but they're not the target market for the site!
I spent about 4 months working on my web site (www.lesliescottdesign.net) and have updated it to add Facebook links etc.
I use my site to facilitate phone conversations with potential clients, helping them to understand the difference between onsite design and scale drawn master plans. Some "critics" have commented that it is too bulky, but it has proved invaluable when trying to quickly clarify expectations.
Because of the difficulty of changing/updating websites, I have been wondering whether one's web site should be the necessary search engine place holder/portfolio. While the blog and Facebook page become the easily updated PR/marketing tools working the social media opportunities.
All are necessary components, but I have been suggesting developing a Facebook Page (and following) first if one is just beginning to promote a business on the web.
I love your cartoon with the fan deck.It delivers what it promises, wit and personality. Whatever you do will be worth following and UNIQUE!
I think many of us will be designing new websites, myself included since iWeb will be obsolete this time next year.
I'm sure whatever you decide it will be beautiful but one of the main reasons I love your blog so much is it's not like all the other blogs. You have your own unique look and way of writing. Many of the websites I see from the other designers come across very stuffy and fancy smanchy and just blend in with all the rest. They're all nice but a bit of a snore. I feel as Designers and artists it's imperative to stand out in a crowd – visually. I'm ridiculous because I can't decide on one design so I have about 4 blogs and actually deciding if I really want a website or not.
I'm sure whatever you choose it will be beautiful and we all can't wait to see it. I know it's stressful and scary but it seems like you're in good hands!
Hi Maria. You deserve to rant. But I have no doubt that what you launch will be you, your personality and your professionalism. What you are doing is HARD WORK and risk- taking. That's why I continue to admire you! :). Have a great day.
I think designers have an even more difficult time launching a new look or brand because we do have a critical eye and are so aware of how important the visual presentation is. I'm designing a new website/blog that I'm going to be using for my design biz, and it's been incredibly difficult to get it ready for release…just have to get the details just right! But time is money, and I'm going to have to launch, perfect or not! Whatever you do will reflect your lovely taste and esthetic. Don't worry!
I look forward to seeing your new blog design, even though I love the one you have now. What you have said it so true. We renovated our house 4 years ago and it was a fun but difficult process because like you said, we had specific confines to work within and couldn't always do exactly what we wanted.
Hi Maria, It took us 3 months of constantly working on it. I'm surprised I got anything else done. And I consistently questioned my choices along the way but tried to keep my vision in mind. Our web designer was great – she just kept tweaking it till we liked what we saw or till it was the best we could do. Like you said there are lots of ways of decorating a room – not always to your taste but done well nonethless. Don't listen to the critics (they're not experts) and stay with your gut feel. Based on your blog, I trust YOUR gut feel. I'm sure it will be amazing!
Marisa
Great post. Great sentiments. I look forward to your new site. And while I love your banner and the illustration, it's always wonderful to do something new. We should always evolve.
I need a new website and have put off doing it for several years. Just too big of a monster to tackle with everything else. Of course, it needs to be done and paid for. It has to be perfect and I'm still defining what I want.
I'm doing a give away on my blog of the round Flokati I used in my Showhouse room. Stop by and check it out!
http://www.designinthewoods.blogspot.com
You never cease to amaze…I am so impressed with your constant quest to enhance and reinvent. Very inspiring. So many people are resistant to change (afraid of the unknown?), but I have every confidence that your new look will be fabulous! (and "happy")
I hope you are able to quickly iron out the details of your new site and be relieved of this stress soon! Even if you can't keep your current delightful header, what you do create will be just as wonderful, maybe even better! Hang in there!
My phone consult with you a few months back was a very worthwhile experience! You advised, taught, encouraged, and motivated me! I can't wait to share with you some of the results!
I so understand how you feel, I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed lately. I work so hard to keep everything "right". I think we all need to slow down a bit.
Just you know, I do admire you so much. You're so wise in so many levels and you deliver it here with every post.
Also, I want to thank you so much for your comment the other day. You have no idea how much that meant to me. I do try to do my best to be always positive and share positivity with the people that surrounds me. It's not always easy, but I think it's so important.
So, thank you so much, ok? 🙂
Wishing you a great week, my dear friend.
xo
Luciane at HomeBunch.com
Maria,
I can relate! I changed my branding and business name completely last October after blogging for 15 months under another title. It was a big jump to make, and I was so scared people wouldn't "get it" or like it or remember it. The first several months were almost like starting over, but it had to be done for me to grow my business/brand the way I wanted to. My advise: quit worrying, bite the bullet, do the deed, it will be great in the long-run and you'll be so glad you did it. Can't wait to see the new look 🙂
Maria. Great post! I was so upset with the look of my then new website that I had the designer take it down. That was 6 months ago. It is still not done. One thing I tell my clients, "how ever many opinions you seek, that's how many you will get." My personal experience is that when it comes to really crucial issues, like the process of your brand's new image, the more people we discuss it with, the more muddled and confused things get because our friends/family will have a view that may be great but it isn't expreessing the message you want to get across. Especially if our friends/family are not conversant in design — graphic or otherwise. This is a hugely difficult and time consuming process. Go with your gut, not someone else's.
You said it sista! It's even harder to create a space when you're on a budget!
Keep up the GREAT work!! I'm sure whatever the new brand is, it will be remarkable! 😀
I can understand your friends hesitation, but just remember that she hasn't seen your new site yet and only knows what she likes about this site. This line says it all "this header looks busy, so I understand that it might have to go." My husband has an online marketing company and they often need to redo or at least update their clients websites. Some clients get it, and some clients fight it. It sounds like you get it, and that's a good thing. The thing that differs from website design and interior design is that it not only needs to look nice, make you happy and represent you, but for most websites, it should translate into sales/clients. A busy website won't do that. It also should be built in such a way where search engines will index it – a site can look beautiful, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be visable to users that are searching for your content. Good for you in recognizing and accepting change in order to grow even more!!
http://www.marketingbuddah.com
I think NO business decision is more stressful then redoing a Design/Color consultant website. We are designers and people expect we will have this unbelievably awesome website. We worry that they will judge how we work as a designer based on our site…and they probably do. Since I am relatively "new" to the business I have redone my website 2 different times and each time was more anxiety causing than the last. I think your website should grow when you do and I know within a year I will most likely be redoing mine once again. Hang in there Maria. Listen to your heart and not all the critics. Whatever you do will be awesome and I for one, can't wait to see it!
Had to comment on this since both sides are dear to my heart (worked as a graphic designer doing branding for 10 years before starting my color business 🙂
I love that illustration too! Could you tweak it's colors and style slightly to match your new branding? I can visualize it… maybe a little more neutral/modern/clean.
Good luck Maria, enjoy your blog!
I think my name change and blog re-do to 4 months from start to finish. I had to really fight with myself to not settle. My designer worked so hard coming up with options and I wanted to say "yes", but knew I had to push on. With that said, if you're not careful, you can tweak and change to the point where it becomes paralyzing. You'll always want to tweak and change and grow. That's in your/our nature. I'd say go with your gut. Don't underestimate your own instincts. And let it go. Nothing's carved in stone on the Internet. But you knew that! Can't wait to see the new "you"!
Barbara
The Treasured Home
Maria,
Can you keep the girl at least? I think that most people in this community could see that girl somewhere and turn around and say Maria must be here! Do you have Skinny Girl margaritas in Canada? It is a brand that was branded beautifully by a Real Housewife of New York City, Bethenny. It is a characture of her lifting her leg and drinking a cocktail. Your girl reminds me of hers. She just sold her brand to Jim Bean for 20 million bucks. 🙂
My fabrics did not arrive today but I bet they are here tomorrow. I am excited!!
I just re-read my comment and it sounded like I feel like you MUST keep the girl. With or without the girl, anything you do is going to be top notch!
Maybe it's human nature to be a critic first and empathetic second? And, unless you've actually done a certain job, no one really knows the background and details that are put into it. I also believe most people don't like change when we don't know what the new "it" is. That said, most businesses re-brand every now & then, part of having a business! Can't wait to see the new you!
Maria: No matter what your current brand looks like – does it still represent the type of business you have as well as the one you want? Is your dream to continue serving the same type of client? If you look at the examples you provide on your blog/website – which I assume is the type of work you do or want to do – they are pared down, elegant, fresh and clean, sophisticated. (you probably have your own list of who you are). Does your new brand reflect these attributes? Brands do need refreshing from time to time. Anyone who follows you is not going to stop following you. A new brand that reflects who you are and attracts the clients you want will work in your favour. The only proof will be in the evaluation once you've relaunched. Follow your heart.
Maria, thank you for articulating this concept. It truly is easier to criticize than to create, and I will now always keep this in mind as I see and consider other designers' work.
I know whatever new look you choose for your site will reflect you and your amazing sense of style and color. Have fun with it. I look forward to seeing everything!
Jill McDougall
I TOTALLY understand…my website looks like a totally different animal than my blog…I'm torn…between 2 worlds and was also in torment for several weeks (only a designer could understand this insanity!) so until I have an epiphany of which "world" I want to live in…the 2 will just have to co-exist…I know whatever you decide, it will be gorgeous!
P.S. Like interiors, just because something is great and you love it, doesn't mean it fits with the current scheme!
I can understand how you feel… It is really easy for people to say you should keep this and that, but they don't know what you're going for, what your direction is.
Just a suggestion, if you feel you want to give people a chance to look at your old artwork, since you can have tabs, maybe you could put the old artwork in it's own tab for a while. Then they could click on it and see the logo. After a while, once that tab is no longer getting any traffic, you could delete it and no one will miss it.
Maria,
Your question implies that a website IS finished….
While we're so grateful to have something that represents our work done and out there, as creative people we also know that it too will need to change. Sooner or later it will need modifying to keep up with our changing understanding of ourselves and our business.
"Done is better than perfect" helps me let go and see the big picture is always change. (and still I obsess about the details….)
The illustration is charming, and may be in thte same category as the writer's "darlings"… as in "Must murder your darlings" so that your work can grow!
This is the first time to your blog. I see you are a color expert.then you ned to know what is wrong with this blog. All the things you have put in light green color to make it stand out,dosen't. I have a hard time reading the light green font. Also the yellow fornt. Those colors stand out when the blog background is dark.You might also want to increase the size of the font just a little. I like the illustration at the top. THis might help in the new blog. Kathy
Hi Maria,
As frustrating as the process is, you must be excited over the prospect of your new website.
As far as how long it's taken to complete my own website – it's a constantly evolving work in progress. Almost daily I'm tweaking a margin size, researching how to adjust certain formatting, or removing an element that adds unwanted visual clutter.
Our websites represent our style, create a specific 'feeling' that our readers connect with, and demonstrate our level of professionalism and attention to detail.
Your current website is wonderful, and I have no doubt that your new one will be fabulous!
Dearest Maria, I love this post and so feel for you! I have thought and thought about the possibility of changing to something different ..but what?? It's a heart-wrenching thought. I've drawn sketches, looked at other websites..and talked to blog designers….but can't take the plunge..yet!
Changing my blog would be daunting. It took many many many hours to design and tweak my blog to it's present state (and a substantial amount of money too I might add), and to start over would be pretty intimidating! I can't imagine what it would take to make a new website for you.
I'm proud of you for taking the plunge into the 'new'. It is hard for most people to accept change…but to me, your header is just an image, however darling, (and it is that!!).
When I read your posts and 'hear' your voice on your new website…I'll be 'home' again. :o)
xo
Donna
Critiquing versus creating…so true! Criticizing comes naturally and requires little thought or effort. Creating takes ALL of you and requires true risk.
Have you ever seen Ratatouille? The movie is about a severe food critic who finally comes to admit the truth of what you are saying on this post. It may be a children's movie..but my 20yr.old and I love it!
Maria– My website took about two months. I built it on Dreamweaver. It's been neglected lately and in need of a lift!
I can't wait to see what fresh look your site will have.
Loretta
Hello Darling, its Les. Keep up the good work and listen to your gut. That almost always usually works best, mostly.
As you know, I am rebranding my business with the blog now up and running and in the middle of re-doing the web site. Yes, I know the feeling of "make that orange a little more red please"
PLease have a look at my latest posts and tell me what you think. I always appreciate your comments.
Oh, I love your header and I hope you can find a way to keep it.
Maria, I feel your pain. We just completed our third web-site re-do/update and I stess over ever detail every time. Although I can't seem to help myself when it comes to asking for people's opinion it often just confuses the issue because in the end the decision falls squarely back in my lap and I must like what I see everyday. You will make the correct decision. Go for it!! 🙂
Just found your post. I am a little behind but I read your blog everyday and somehow I missed this one. I am not a designer, graphic artist or technology expert but I am constantly amazed at your high energy, dedication to your clients and your blog and creativity. You are appreciated in blogland VERY MUCH! Whatever you decide will be great. THANKS SO MUCH!
I Googled “It is ten times easier to be a critic than a creator” and it brought me here. I thought someone must have felt like this at some time.
🙂