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Blake Lockard

Denver, CO

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About

I'm a full-stack creative professional who specializes in designing websites, UI/UX, and print. I can also offer professional photo, video production, and digital artwork. I have over eight years of experience with these skills. My goal is to ensure quality end-products. I'm ambitious and passionate about what I do.

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5/5

1 customer review

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1 January 2019

Ive used Blake for years on various projects, giving visual life to my music releases. His work is not just original, but also cohesive to the vibes I am going for every time. I highly recommend his work.

Reviewed on Facebook

Q&As

A great website consists of many different pieces that work together to provide a great user experience. These pieces include visual design, content, navigation, call to action, credibility, and responsive design. Why are these elements so essential? Let's break it down.
Design is a fairly broad term when it comes to experiencing a website. There's a lot that goes into making a website design that I would consider "good." Elements of design include layout, color, typography, mood, interactions, animations, and more. Because all of these are visual elements (and websites are visual representations of your business/brand), these elements must work with your brand. Poor execution of design elements will provide users with a negative experience.
Content is also crucial to creating a great website. You can have a beautiful website with crappy content, but chances are, that site will not rank well with search engines. Content is what helps people understand what services or products your business provides. It also allows users to experience your brand in a way that goes deeper than visual representation. Good content can improve someone's experience of a website exponentially.
Navigation is how users get through your website. For most sites, this is a simple navigation bar in the header and footer of the website. However, I also see navigation working well in other places as well. Taking a unique approach to this element of a website can help users have a much better experience.
Call to Action is one of the elements that can create a unique navigation experience. However, the main goal of a call to action is to get users from point a to point b. This element's job is to make the sale or get users to learn more or even to get users to contact you. This element is crucial to getting your customers the information that they need.
Credibility is critical for many reasons. A great website is one that builds trust between your brand/business and your customers. Customers are much more likely to reach out to you or buy your product if they trust that you have authority. In addition to this, search engines prioritize websites that have content that builds trust and authority. If you can prove to the web that you are a reliable resource, your website will do well.
Responsive Design used to be a buzzword that agencies would use to make sales. Well, now it's just a standard element for website design. Responsive sites work on mobile devices, tablets, desktops, and any other screen necessary. It can be a challenge to create a website that does this. I design my websites mobile-first, which ensures a quality end product on all devices.
Of course, there are a lot more pieces to this puzzle, but these six elements are the backbone, in my opinion. If you have a website that checks all of these boxes, it's a great site.

Getting an understanding of who and what I'm potentially working with is critical. I have several questions that inform a website's design and functionality.
1. Who is your audience?
2. How does your audience currently interact with your business?
3. What do you want to provide for your audience on a website?
4. How do you market to your audience in a unique way?
5. Why do you need a website?
6. Where do you see your audience visiting your website?
7. Is your product something that you can sell online?
8. How do you plan on reaching your audience if they've already visited your website?
9. What do you want to convey when a user lands on your homepage?
10. How do you plan to build trust and authority with your audience?

I have several more questions, but these are a great start. They help my customers begin to think about their website from the perspective of their ideal customer, which is extremely important for website design.

I need to know and have several things from a client before beginning work. Do they have a website already? Do they have content? Do they have a logo and digital style guide? Do they have photography? Do they have a content strategy? Do they have a digital marketing strategy? Do they have a domain name? All of these questions are very important.

I'm very experienced in creating projects for print. I love to make banners, flyers, posters, business cards, t-shirts, and just about anything that can be printed. I'm always down to learn more about print as well, so if you have a project that you're curious about, I'd love to hear about it.

My creative process can be broken down into five or six steps that involve me and you, the customer. These include Information Architecture, Inspiration, Wireframes/Mockups, Design, and Execution.

Information Architecture - This is where I learn about you and your product. It's also where I create the underlying structure of information that will be used for the rest of the project. This of this phase like a blueprint of information. When it comes to websites, this includes a sitemap structure. Getting this piece nailed down helps me get an idea of how to create the rest of the website.

Inspiration - In this phase, I gather inspiration that pertains to your business' industry and product. I also like to gather inspiration that is visually appealing and a little bit out there. With these pieces of inspiration, I create 2-3 moodboards that I present with you. When we review the moodboards, our goal is to nail down styles, components, and layouts that we think will work with the final product.

Wireframes - Based on the information gathered from the inspiration and information architecture phases, I create rough wireframes of the website. I do not include many design elements in this part of my process because my goal in this phase is to help you think about how the website functions and where and how content is displayed. I create 2-3 options for wireframes which are narrowed down to one that will work for the design phase.

Design - Adding color, life, and everything else to the canvas. This is my favorite part of the process. After we move forward from the wireframe phase, I design 2 options for the website. In this phase, I explore typography, layout, color, photography, interactions, and animations.

Execution - In this phase, I take the designs and bring them to the web. This involves QA testing on multiple browsers and screen sizes to ensure that the final product is ready before launching the site.

I have the skill, knowledge, and experience to bring your project to life. I'm ambitious about creating best-in-class work and passionate about reaching people through visual design. I pride myself on my communication skills. You will not be disappointed if you work with me.

Services

Responsive website design for your brand/business. If you need to reach your target audience on the web, I have the skills and experience to bring your website to life.

Print layouts, advertisements, banners, posters, you name it. I have the experience to create marketing collateral that will get noticed.

Everything from strategy to design, I can help you create email marketing campaigns that drive sales and reach your customers.

I specialize in lifestyle and product photography for social media campaigns and eCommerce products.

My design process when it comes to UI/UX Design is well thought out and will increase results. I've been practicing user-centered design for 8+ years and one of my favorite things about it is creating products that people interact with daily.