DAB Designs
Oxford
Oxford
DAB Designs is a creative, digital design studio run by me, Dan. I have one simple ethos in mind; build better, faster, smarter websites enabling entrepreneurs to take their market by storm. I will enhance your brand image, user experiences and optimise your site's search engine performance.
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What makes a great website?
Communication, communication, communication.
The real question is what makes a great web experience?
- It's a crystal clear channel of communication with DAB Designs, ensuring the client goals are met successfully. The client will be able to contact DAB Designs via email, text and phone calls as well as various social media platforms. On initial consultation I will fill in a form and build a proposal that matches your goals and budget, enabling us to start quickly and on the same page!
- The visual system and brand message is clearly communicated with the target audience. I pride myself on excellent brand identity design. The first task is to understand you, your brand, your goals and your audience!
- Server to server communication. Super fast page loading is critical these days, first impressions count! Nobody likes a slow website experience. That's why I utilise 'CDN' to deliver all client content from the server nearest to the site visitor, ensuring lightning fast page loading.
- User experience design. Typically site visitors will scan read your content with the intention of quickly finding answers. My job as a web designer is to make the site visitors life as easy as possible.
- Client control. Content management systems (CMS) allow clients to add, amend and remove their content in real time. DAB Designs will build a straight forward, easy to use system which will allow clients to confidently take control. If the client desires, it is also optional to request DAB Designs to manage the client website on demand.
What questions might you ask a client when starting a new project?
Is the project untouched or in progress? When is the final deadline for this project to be delivered? What deliverables are you expecting to see? What is the project budget? If the project requires graphic design, what file types would you be able open/ implement?
Describe your creative process.
Once I have discussed the project with the client and I understand the demands, the design system I follow enables me to ensure all angles of a project are covered (the below steps are subject to change depending on time constraints):
- I write a design brief (shared with the client) so I can refer back at anytime in the project to check against my concepts and prototypes. It is also a good opportunity for me to reflect on our meeting and ensure I have all questions answered.
- Brainstorm session: I like to kick off the design phase by quickly brainstorming rough ideas by sketching on paper (yes, I'm old school).
- Low fidelity concepts for discussion with client. This might be a simple presentation of sketches for brand identity or graphic design requirements. Or a website sitemap, page flow, page layouts with content indication in a simple pdf format.
- High fidelity concepts: create a more realistic experience of what the end result might look and feel like. With brand identities and graphic design projects this might include Adobe illustrator logos in greyscale and colour. For websites, this may entail interactive prototypes (with limited content and colour) created in Adobe Xd of which you will be able to play with and comment on.
- Visual mock ups: bring the project to life by splashing colour and content into the picture. This will give the client the chance to see their content in situ. This is the final opportunity to make design amendments before exporting final graphic design and brand identity files or before web development begins.
- Project concept freeze/ completion: graphic design and brand identities will be completed at this stage. No further concept changes will be made to website wireframe concepts.
- Web development review: an opportunity to discuss the online look and feel of the client's website. Implement working interactions on the content, including any effects on imagery and text as they appear on the page.
- Project completion: website handover, CMS training if required.
What information do you need from a client before you can start work?
If the project requires a website, please note I use Webflow to design and develop all websites. Webflow is an extremely powerful competitor to Wordpress and designed more recently, so you will see significant benefits to using Webflow over other competitors. Webflow is a browser based website building platform which I am proficient with using. I have found their usability to be second to none, their customer service is quick and efficient and their cost of hosting, templates, plug-ins are competitive with Squarespace and Wordpress.
Please confirm if you are happy for me to proceed with starting the project. If you have any questions or queries, please get in touch, I will be pleased to hear from you.
What do you love most about your job?
Being creative. Being flexible. Being my own boss. It's the best.
What inspired you to start your own business?
Taking control of output.
I obtained my BSc design degree back in 2011. Since then I've worked as an engineer in Aerospace, Furniture and Lighting to name just a few markets. Project management is a key ingredient to a successful project, typically most companies leave very little time for the deign team to deliver a solution. Third party suppliers may also deliver a product that does not meet my standards of quality. This can lead to mis-communication and a confused outcome. It is very important to me that my clients receive a solution that makes them feel empowered. I decided to start DAB Designs in order to take control and optimise the design time spent on a project, delivering the ultimate solution in the time frame set by the client. This way, I know the product is of the highest quality, because I built it!
Why should our clients choose you?
DAB Designs is the name, design is the game. I have 10 years experience in the design field and a degree in a design discipline. I provide tailored design services including brand identity and website design, without the client incurring the cost of hiring a developer. The aim is to help you reach your goals by enhancing your customer's overall experience of your brand and website.
If you need a lightning fast website, you've come to the right place. I make sure that all of your content is delivered from the server closest to your site visitor, ensuring even faster page load speeds. I will enhance your UX and optimise your website's search engine performance with the DAB Designs web package. Make your first impression count!
If you need a super smart brand identity, don't move an inch! DAB Designs creates logos and brand platforms that ensure that your visual identity is clearly communicated to your audience. Be sure to check out the DAB Designs website and Instagram feed for examples of my work.
If you want to bring your project to life, put a DAB hand to work today! Let's talk over the phone or meet for a coffee.
