Design Bit blog by Anthony Brewitt - a web designer, blog designer, Wordpress designer and marketing philosopher. Designbit showcases Anthony’s talents and shares his web design know-how.

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Web Designer Tip: Research in the Real World

June 1st, 2010, Category: Freelance Web Designer Tip Web Designer Tips

homer-researchingFreelance Web Designers sometimes don’t get out much, I admit just last year my typical research technique was to check out the competitors websites and study the sector from the online comforts of Wikipedia. You should still use websites for research but why not include a further myriad of offline bricks and mortar resources in the real world.

Libraries & Books

I have recently re-registered with my local Library after a long absence. The library has four floors of books and reference material, a great resource for researching.

There’s something special about books; they have a feel and a smell maybe even a soul.You don’t get this feeling with web pages and I guarantee for art and design you’ll find you’ll enjoy the illustrations much more in print.

Short Trips

When working on larger projects my research will sometimes allow me to take a afternoon trip to get hands on with the sector, it’s customers, or some art history in the flesh.

I have taken trips to factories; shops, landscapes, castles, armouries, vineyards, and art collections.

People Power

Another great method of researching is networking. Talking to other business contacts in the same sector as your project can give you a great understanding, maybe even the inside scoop on something happening in their sector.

I also make time to ask family and friends about a subject – it’s amazing what experience your elder family members may have or who they know who could help you.

It’s Good to be Social

Researching in the real world allows me some social time away from the PC and a hands on approach to my work that keeps me engaged and happy.

  • http://www.creativepen.co.uk Matthew Pattinson

    If it’s confession time then I too admit to being a cave dweller at times.

    As a freelance copywriter, I agree it’s often beneficial to bathe in the sunlight of firsthand experience.

    Stepping from the shadows of the virtual world can bring a whole new perspective to a project.

    And remember: caves are for bears, not for people.

    Great post as ever!

  • http://www.webdesignkc.co.uk/ Victoria Blount

    This is a great post for freelance designers,although i myself don’t work as freelance i can relate to the post above. I find the most useful tip when you are stunted on a project is to talk to people, so weather that’s a family member or a trusted friend in the industry, they can really help by giving an honest option on your work as an outsider.

  • http://www.naumanakhtar.com Nauman Akhtar

    This is a great source for Freelancers, thanks for sharing. I am also a Freelance Web Designer and fully support this article :)

  • http://www.jmc-website-design.co.uk Jason (Design Blackpool)

    Good article. I also find it useful keep a notepad handy to write down thoughts and ideas.