In 11th grade, I took a web design class and there was one assignment that stood out in particular.

We were asked to build the most annoying and distracting one page website possible and the class would vote on a winner.

I won :)

I built a site with scrolling text in every direction with loud obnoxious colors that basically made it impossible to stare at for any long periods of time without going crazy.

The point of this lesson? To teach us that not everything on the internet is created equal.

There’s a big difference between a site that’s visually appealing and just “makes sense” and those sites that confuse you with clutter and unnecessary graphics distracting you from the main message.

I’ve always been a lover of technology but this made me even more interested in design and how the two work together.

Simple is Better…

Writing is hard for me. It’s something that never seems to flow.

Before I started Success Measured, I worked full-time at a digital agency. I worked closely with a few content strategists there who taught me a lot about getting the messaging just right.

My biggest takeaway… simple is better. After you’ve gotten through your sh*ty first draft, go back and get rid of everything you don’t absolutely need.

Clean it up. Delete.

I’ve taken this lesson and applied it to many aspects of my life and I find so much clarity in simplicity.

Web design is the same for me. There are tons of ways to build and design a website but the best way I’ve found is to strip your brand down to the core values and start from there.

Keep it clean, simple, and make sure it makes sense to your audience.

Creating for Others

My dad is a self-employed architect and a few months ago I asked him what he loves most about his job. He said he loves being creative and building something tangible that will be around for years to come. Something that so many people will enjoy.

I can relate a lot to my dad’s entrepreneurial view on life but this conversation was when I realized how important it was to me that I get to share what I create and have an impact on other people.

I love building something and putting it out there for people to enjoy and benefit from.

Whenever I get emails from clients telling me their customers love the new website or that sales have increased since the launch, it fills me with so much joy.

That’s why I try to really get to know everyone I work with to find out exactly what their goals are and what problems their new website needs to solve.

I also want to understand what level of involvement each client expects. I’m more than happy to take everything off their hands or work with them on more of a collaborative solution.

Either way, it’s so much fun to watch my portfolio grow as I get new clients that push me in different creative directions. Each project is making an impact in some small way and that is an amazing feeling.

What’s something that you’ve worked on lately that you’re extremely proud of? Share in the comments below.