WEB DESIGN = Graphic Design + Customer + Business + Technology

Web design is unique, and interesting to me because it combines these elements mentioned above. Every site is an opportunity to express myself, and create something beautiful and pleasing for the viewer. But, I believe it is crucial that the design is functional and effective in its purpose; a purpose that is determined by the needs of the client, and the nature of her/his business or endeavor. This requires adaptability, empathy and restraint on my part, in order to keep my designs inline with the client’s needs. To understand these needs, it requires an interest and an understanding of business. Without this, the design will probably be ineffective. Personally, I am fascinated by business, and I enjoy lively discussions about what makes a business successful. I find this an asset. Lastly, I feel web design requires computer savvy and technical ability. Web technology is constantly changing, and it is up to the web designer to be aware of these changes, and adapt her/his designs to incorporate these new innovations. We must be aware of coding practices so that we can design the site’s front end in a way that facilitates the creation of the backend. Also, as designers, we are constantly given new software tools which we must learn quickly.

I feel web technology and cell phones are the future of commerce and graphics, and I am dedicated to improving my design skills while studying web development. My current goals are to hone my Flash skills, and pick up JavaScript. Meanwhile, I am working to add a higher level of sophistication to my designs by producing web mockups.

I am interested in working in a collaborative environment where I can get some guidance and feedback from more experienced designers. I believe honest feedback is the key to improving, and I am always grateful for it. Therefore, I try to stay humble, and open to suggestions. I look forward to interacting with both my peers and customers, and I am interested in learning about each customer’s respective endeavors and business concerns. I will measure success by the amount of success my project brings to my clients. In the end, I just want to serve my customers and my company.

A little about myself. I am easy-going and get along with most everybody. I am task-oriented, and get work done efficiently and quickly. I feel my unique blend of design skills, technical skills, and experience in software quality assurance are all assets to create good websites, develop them in code, and troubleshoot them to find and eliminate bugs. I’ve worked at Adobe and Microsoft, and so I have a very good grasp of software, platforms, and troubleshooting. Also, I feel my experience living and working abroad in Japan has taught me to be a good listener, empathetic, and sensitive to other people’s thoughts and desires. I think this is will help me communicate effectively with my customers and coworkers.

-Shun