A Web Designer's Christmas List
My kids’ Christmas lists, charmingly written in their shaky yet careful handwriting, read as you would expect. My son’s list is made up of Transformers robots, Star Wars ships, and Spiderman action figures. My daughter asks for American Girl dolls, pretty necklaces, and a new stroller for her baby dolls.
Looking at those lists, before we folded them up and mailed them out to Santa, I was suddenly inspired to make a “wish list” of my own.
Finding the Right Projects
I’ve written previously about the importance of finding client relationships that are a match for both you and for the client. One important aspect of choosing clients that I did not mention in that article is seeking projects that you have some kind of interest in that goes beyond simply doing a great job for a client and being paid fairly for that work.
Is it too much to ask to find projects that are a good fit for our company and our client, but are ones that we are also personally passionate about? I don’t think that it is.
Identify Your Wish List
It’s true not every project we work on will fall into the “passionate” category, some projects will simply be jobs that will help us keep the lights on. Still, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to add some projects to our schedule that we have a passion for.
You want to get work that you care deeply about? The first step to landing these projects is identifying them. It’s time to make your own wish list of the types of projects you want to work on. Here’s how my list looks:
An Exciting Experience
As a parent of two young children, I spend quite a bit of time looking into amusement parks when I plan family vacations. This means, of course, that I spend quite a bit of time on the websites for amusement parks thinking, “wow, this would be a fun site to redesign!”
After going to the park and having a wonderful day, my enthusiasm for working on a website for an amusement park is even greater. There is so much wonderful imagery and history to work with for these projects, and the chance to design something where “fun” is a critical element is always a joy.
While I would gladly consider any theme park project, my dream gig for this category would be Santa’s Village in Jefferson, New Hampshire. Not only does it fall into this amusement park category, but due to the Christmas theme of the park, it also falls into the next group of wish list projects…
A Touch of the Holidays
My favorite blog articles to design for this site are my annual Christmas themed writings (along with the Halloween articles). Yeah, I am a sucker for the spookiest and jolliest of holidays.
I love the imagery and traditions of Christmas, from to the twinkling lights, to the presents, to the personage of Santa Claus. The overall sense of joy and good cheer that goes along with the holiday makes it one of my favorite themes to design with and I would love to use that look-and-feel in a full blown web project (as opposed to just a lone article).
Some sample projects that could fall into this category would be the design of a Christmas themed retail site or a festive, holiday attraction.
Something Magical
Another topic I am a sucker for is magic. True, I am fond of the fantasy-style magic of Harry Potter and such, but in this instance I am talking more about stage magic. Perhaps the term “illusionists” may be more appropriate.
The design of vintage magic posters, as well as the visual look of Victorian-era stage magicians, makes for a perfect palette upon which to design - and the theatrical sense of spectacle that goes along with this topic is something I would love to build on and explore visually.
Projects I would love to work on in this category would include a site for a magic shop or a practicing magician (as long as it is not the “kid party” variety – I’m thinking more of the Las Vegas style, modern age Houdini feel).
The Circus Comes to Town
I’ve never been one to get overly excited to actually attend a circus, but the visuals associated with circus life are so rich that I have always wanted to design a circus-themed project. Something about the smells of caramel apples and popcorn, mixed with the sounds of laughter and a barker calling us to “step right up” that gets me excited for this category.
The look-and-feel that would be appropriate for a circus project is similar, in some ways, to that which would be used for the “magic” category I covered previously. The same sense of presentation and spectacle would work for both and I could imagine designing a project for a traveling circus or, perhaps, a site for a large organization like the Cirque du Soleil, which would be my dream job for this category.
Welcome to Rhode Island
As a life-long Rhode Islander, I get geeked out for any project that has a strong Rhode Island tie to it. From the unique cuisine of the Ocean State (like Del's Lemonade), to some of the landmarks of Rhode Island (such as the Newport Mansions), to any of the many businesses or organizations that have become synonymous with the state (Hasbro toy company) these are all projects that I get jazzed for with fanboy-like enthusiasm.
My absolute dream job above all dream jobs would be a website for the Rhode Island amusement park, Rocky Point. Sure, the park has been closed since 1995, the old rides sold off long ago and the buildings torn down, but there is a part of me that hopes that one day the park will re-open and all the memories of my childhood summers spent at the park will come flooding back though a design gig. Yeah, that really would be my dream, Rhode Island-themed website project.
That Other Yearly List
As the year winds down and a new one approaches, we turn from Christmas wish lists to a list of a different sort – the annual list of New Year’s resolutions. My resolution this year is a simple one – I will do at least one project this year that appears on my wish list.
If you are reading this article, I challenge you to make a pair of lists yourself. Start with your own “web designer wish list” and define the projects or type of projects you really want to work on. Once you have that list, commit to finding a way to do at least one of them in 2012.
As I said earlier in this article, the first step to working on projects that you are passionate about is defining those projects. The second step is going out and getting that work! Make your lists and get that work for yourself in 2012! - oh, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!