What Graphic Designers Need to Reclaim and Why Your Future Depends on it!

Summary

Podcast Summary: "What Graphic Designers Need to Reclaim and Why Your Future Depends on it!"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Angry Designer - Graphic Design, Branding, Marketing, & Creative Business Operations to Get Paid What Your Worth and Avoid Burnout
• Host/Author: A graphic design podcast dedicated to empowering frustrated graphic designers to overcome industry obstacles, charge their worth, and build rewarding creative careers.
• Episode Title: What Graphic Designers Need to Reclaim and Why Your Future Depends on it!
• Release Date: October 29, 2024

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Introduction: Reclaiming Web Design for Graphic Designers

In this episode, the hosts delve into the pivotal role that graphic designers should play in web design. They emphasize that web design has always been intrinsically linked to graphic design, particularly in controlling and conveying brand identity through logos, brochures, magazine ads, and more.

Notable Quote:

• A (00:00): "Web design 100% should be for graphic design."
• B (00:05): "It totally should."

Historical Context: The Separation Between Graphic and Web Design

The conversation begins by exploring the historical reasons why graphic designers steered clear of web design. Early web design posed significant challenges for designers, including technical barriers like coding, hosting complexities, limited layout options, and a general disconnect between designers and developers.

Notable Quotes:

• A (07:54): "Most graphic designers didn't jump onto web, so they kind of lost that art form of layout."
• B (10:20): "It was hard."
• A (09:02): "There was always this struggle because they couldn't get... we were always limited in what we could do."

The Decline of Traditional Media and Rise of Web Design

As digital media began to overshadow traditional magazines, the role of graphic designers in shaping brand identities online diminished. The hosts lament that early websites lacked creative and effective design, leading to a proliferation of boring, flat, and structured sites that failed to capture the essence of strong graphic design.

Notable Quote:

• A (07:35): "Magazines were more inspiring because you weren't looking for logos; you were amazed at the ads and layouts."

The Emergence of No-Code Platforms: Bridging the Gap

The episode highlights the transformative impact of no-code platforms like Wix Studio. These platforms are revolutionizing web design by enabling graphic designers to create fully customized and interactive websites without the need for extensive coding knowledge. This shift is bringing web design back into the realm of graphic designers, allowing them to maintain control over brand consistency and creative integrity.

Notable Quotes:

• A (18:05): "Wix Studio puts the creative power back in your hands. No code required."
• B (20:14): "It's really good."

Wix Studio: A Game Changer for Designers

The hosts provide an in-depth discussion on Wix Studio, praising its design-centric approach that eliminates the limitations of traditional web platforms. Unlike template-driven services, Wix Studio offers designers the flexibility and tools to create dynamic, animated, and aesthetically pleasing websites that reflect their unique design sensibilities.

Notable Quotes:

• A (19:43): "You can create fully custom websites that match your vision. Every pixel, every detail."
• B (20:23): "It's cool."

Integrating Web Design into Graphic Design Services

To facilitate the integration of web design into their offerings, the hosts outline a three-step approach for graphic designers:

1. Start with a Personal Project (30:37):

   • Begin by creating a personal website or portfolio to familiarize yourself with the new tools and processes.
   • A (30:37): "Start with a personal project. Make it your portfolio."

2. Add Web Design as a Service (31:06):

   • Gradually introduce web design services to your clients, starting with small projects like landing pages to build confidence and experience.
   • A (31:06): "Add web design as a service. Don't overcommit to anything too huge."

3. Focus on Brand-Driven Websites (32:44):

   • Concentrate on creating brand-consistent websites that leverage your expertise in graphic design to enhance the client's brand identity online.
   • A (32:44): "Focus only on what you know, which is brand-driven websites."

The Competitive Advantage of Being a Hybrid Designer

By embracing web design, graphic designers can offer comprehensive branding solutions that encompass both offline and online presence. This holistic approach not only adds value for clients but also positions designers as indispensable partners in their clients' brand development.

Notable Quote:

• A (33:03): "You are in charge of that brand. Technically it's your job."

The Future of Graphic Design: Adapt or Perish

The hosts stress the importance of adaptability in the ever-evolving design landscape. They warn that designers who resist integrating web design risk becoming obsolete as clients increasingly demand unified branding solutions that span multiple platforms.

Notable Quotes:

• A (24:04): "The future of a designer is only limited by their ability to adapt and evolve."
• B (35:08): "Absolutely."

Embracing New Technologies and Overcoming Apprehensions

The discussion acknowledges common apprehensions among designers about adopting new technologies, such as fear of the unknown and reluctance to move beyond traditional design boundaries. However, with user-friendly platforms like Wix Studio, these barriers are significantly reduced, making the transition smoother and more approachable.

Notable Quote:

• A (27:04): "Platforms like this eliminate all the shit that we hate. It takes care of the hosting, security, and allows you to focus on design."

Real-World Applications and Success Stories

The hosts share anecdotes of fellow designers successfully leveraging Wix Studio to revitalize their online presence. These stories illustrate the platform's capability to empower designers to swiftly create and manage their websites, enhancing both their professional capabilities and client satisfaction.

Notable Quote:

• A (22:36): "The guy's already half done. It looks fantastic because you can't function without it."

Conclusion: Seizing the Opportunity

In wrapping up, the hosts reiterate the critical need for graphic designers to reclaim their role in web design. By adopting modern tools and expanding their skill sets, designers can ensure their relevance and thrive in a competitive market. They encourage listeners to embrace platforms like Wix Studio to unlock new creative potentials and secure their professional futures.

Notable Quotes:

• A (40:56): "Give it a look, give it a check, open up your eyes to a whole new future of web."
• B (35:08): "Absolutely."

Final Takeaway: Graphic designers must adapt to incorporate web design into their repertoire to maintain their relevance and enhance their service offerings. Embracing no-code platforms like Wix Studio provides the necessary tools to bridge the gap between traditional graphic design and modern web functionality, ensuring designers can continue to deliver comprehensive and cohesive brand experiences.

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Closing Remarks: The episode serves as a compelling call to action for graphic designers to overcome traditional barriers and embrace the evolving digital landscape. By doing so, they can not only prevent burnout and undervaluation but also unlock new avenues for creative expression and professional growth.

Transcript

[A]

Web design 100% should be for graphic design.

[B]

It totally should.

[A]

We control brand identity, right? We create logos. We create, you know, their magazine ads. They're brochures, right? They're brand identities. Like, this is an extension of what a graphic designer does. You're listening to the Angry Designer podcast where we help frustrated graphic designers crush the industry BS and learn what it takes to charge what you're worth and build badass, rewarding careers. In this episode, we're going to explore why websites should have always been a graphic designer's responsibility and why they're finally coming back to where they belong. You're going to learn about the surprising reasons why graphic designers historically avoided web design and how that's changing. You're going to learn about how no code platforms like wix Studio are revolutionizing the way designers can build high end, full, fully customized and interactive sites. And you're going to learn about the three simple steps every designer can take today to seamlessly integrate web design into your business services. So whether you're sipping on your favorite drink, sitting at your desk, sitting on a dock, or on your deck, or hitting the road, stick with us because this episode is packed with game changing insights that's going to elevate your design career. Cheers.

[B]

Cheers.

[A]

Cheers, my friend.

[B]

Sal.

[A]

Saloo.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

So we are drinking gold bar. We still have lots of gold left.

[B]

Gold bar.

[A]

Gold bar left. Actually, I don't mind this stuff.

[B]

I like gold. Yeah, it's. It's good. The second time around is harsh.

[A]

It hits hard, but it's, it's, you know, it looks great walking in with this bad boy, but it is, it is a really hard, you know, I. It's not, it's not for the. You have to. You have to be into this. I don't know if I'd recommend this as your first whiskey.

[B]

I would not. I would not take that as the first whiskey.

[A]

However, since this is my first. You really kind of cheaped out on my core, buddy. What did you do? Jeez, we just started the episode and I'm already done. Hey, I'm trying to be responsible. Okay? Now I think we should cheers again.

[B]

Cheers again.

[A]

Yeah, there we go. All right, all right, all right.

[B]

There. The second, the second shot is much better.

[A]

Yeah, it's actually pretty good, right?

[B]

Pretty good.

[A]

So I have a wussy confession to make. I subscribed to House and Home magazine.

[B]

Why would you just say Jen does that?

[A]

You know why? Because you're gonna. I really should have, right? I should have thrown. Damn it. Why Shouldn't I say I wish it was something cooler? Yes, but it gen. It genuinely was. Yeah, it was me. I mean, it's. But you know what was cool. And I wasn't expecting to do this. Okay.

[B]

Classical magazine.

[A]

Well, I know, right? I mean. Okay. And I mean, my home does lack luster, but, you know, the office is good. The house is not so good. I got four kids.

[B]

It's just trying. I know. Yeah.

[A]

But. But the reason why I subscribed is so they sent me a demo copy, and I was like, holy, sign me up for two more years. Okay.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

You know why I started. It's been. I forgot how long it's been since I flipped through a magazine. See, right? It was. And it was. It was flipping through it. And the part that got me was I forgot my affinity for layout. Okay. Which, you know, again, some of my most awesome memories, you know, growing up in this space. Right. Was before all this crazy digital world and the pace that we live in right now. You remember, And I've said this story before. You would go to, like, there's a few places that would have giant racks of magazines right up here. It was Chapters Indigo for a little while, you know, and we're talking, like, we're talking thousands of magazines. Okay. And you would just flip from magazine to me, you know? And the cool thing about magazines, which I think is missing right now, is you wouldn't open it up looking for logos. No, it's not that you were looking and hunting for logos like it feels like we do now online.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You were amazing. Amazed at all the ads, the layouts. Right. And then I started digging up old skateboarding magazines. Right. I started going down this rabbit hole, and I was, like, blown away. I was like, oh, I remember that layout. I remember that intensity. Right. It felt like this is where the roots of graphic design came from. Right. Like the. That, you know, I found an old Ray Gun magazine, okay. That had David, and again later, wasn't even looking for logos through this. Okay? So this. This is where House and Home took me. Because it took me down this road, this nostalgic road of, like, how much I miss good layout and design. Yes, right.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And, I mean, you came from that space.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

But. But it wasn't good layout.

[B]

It wasn't good layout. It was. It was a necessity.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was.

[B]

But you did kind of have to hone your craft at that. It was. It was. It was tough to. To do that.

[A]

And you mastered grids in no time.

[B]

Grids in no time. And we did have a magazine that we worked on.

[A]

That's right, absolutely.

[B]

So that was kind of fun. We did get to stretch out a little bit.

[A]

But yes, it was so fun. And again, if you want to see what a designer is truly capable, see what their layout, design skills are like. You look at the early stuff. Yeah. We go on about a couple of logos Mossimovinelli did, a couple of logos that Paul Rand did. But then when you really start dissecting some of the masters, you look at their layout, their poster designs, early century layout and poster designs. Right. And I, I miss that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because we don't have that opportunity anymore. And what happened is, so obviously we would go through all these magazines and I encourage anybody out there, everybody to go, go to some of your old bookstores, look for old magazines of whatever and just see what the old ads were like and the layouts and the mag. Because again, it was so inspiring and it was, it was the best part to look at cool ads.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And even this house on home had some pretty cool ads in it.

[B]

Yeah. I mean it's, it's a quality magazine.

[A]

It was, it was decent. Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So, you know, the sad part was though, right. And I remember and I lived through this, which was really sad. So we went through, you know, at Indigo, there was like 12 banks, both sides of magazines, if you can believe that. So it just. There's thousands of magazines. Whatever you wanted on it was there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then web started getting popular. Okay. And. And what happened is then it went from 12 banks to 10 banks to 8.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

To 6 in the end there was 4 double sided banks of magazines. Like, it's just, it went to like, like a third of what it was.

[B]

Well, in the end, chapters went.

[A]

Yeah, well. Really? Right.

[B]

It really didn't do well.

[A]

Yeah. Well, now it's Indigo and it's kind of like a little bit of everything.

[B]

But there were a bunch of chapters around was.

[A]

It was, it was great.

[B]

Right. It was all kinds of great magazines and all kinds of great books.

[A]

Webb came in.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right. And Web came in. And the thing is, you know, we were hopeful that Webb maybe would. Would. And that's why I never understood why Webb took over magazines. Because the layout of web sucked. And if you remember, with the early 2000s, even mid 2000s, even up until 2010, websites on a whole sucked.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The layouts were gross.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

It was hard to get creative. You know, there was no good design in websites. Really.

[B]

It was clear that designers weren't designing websites.

[A]

Right. But, you know, and the thing is, you know, and so magazines did make a little bit of a comeback, and they are now. Magazines are here and now. But the thing is. And it's good. And some graphic designers have gone back.

[B]

Yes, they'll always have an affinity for the handheld.

[A]

But you know what's funny is some graph. Most graphic designers didn't jump onto web, so they kind of lost that art form of layout. Okay. And I mean, for obvious reasons, web, you know, really. Web sucks for the most part. Well, it did suck for the most part. It did. It did. It did suck. Right. Because again, it's like, okay, web design 100% should be for graphic design.

[B]

It totally should.

[A]

We. We control brand identity, right? We. We create logos. We create. You know, they're. They're. They're magazine ads. They're. They're brochures, right? They're. They're brand identities. Like, this is an extension of what a graphic designer does, because a website is totally functional and it's interactive.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Right. Like, this is the best part of what a graphic designer can offer to somebody, you know, should. But it isn't.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And it wasn't. It hasn't been. Okay. And this is the problem. All these years, you know, it just. It fell wayside, and for obvious reasons. Yeah, it started off, like I said, really shitty. No. No graphic designer wanted to touch that shit.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

Right. You know, in all fairness, you know, when graphic designers tried to do websites, okay. And again, I remember early days for us, I was just really stubborn. But, you know, I would create an ad, and I would give it to the developer, and he's like, I can't design this. And I'm like, we'll figure it out. That's. You know, he's like, well, this is a magazine site. And I'm like, yeah, it is a magazine site because it's a. I want good layout.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right. And there was always this struggle, right, because they couldn't get.

[B]

They didn't. Couldn't wrap their heads around that.

[A]

And nor did they. Nor could they even see it, even if you then followed their rules. And no, we need a header at the top. Okay, here's a header. Here's fonts. Then they would give you back, and they would have fonts of different sizes, logos, different sizes. You know, I didn't like the way that was, So I did this, and I was just like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. So this is where, you know, it pissed off a lot of designers, okay. Going through this. Right. Like, I Mean, there was so many barriers that designers had to face, right. And this was just, you know, like we were always limited in what we could do and then, not to mention the technical barriers. Okay, so. Right, okay. So number one, coding. Okay. If you wanted to do it yourself, you know, and you wanted that site to look like the way you, you had to learn how to code, let's face it, designers were not learning how to code because early on that code was not designer friendly.

[B]

It was hard.

[A]

Is hard, right? Hosting.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, that's a whole fucking industry that GoDaddy made a gazillion dollars from is where. And it's not very straightforward. Like, yeah, it has to live somewhere, but in order to get a website on there. Well, that wasn't a really easy process for most people. Once you do it 10 times, it's a no brainer. If you understand the whole web stratosphere, then sure, it works. But it's not something that, that comes natural to designers. When we're very visual and we just want to design and get things going. Right. Then there's the maintenance issues, okay. Of then keeping that hosting thing updated, keeping your server updated, keeping your platform updated. Right. Another layer of complexity. Right. Always a disconnect between designers and the builders. This 100% right. Okay, this, this. We spoke two different languages no matter what. Near the end, you know, past 10 years maybe better, but at the beginning, yeah, forget it. Okay. Limited fonts. Okay. Limited layout options. Like there was so many layers of complexity that there's no wonder that it just kind of fell wayside from design and designers didn't want to have anything to do with it. And what we ended up was a web full of really boring, flat, structured, you know, sites like Gone to the beautiful layouts of magazine that could easily have been translated. Yeah, right. And that's a skill set that we have.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So it just, it never made it there, unfortunately. Right. Like it was just. Oh, dude, it was really horrible.

[B]

We could have used, you know what we could have used is a couple more of our boy Lucho over there with that design sense sensibility in that technical savvy.

[A]

Yeah, that's right. So again, and so our, our front end developer here at Z Factor was a designer and he wanted to make the crossover.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But I kept on telling him like, dude, no problem, but don't fully cross to the dark side. And I warned him, I'm like, don't start thinking like a programmer. You got to remember your roots. And the funny thing is, dude, he did, he started Thinking like a design, it's like, no, dude, remember where you came. I still do this. And I'm like, yeah, the client wants this. And he's like, o they want. I'm like, dude, hey, hey.

[B]

What did I tell you?

[A]

You know this is going to happen. Like, remember you're still a designer. Oh, that is amazing though.

[B]

That's funny.

[A]

And now a word from our sponsor. All right, designers, let's cut the bowl. How many times have you had a killer website design only to watch it fall apart because of code? Or developer telling you, no, no, no. Or maybe you've held back from web design altogether, thinking it's just too complicated and too technical or totally out of your wheelhouse. Either way, it's time for a change. WIX Studio is designed for designers, removing the barriers that limits your designs. Whether you're tired of developers watering down your ideas or too intimidated by the technical side of web, wix Studio puts the creative power back in your hands. No code required. With a drag and drop interface that feels designer intuitive, plus no code, animations and even AI powered tools, you can create fully custom websites that match your vision. Every pixel, every detail. And if you're worried about the learning curve, don't be. Wix Studio is designed to feel as intuitive as your favorite design tools. Some designers here even say more. So that means you can jump, jump right in and focus on what you do best. Designing badass brand lined websites that'll take your business to the next level. So whether you've had enough of developers holding you back or you're ready to finally step into web design, check out wix studio.com and take control. That's wix studio.com go and take back web design for graphic designers. This is why, you know, I guess designers kind of parted ways.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

With web, which sucks because again, for all intents and purposes, those two worlds should absolutely live together.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then along comes something like WordPress.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Which was supposed to be the savior for Everybody. Okay. But WordPress just made everything. And again, I know there's some people who love WordPress out there. I don't quite know why, but it gave the illusion that designers could do what they want. Right. But I mean, the interface sucked. Plugin hell. Okay. Trying to keep that like up to date. It was, you know, I, unfortunately, you know, I, I, we have a WordPress site under our, under our repertoire, unfortunately. And I'm not going to admit to what it is. Makes me really sad. But the thing is, it's like, it's like it made designers think that they could do what they wanted with themes and templates and this and that. But it always gave handcuffs and really us over when it came to hosting. If you missed somebody's, you know, a plugin update, your whole site would go down if you didn't update it or you're open to security issues. Oh, God. Security issues is another headache why people.

[B]

Didn'T want to one thing on, on its own. Jeez.

[A]

So again, you know, WordPress was another thing that was support that kind of gave the illusion. But again, so all these obstacles kept making designers, you know, like fall further and further away from that, which sucks. Okay. But the thing is, with all this new technology, we always keep saying, you know, AI is, is all this technology is coming, right, and it's going to come for our jobs and shit. Right. This is one area that I don't think designers are gravitating enough towards. Okay. And you know, I don't think, again, while there are AI tools, which we've talked about, that we're trying to build websites from scratch, the reality is people still need designers to build those sites. I don't think AI will ever get to a place where it can blindly create something for a client.

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay, so it still needs to be led by somebody. So why not a designer again? And that's, and that's, that's the part that I keep saying. Like, I mean, again, it's, it's, I mean, let's face it, it's like, you know, clients want designers to take care of their website. Okay. There's no question about that in my opinion. You know, like, this is, you know, face it. Like the clients always look for a one stop shop.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right. And that sounds really, you know, kind of like undervaluing what we do. But a client hates going from one person for one thing, one person for another, you know, and it's just kind of like it. They got better things to do with the time than that.

[B]

Yes. It's a very. It's like the Navy seals Land and expand model. Right. You got one guy who's just so good at all of that stuff.

[A]

That's right. That's right. It's also the Z Factor model, just.

[B]

So you guys know.

[A]

But it's true. I mean, clients want one contact for this kind of stuff. And the thing is, you are in charge of that brand.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. Technically it's your job. So if you can offer that web experience, you can offer better brand alignment for the company. Okay. Your creative can be aligned the Vision can be consistent in the same direction. There's like a, it's like a no brainer. Okay. So clients want this, but you know, unfortunately our apprehensions of getting here are literally like, I mean, there's this intimidation factor that people are just like, no, no, no, no, I don't want this. So that's the concern. Okay. And again, granted, there have been some cool developments, you know, that we've talked about in the past. Like, there are no code platforms out there that you don't need codes to design for, but they kind of feel like a hybrid between code and WordPress.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Because they're very template driven. And you know, like what we always say is you can't follow templates, you can't do this shit. Right. You know, like, yeah, they, they allow you a little bit more flexibility that you don't need to know code, but they definitely don't fucking feel like a design tool. And I think that's, that's also another thing that has kind of found defeating up until now, which I feel kind of good about. Right. Because we have a partner now, wix Studio. Okay. Who, you know, I, I saw what they had and it, it's like a game changer for designers because it is a no code platform, but it's a no code platform that feels like it was built for designers.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Right. Like it doesn't feel like this. Template driven. No, no, no, no. If you want to put a header, you can only do this or this or this.

[B]

Three options and that's.

[A]

Right. It's, it's not like that at all. Like, you know, it's hard to explain the differences in the sense of. No, nothing. You know, all you got to do is check out the inspiration sites on WIX Studio and you'll see this shit's just completely out there. It is, it looks like some of the sites have got full animation, like an Apple website. Right. You know, we're talking parallax, we're talking like amazing dropdowns, interactive elements. Okay. And you don't need to know any code for any of this. Right? Nothing. It feels like something that, it feels like something that we already work with.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, that makes a lot more sense, which is why I think it's where the thing was built for scratch, but literally for designers, not for coders and not for the rest of the world. And that's the difference because a lot of these other platforms out there, they build these platforms, but they build them for everybody. So they're really dumbed down.

[B]

Yes, yes.

[A]

This one feels like it was built with designers in mind. Right. And I mean, I think that's because obviously it eliminates all the shit that we hate. Like, it takes care of the hosting, it takes care of, like the security part and all that. Right. But it allows you this. Really. Again, it feels like one of the design tools that we deal with on a regular basis. Right. You know, you don't need any coding for this. Right. And just the sky's the limit. Like, when you look at, like, their inspiration sites, they actually look like well designed ads.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

They look like well designed shit that I've seen in the 80s. And they look so current, so hip. They don't look like they're like a.

[B]

Like a slap dash template.

[A]

Right. And that's it. Right. When you see like WordPress templates or you see some of these other sites.

[B]

Out there, they're clearly not designed by no designer.

[A]

It's like, it's like, here, coffee shop, Joe's Coffee Shop. And he's just like, imagine this is your coffee shop. It's just like. No, but on this platform, if you go in there, it look, they look cool. Like, it's just. They look like magazine layouts. Right? They definitely don't look like they're trying to. They know who their market is, which is really damn cool.

[B]

It's. Yeah, exactly like. Yeah, you're right. The inspiration part of it is like, you look at that stuff and there's thought involved in this. Like, somebody knows what they're doing.

[A]

It's well. And the nice thing, beautiful stuff. This brings layout back into a graphic designers. It brings power back to us in that sense. Right. And that's the key, I think. I think that's why I'm so drawn to this because it's like, it feels like it was intentionally built, you know, to bring layout back to design. But online, like, this is kind of like what I feel the rest of the world's always missing. Because honestly, man, webinar web lately has been so boring.

[B]

It has, yes.

[A]

Like, everything looks the same.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Yeah, it's. It's.

[B]

So, yeah, we. We definitely need to get back into that. Into that arena.

[A]

Oh, I think so. You know, and it's funny because it's like. So we had a angry designer I. I met up with a couple weeks ago. And I mean, the guy's got awesome poster work, right. I keep seeing his stuff. I'm like, dude, this rocks. Right? So I, like, convinced him to print me out some. I said, I want the first of your. These I, you know, before you, you know, you, you hit it big. I want them, I want you to sign them, I want to put them on the wall, right. And, and I can't wait for it. Right? And then it's just like, well, your site's down. It's like, well, you know, recently I lost my website, you know, due to whatever ability, so I'll get to it. I'm like, dude, you can't have a business without this site. Yeah, yeah, but then I'll have to go get another developer. Like, no, you know, I, like, check out this place. Check out this WIX studio, right? You can get in there and, you know, you can build something yourself. Oh, I don't have time to do a full website. I'm like, dude, you don't need a full website, just a landing page.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Start small.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

One landing page.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Right. And sure enough, I saw a post from him, like earlier this week and he's already on it and he's like, you know, like. Yeah, he told me, you gotta do it. It's like two weeks. You gotta give me at least a landing page in two weeks. And the guy's already half done. Like, it looks fantastic. Right, because you can't function without.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But again, he thought that he was handcuffed because he, he lost access to his developer, you know, like to the extent that he had anyway. And so now it was to a point where it was like, he's got the power to do this again. Which is great because now by the time he gets his landing page up and then if he ever gets his site built up, he's going to have this new skill, which is incredible. So, I mean, this is huge for, for him, for designers in general, you know, I think. And the thing is, you know, there's even AI built in. Into their platform. Into their platform? Yes, right into the wix, the WIX Studio platform. And it can even come up with headlines for you and body copy the whole works. I still feel kind of weird about, about that at times, but this is the way.

[B]

Well, I mean, it's like anything else.

[A]

You know what, you're right.

[B]

You have it in there. You could tweak it if it doesn't work. It's got options.

[A]

It's like Chad, I guess it would be, right. And I mean, you know, lo and behold, I use that for our headline options all the time.

[B]

But you tweak it. You don't always.

[A]

Absolutely, I do.

[B]

So I don't think you have the option to do that, which that's yeah, that's really. Is very cool.

[A]

Yeah, you know, it's just. It's just. It's just nice that this is the way that the future is going. Right? You know, but again, a platform like this does solve all the problems that the designers had, but the one problem it doesn't solve is designers still being apprehensive to try something new.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And this is what we talk about, we're constantly going on about. The future of a designer is only limited by their ability to adapt and evolve.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Okay, so as I was going through the whole reigns of Z Factor through all those years, right? I remember the web coming in. I remember a lot of design shops didn't want to take it. They're like, no, we're not adapting to digital, we're not adapting to web. And how many of them shut down one after the other after the other? It's funny because I went from this list of like 34 competitors and it was just like where they all go because they didn't want to adapt and evolve. And whether they thought that they were in a too old or that it was just a phase or whatever, dude, they. They died. Yeah, they absolutely died. So this is exactly. So, I mean, again, a designer, graphic designers cannot have that mentality like, this will do nothing but just kill your journey as a designer. Which is why it sucks, right? In my opinion, the hybrid designer is the future of graphic designer. Okay. And what I mean by that is a designer who can take their craft offline, put it online, make it digital, offer print. This is, this is what the future is going to be. Because if, if, you know, these designers don't do that, okay? Platforms will. Okay? We always talk about not letting AI replace us. Well, shit, if you don't do something about this and you don't start upgrading yourself, then I will. You're opening the door up to technology to come in and just steamroll you. And the funny thing is, it's like, it doesn't even have to be AI that's going to replace you, right? And we say, oh, well, then it's going to be a designer using AI that's going to replace you. Not necessarily. It's going to be a designer who adapts to new technology.

[B]

There you go.

[A]

Okay, so again, I know, I know a lot of designers that don't want to do web. If a designer was to take this wix studio and start embracing this into their platform and be like, hey, I'm going to offer, you know, these websites plus design services, plus this Was that they're going to replace a designer who just offers brand identity work.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I don't care what anybody says. Yeah, that is good because again, customers need that one stop shop. They want that, they're asking for it.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So again, you're going to lose out to somebody who will give that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Truth be told, we got a lot of customers that way. Okay. We've had, we've had many opportunities. We were called in to fix a website. They had a designer doing everything else. They love the fact that we were able to do the website. Then it's like that other designer, you know, they, they were late on a project they weren't able to deliver and it's like, oh, don't worry, we'll take care of that for you. Right. Don't worry about it. We'll take care of that. So while the other designer is like, you know, missing out on dates and calling in late, we're showing up with flowers and chocolate every day. And we wound them. It's, it's legit. So this is, this is huge for designers, for both, you know, professionally and personally. In my opinion, totally professionally. It's a no brainer.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. You got this for your clients. Clients want this. You don't need to learn code anymore. Right. Using platforms like this, the fear element.

[B]

That most designers, myself included, when I was fucking around with web.

[A]

And I remember because you were. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Scared the hell out of me. But it was exciting. But this just has the excitement in it. There's none of the fear. It's like I'm looking, I was looking at the tutorials and I'm like, this I can do.

[A]

All right. I love this. And that's exactly it. Right. And again, and the big thing is from a professional levels, it now gives us the opportunity to expand our services.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

With, I don't want to say no effort, but little effort. You know, we already have the design chops.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

This is what designers don't realize. All web programmers have is the programming side. They don't have the design.

[B]

They don't have the design.

[A]

Okay. And sadly, sadly, sadly, sadly, customers don't care as much about the programming. They only care about what they see.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So what we can offer them is the whole front end, the visual side and the whole back end is this is like built out by platforms like this. So I mean, that's in the professional level. But on a personal front, designers can now start exploring layouts again. Okay. If you want to test your design abilities, start exploring layouts. Learn your fucking grids, okay? Learn, like, the rule of thirds, you know? Figure out the Fibonacci curve, for sakes. Right. But the thing is, it is a whole new level of excitement into your platform. You're not just doing, like, a little layout for a ticket or. Or like a little flyer. We're talking about, like, you. You have now all this exploration that you can do online. And I mean, imagine how graphic designers can change the landscape of the website, of the web right now. Because, honestly, it's not very exciting anymore. The web?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I don't surf at all anymore.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

At all. I do not surf the web. I use chat for my information.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

I go to YouTube for. For more entertainment.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But I remember in the old days, I would just surf websites. I was. They're all fucking ugly right now. And that's the problem. Right. You know, so using platforms like this gives, you know, designers this edge that they can now take their shit digitally and start changing what the web can be. It's like a whole new frontier for us.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, I would like to see, okay, my Instagram, you know, and again, I follow a lot of graphic designers, and maybe it's my fault, okay. Maybe it's the algorithm that I fucked up, but all I see is logos, brand identity logos. Yeah. Love them.

[B]

It's great.

[A]

Most talented people, and I love them. No layout.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And when I do see a poster layout that I love, follow them, tagging them, I'm in there, but I'm not seeing enough of that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And this is. This is the worry. So this. We have the ability now, okay, with platforms like this WIX Studio, to actually get in there and start exploring with layouts limitless.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, without limits. And that's the nice thing about this kind of stuff. So, you know, the technology is there, so now it's just a matter of changing our apprehensions. Okay. Changing designers apprehensions. So. So you know what? I got three things. Three. Three steps on how a designer can do this. Okay. So again, I get it. And, you know, maybe we have some. Some, you know, damage damaged baggage from the past that's holding us from. From exploring this again. Okay. And we say, I don't want to do this. It's. It's too intimidating. Fine, fine, fine. These three steps will allow you to be able to do this, to offer this at a level that is comfortable for you. So, number one, super easy. Start with a personal project. Okay. Make it your portfolio. Maybe, you know, make it your. Your side website.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. To kind of See if you can actually.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Don't commit anything big, Right. Just something small, comfortable to get into it. Okay. Get yourself comfortable with the tools and then figure out how your design offline translates to this online, first and foremost. Okay. Step two. Okay. Then once you're a little comfortable after a couple of weeks, add web design as a service. Okay. Something you offer. But, but, but, but, but, but. Right. Don't over commit to it.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And that's the key thing here. Okay? You don't want to start small.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Start peppering out. Hey, I can do a landing page for you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I could do a simple page for you here. I can do something, something that after an hour or two you can build. You'd be like, oh, that was actually pretty fucking easy. Okay, do that. Right? You don't want to overwhelm yourself. Okay. But you want to be 50 page.

[B]

Sites and they're not even fun or.

[A]

Profitable, for the record, profitable. But I mean what you want to do is you want to ease yourself into this process and into this technology. Okay. And that's key because that's, that'll stop you from getting overwhelmed because of course there's going to be a little bit of a learning curve. It's something new, but it is, this platform is pretty kick ass. I can't speak for the other ones, but this one makes it so fucking easy. Okay, but the idea here is, is, you know, not to overwhelm yourself and give your, give your customers that extra little bit of, you know, what they're looking for. Right. An extra value into that relationship. Okay? And then step three, once you've, once you've done that whole number two thing and you've done one or two landing pages or a little micro site or something. Okay. Even like a three page micro site. Okay. Would be fine. Right. Once you've done that, focus only on what you know, which is brand driven websites. That's it. You are a brand expert. This is where you shine, okay? You, you help develop their look, you help develop their messaging. Okay. You're coming out with layouts and every other aspect of their business. Okay? So now is your time to take that and put it online because that's where you rock. And again, clients want brand consistency across the board.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They want it online, they want it, you know, offline. Like this is what they want. They're asking you for this.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So don't over commit, don't, don't offer to build something giant.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

You can, you can build an e commerce site on this.

[B]

We'll learn, right?

[A]

You absolutely can.

[B]

There's connections to apps for that kind of thing for you, all kinds of stuff. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

You know, but you don't even have to go that far. Okay. Focus on what you know for now, which is just the brand side of everything. You could do that, anybody can do that. Right? Because now what's happening is you now own the whole process for the customer. And that's key. That's what customers want, is they want somebody to own it all. And they want to. And again, people trust me. Customers, that's not scary to them, that's a relief to them.

[B]

They love that.

[A]

They do. It's, you know, and you just, then you've landed a customer potentially for life unless you really fuck it up, you know. And again, you've got all the design work, you've got their web work and it's just, it just cements that relationship. Okay. Nobody's going to come in there, okay. And take that away from you. So this is key. So three easy steps. Something. Start with something small, something for yourself. Number two, add it. But don't over commit to anything too huge. Minor. Small projects. And then number three, build out what you know, which is just brand identity. Websites start off small and then again let, let that happen. And then if you want in the future to grow that, offer it as an agency. We did. And that was the biggest game changer in our space because we weren't designing one off projects. We went in there and after we did their brand identity, we did all their digital, we owned the whole portfolio for the company and this was, it was just, we had to do it. And I know some people are apprehensive about it, but again, it doesn't take much to get into it. Right. And getting a platform like this now like our partners like wix, WIX Studio.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

This is a game changer. Okay? So this changes. So you know, what you guys need to remember, okay. Is that don't let barriers, old barriers, okay. Stop you from exploring new frontiers. Because that is what our future is. Okay. And as designed, we have to keep adapting to new trends, adapting to techniques, softwares and technology. And if you don't jump on this, if you guys don't jump on this, somebody else is totally going to take it away. They will take it away.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

You will see your future just kind of dwindle away.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Right. I'm still, you know, this isn't, this isn't a niching, you know, message. This isn't, you know, you've gotta you know, but I've always said if you stick to just one tiny little thing, there's a really good chance someone's gonna be coming after you one day. Right. Whether it's technology, whether it's another designer, I don't know. So I. I tend to like to own the whole project.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Personally, I'm greedy that way.

[B]

But this also is kind of fun to mess around with too, right?

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

This is kind of one of those little elements designers that. It's very intriguing. It's a learning experience. It's something new. And plus, like you said, for us old dogs, it's good to get back into the layout game. You know what I mean?

[A]

For yourself. But you're right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, layout. I love layout.

[B]

And it's coming back. And hopefully we'll see interesting websites now.

[A]

Oh, my God. Right. Again, if we're. What we're doing is we're giving tools to graphic designers so they can.

[B]

So they can UX back. Yeah.

[A]

From those UX guys. Let's just face it. Uxers took that from graphic designers because they wanted to embark on this new frontier back then. And what happened? They got paid twice as much as designers. Everybody was like, bowing. Oh, the UX designers here, everybody, you know, take it back. Because it was rightfully ours. Okay. That whole web process was rightfully ours. Designers need to take that back.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

Oh, God. I don't mind UXes anymore. We do a lot of it. But this is still the home for graphic design.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Well, because again, it. This web is a component of graphic design. I don't care what anybody says it is.

[B]

It's absolutely.

[A]

You know, you can't say that. It's like a car designer is the same as a car mechanic. Right. Because they're not. Right. They're very different. And they both have equal importance. Or. Yeah. It just. This. This is such an integrate part. Integral part of a brand.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That it's ridiculous that it is taken away from us. Can you imagine if all of a sudden somebody's like, okay, Sean, you can build logos, but you can't do business cards anymore. The business card. The printer is now going to do it. He owns that, you know, BX designer.

[B]

Yeah. That would be terrible. Yeah. Not really.

[A]

Everybody hates business card design. But still. You get where I'm going with this. But it's true, right?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Imagine because again, printers tried taking graphic design work.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Right? They did.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I mean, they did. We were able to stop that from happening. Right.

[B]

But they Didn't. Weren't very good.

[A]

Exactly. Right, well. And programmers weren't very good for web websites, so that's why this is a component of graphic design. And I don't care if you guys agree with me or not, but it is coming back. And, you know, platforms like this is going to make that happen. And again, you don't have to jump on this, but other designers will and. And other designers already are. Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Honestly, if you see some of the inspiration sites that are on WIX Studio, dude, it is.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Like, it's just. It looks so fun and exciting. Let alone the animation, the parallax, everything else that is rolling. It's insane.

[B]

It's cool. Yeah, it's really good.

[A]

You know, for you guys, you know, who are looking for the future and what your next move is, you guys need to embrace this, you know, if you want to learn a web process on how to sell this to customers, you know, we've got episodes on. On how to, you know, the process of building a website, you know, and not strategizing, planning. Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Not the build portion, because again, we. We're not coders.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

We just hire them and they're very expensive. And. And not that this, you know, will replace all of them for every reason, let me tell you. It'll replace a hell of a lot them. Right. For this kind of stuff. I mean, the freedom that this can now allow, you know, a freelancer, you know, a small agency, like, it's just a small teams. It's incredible.

[B]

It's crazy.

[A]

So this is. This is the future, and this is where you guys have to. Have to jump on, because if you won't, somebody else will.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Plain and simple.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Cool.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right. Well, dude, it's been a very long day.

[B]

It has been a long day.

[A]

It's been a long, long, long day. And you are leaving soon and I'm going.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

To go. To go to the other side of the world.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Sean's leaving. Leaving for a couple weeks.

[B]

That's right. Yeah.

[A]

Geez, I don't even know what that's like. I need a vacation.

[B]

You do?

[A]

I do. I really do. I just don't know what I would do if I have one. Oh, that's all right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yes. You've earned it, my friend.

[B]

And you're not even gonna go to Florida this year.

[A]

Obviously not in Florida because. Yeah.

[B]

Because of all the.

[A]

All the damage down there and how that looks.

[B]

That's awesome.

[A]

Don't want to be going down There. Doing an event down there while that's happening. That's okay. You know what? Christmas is ahead. I can look forward to that week off there. Oh, boy.

[B]

Yeah, that's a long way. That's a long stretch still.

[A]

Long stretch, man. I'll figure something out. All right, everybody, listen. I hope you guys got some out of this, please. I hope this one didn't sound too preachy, but this is something I so strongly believe in. And now with a platform like this, like. Like Wickster, you guys got to check this out. There's a partner of ours now.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it. It just. It's just. It's a game changer. It is for designers. And, you know, I encourage you to check this out for yourselves and just. Just go look at the inspiration. Because if you see what layout is looking like right now and the flexibility that we will have, we now have, this can change. Because honestly, the web's a boring place right now, and I need some excitement on that.

[B]

Yes, yes.

[A]

So, you know, give it a look, give it a check, you know, open up your eyes to a whole new future of web. And honestly, I know it'll pay you back big time. Absolutely.

[B]

Big time. Yes.

[A]

All right, everybody.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

My name is Massimo.

[B]

My name is Sean.

[A]

Stay creative and stay angry.

[C]

I want to be the greatest everybody on the face. I look around I feel like everybody the fake is I make this every day and I'm impatient hoping one day I blow up from the basement statement the top is so vacant I don't need that I think is amazing waiting for my day when I'm playing sold out shows for a thousand faces hey, give me that crown get in my way and you'll be put down it ain't your place all this my town if I want that then I'll get it Right now I'm losing it the noose if it's some loosey the stupid myth you choose to live or choose to dip you choose to fight or lose your grip and lose a gift.

[A]

I feel like I'm losing my mind. Everybody in the world d please, lord, give me a sign A significant.