Client expectations in website design
I looked at a website design job this morning - basic updating job, converting a site from tables to an xhtml/css layout and making the load time quicker and the site more Search Engine Friendly . . . the usual. Then comes the kicker- she wants the dropdown menus like the ones here:
Now, if you look at the source code, it seems like half of the lines of code on the page are the inline javascript that makes those suckers work. Which means, if I do this website design job the way the woman wants, I’ll be giving her good web code and load time and then, when I add the menus she wants, taking it back away from her.
There was a job posting on one of the freelancer sites recently that had the same shades of web design craziness- That client wanted her webpage to load in under 8 seconds but wanted to keep her full-page flash animation and embedded music file that was set to autoplay. My suggestion to her, which I didn’t make, but wanted to, is to buy all her surfers a broadband connection- and even then she might be borderline. This is the second time she’s posted this job since her first hired programmer didn’t give her what she wanted . . . though the first programmer probably gave her exactly what she asked for, oxymoronically.
To all of you who are considering hiring me for web design work, please note. I do a mean backstroke but I CANNOT WALK ON WATER. Thank you.
October 25th, 2005 at 2:47 pm
Here here… [applause]…! I am with you… you pull every trick out of your bag to give them what they want and then oh yeah I want 800 lines of javascript to drive those stupid menus. I don’t land much side work anymore, no big I have a day job… but if I accept the work it’s carte blanche. I can’t hack knowingly not doing the best… it’s like standing over you mechanic while he is working on your car and demanding he do it this way or that way… wouldn’t fly one bit. Nice site keep up the good work - it’s my 1st visit
re\ Jim