Interview with Gus Mark, Legends website designer
The Legends Journal interviews Gus Mark from Mark Design on his involvement in the Legends project and career path so far.
L.J. Can you briefly explain a typical project from start to finish?
G.M. Not very easily I’m afraid, as there is no typical project really! Each project will vary depending on the client’s needs, desired outcomes and project scope. Some larger projects may last many months, or even occasionally stretch into a second year. Others can be completed in a few hours. Some projects are one-off. Some clients we work with constantly, over many years.
For this project though…
Following an initial briefing discussion with Zoë and Lorna Allan (Legends Art Director) I had plenty of conversations with Jon Brain, the website developer, to talk around functionality, content structure and any non-standard technologies needed. For a smaller site like Zoë’s Legends, this will culminate in an email and chat with the client to talk through the proposed approach.
For larger website projects the first stage would be detailed sitemaps and multiple wireframe stages before any design work starts. But for the Legends site, we just talked through the content structure and then moved straight to the design phase. For this website the visual approach was also heavily influenced by the branding work already completed by Lorna which made the process smoother.
Thankfully Zoë was very pleased with the initial visuals, so there were only minor tweaks to make before passing the finished visuals over to Jon to develop. There are usually a few back and forths to refine the test site before sharing with the client, making any adjustments, and finalising the content. At which point the site is ready to go live. The whole process for a site of this size and complexity is usually completed in a couple of months, depending on everyone’s availability.
L.J. How do you balance creativity with functionality when designing a website?
G.M. There are many parts of the process that can be conceived as ‘creative’ – organising the site content structure and wireframes, considering the best functional approach, and the actual design. What might more commonly be thought of as the creative stage is predictably the most fulfilling part of the project for me, as a designer. But that stage can be surprisingly short!
Working with a developer provides a great balance as Jon essentially ‘polices’ my designs to ensure they can work seamlessly with the agreed functionality!
L.J. How do you approach understanding and implementing a client’s vision?
G.M. There is no better way than just to talk about it at the briefing stage. The words people use that may seem inconsequential, are often the most informative. In this case, we had already worked with Zoë on her main website, so we had a reasonable idea about what she liked.
L.J. What tools or software are essential to your workflow?
G.M. Mostly Adobe Creative Suite for design work, Sketch for wireframing and web design, Trello for project management and Google Chat for daily messages and conversations with regular collaborators. Most of the websites we produce are built on WordPress, but customised for the functionality needed. In this case the ‘Interactive Floorplans’ formed the most complex part of the build.
L.J. How do you ensure a website is accessible and user-friendly for diverse audiences?
G.M. There are various levels of accessibility, and each client may have a level that needs to be met. But for smaller projects it is primarily just good standard practice at both the design and build stages.
L.J. How do you stay updated with the latest design trends and technologies?
G.M. Mostly from social media and from collaborations.
L.J. Can you describe your process for designing a responsive website for different devices?
G.M. Traditionally, the advice would be to design ‘mobile first’. Personally though, it’s always seemed logical to me to design both desktop and mobile at the same time. Something that may work on desktop may work on mobile and vice versa, so each impacts the other.
L.J. In your opinion, what makes a website more important or impactful than relying solely on social media streams?
G.M. Both play important, but differing, roles. A website naturally allows you to present more detailed information and perhaps steer a specific user journey. And in ecommerce sites, you have the framework to present large product catalogues in a filterable and accessible manner.
About your role:
L.J. How did you end up working in web design? What attracted you to it?
G.M. I was working in Graphic Design and Branding before the term ‘web design’ would have been commonly understood! Getting involved in web design just happened slowly as clients’ needs shifted from printed materials to digital over time. It has presented new challenges, but also great opportunities. Whether print or digital though, the underlying priority remains the same – the delivery of information in an accessible and engaging manner.
L.J. How did you learn about it as a job?
G.M. During my school years it became clear that Art was going to be the subject most likely to bring about any chance of career success! So, after school I did a foundation course in Art & Design which helped steer me towards a degree in Graphic Design.
L.J. What is the most satisfying part of your job?
G.M. There can be many small moments of pleasure throughout the design process, when something just suddenly feels right. But I guess the most satisfying part is getting a positive reaction from the client – knowing that we have provided what they wanted, often when they didn’t know what they wanted, and ideally more than they expected.
L.J. What part of your role do you find most challenging?
G.M. Accounts.
L.J. Do you have a hobby or interest that led you to work in this field
G.M. Just as mentioned before, I always loved art when I was younger and am very grateful that it was possible to translate something that I enjoyed into a career.
L.J. What was your first job after you left school?
G.M. Bar and restaurant work mostly to support University and travel. My first ‘graduate role’ was working the log flume at an American funfair.
L.J. What advice would you give young people looking to pursue a similar career?
G.M. It can, of course, be very hard to land a first job, and as a fundamentally quiet person, I found ‘selling myself’ in any way very hard. I still do. People always say networking is the answer, and I’m sure it probably is extremely helpful. But that filled me with horror and dread, so I guess persistence and generally trying to be nice got me there in the end!
L.J. What would you say are the most valuable skills you need for your role?
G.M. A desire to organise and simplify. Curiosity and questioning the norm. Providing solutions efficiently. Being nice to work with.
L.J. Do you have a favourite portrait in Zoë Law’s Legends series
G.M. I think probably Colin Salmon. Maybe it’s the round glasses in a square format, I don’t know? But I do also very much like the Sharleen Spiteri one – what is she thinking?!
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Gus Mark – mark-design.co.uk
Jon Brain – jonathanbrain.com
Lorna Allan – lornaallan.com