Web Templates Blog welcomes Owen Gigg of WestWindMoves Web Solutions . This interview is the latest in our series of interviews with web designers.

How did you get into web design?  “I was tasked with writing web pages to provide support to engineers working on projects within British Aerospace around 1997.  A couple of years later, I left Aerospace and worked as developer at Liverpool University.  In 2001 I set up WestWindMoves and haven’t looked back.”

Do you remember the very first site you designed?  “It was a site to support engineers using a software tool called RDD-100. This was hosted on the company Intranet.”

Where do you get your art for these webpages?  “In house designers, stock photo libraries, photo objects.”

What will be the next big development in webpage design?  “XML - it’s already here but it’s going to change the way everything relates to each other.”

Have you ever worked with website templates?  “Yes, but our clients require tailored designs so templates aren’t really our thing.  However, we do sometimes use elements from templates such as a graphic, image or button.”

What website template providers have you tried?  “Template Monster and Boxed Art.com.”

What was your experience with them?  “OK - but our template use is limited.”

What do you think about Flash technology?  “Flash is a great technology but is often misused on the web.”

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Flash?  “Advantages - Streaming Video with Flash Video is great - it’s supported by 99% of browsers unlike some of the other formats.  You can embed some nice Flash snippets to improve the look of a site.  Disadvantages - Sites totally written in Flash are a complete waste.  Nobody will find them because their not indexed by Search Engines.   Flash is also misused by a lot of developers who simply want to ’show what they can do’ rather than fulfilling the purpose of the website.  You don’t see Flash at all on the most effective websites such as Google, Ebay, Amazon …etc.  If you don’t need to use Flash to get the message across, then don’t use it.”

What are your sources of inspiration?  “Other designers, nice sites we come across.”

What are your favorite website designs that you did not design yourself?  “Google.com - because it works. Effectiveness over elaborate design every day of the week.”

What was the toughest project or customer situation you’ve encountered?  “Customers often say ‘Our site needs to have the Wow factor’. This is a common request.  Customers need to understand that the ‘Wow factor’ is the site fulfilling or exceeding it’s purpose, not unnecessary graphical effects.  Google has the ‘wow factor’ because it works.  Could you imagine the detrimental effect of a Flash splash screen added to Google.  It would kill it overnight.”

What are your interests and dislikes in webpage design?  “Interests - Meeting new clients, dynamic programming, XML, inoperability. Dislikes - Amateur webbies who think the keywords metatag is all that is required to place highly in search engines.  It’s not even relevant to most engines.”

We appreciate your candor Owen, as well as the benefit of your experiences and expertise.

Beat the Drum,
Arthur Browning