The ConvergeSC speaker videos were just posted today. Watching clips from them, I am reminded how much fun it was, how much I learned, and how much I have forgotten already! The speakers were EXCELLENT, and I am so glad there is video footage so I can go back and watch these presentations again.

If you weren’t there, consider this a free web conference - fantastic tips, fun presentations, and maybe a little humor too. Here are a few of my favorite design talks from the conference, though it is honestly hard to name favorites as each presentation was excellent. To see the rest of the videos, go to the Vimeo page. Enjoy!

Let me begin by saying that I cannot come close to providing a decent summary of this speaker.  Matthew Smith (from SquaredEye) did a phenomenal job when he spoke on Saturday, as was evident by the massive amount of nods, tweets, and chatter that broke out during and after his presentation.

On a non-internet related note, Smith is a fantastic rhetorician.  He is very comfortable, witty, and organized in his thoughts and presentation material, though he comes off very casual.  It seemed as if everyone in the audience found him very easy to listen to, and he was able to identify with everyone in the room - whether designer or developer.

SquaredEye is all about the details.  Sure, every designer is, in a way, a perfectionist.  Let’s face it - whether it’s a personal or business project, chances are you won’t be able to even take a break until it’s exactly how you want it to look.  I honestly believe that designers have a gift (and a curse) that other professionals don’t have - they are devoured by their desire to make something look good.  Smith, however, seemed to emphasize a different sort of design detail.  The not-so-obvious things take a website from decent to great.  Double borders, gradiant shifts, 3D effects, etc.

In a few ways, Smith said a lot of what Jason Beaird had mentioned earlier - websites need great balance, good color management, and clarity.  He talked about the importance of whitespace, de-cluttering your content, and simplicity.  You need to make room for your site to breathe, letting the content flow and becoming unified with the rest of the page.  Just like good beer, design is all about the nuances - the little things that are hardly noticable, yet make it so enjoyable.

Matthew said something during his presentation that really stuck with me.

“You need to stop learning web design - learn design.”

For designers, this can be a bit difficult.  Admit it - there’s a sense of pride when you throw around the words “web design”.  But design, be it web design, print design, or building design, is fundamental.  When something looks good, people listen.  If Carrie Underwood was trying to say something to me, she’d have my absolute attention.  When a CD cover looks neat, we pick it up.  When an Apple commercial comes on, we watch it.  When the latest 460cc driver teases us from the magazine adds, we buy it.  When a website looks neat, we come back.

To continue the package of ConvergeSC summaries, I’ll talk a little about Jessica Cook’s presentation on content. To those who were in attendance, you might notice that I’m not going completely in order (I’ve skipped a few). This is for a few reasons. First, I’m not planning on recapping every speaker - some just wouldn’t make for great blog posts, and a few are just enough above my head that I don’t want to explain anything incorrectly. However, I’m planning a separate posts to recap these and list any notes I’ve taken.

That said, let’s talk about content.  I think it was very fitting that Jessica stood up and presented without any visuals.  Whether she meant to or not, it’s a perfect example of her topic - the power of content regardless of design.  Throughout her presentation, she was very adamant in saying that great design is nothing without great content.  Here are her words, which were tweeted, retweeted, and discussed for hours after the conference.

“People don’t want websites anymore.  They want answers.”

Jessica advises web designers (especially companies) to seek content first.  From that, designing is easier - you get a feel for your site and can see what the finished product will look like along the way.  She also encourages you to include content specialists in your quote price, so as to avoid customers passing off content writing as a less important aspect that they can handle alone.  Let’s face it - once the site is done, it’s your name that’s credited.  Bad content can ruin a well designed site that is backed by your company name.

Ms. Cook listed 8 ways that web designers and developers can start changing the way we designs sites and influencing content.

• Realize that content is not a feature.
• Get an expert involved.
• Answer key questions (Who is the target?  Audience?)
• Start seeking content earlier.
• Start with a strategy.
• Look beyond the homepage.
• Embrace consumer generated content.
• Stop lying to yourself by saying “content isn’t a big deal”.  It is.

And there  you have it.  Content is king.  You can have a fantastic looking site, but it doesn’t do any good without great content to match.  So often, designers and developers alike get lost in making sure that every little nuance of the site is perfect and pleasing to the eye, yet they miss the one aspect that’s staring them in the face on every page.  This applies to everyone - from big design firms to the casual blogger.  Create good content, make it look good, and use it.