The Stuff That Dreams are Made Of

People claim that Michaelangelo said that his great sculptures were already inside the marble he carved, that he just got the extra stone out of the way. There is genius in that statement. Every work of art is a fusion of materials, subject matter, artistic inspiration and even random experience in the artist's life.

The purpose of art is to communicate...an emotion, an idea, whatever. Creative works are not static. They are changed by the interaction of the viewer. The audience brings their own interpretation of the work.

Though I do not presume to say that what I do is high art, it is influenced by works that I have seen, heard and experienced. I often seal out the noise of the real world by a set of ear buds and my favorites on my MP3. What I listen to often influences my work, and I gear the music toward the project at hand.

Sometimes a photo catches my fancy and spins my site construction in a whole new direction. Recently my impulsive inclinations turned my format of a personal blogsite into a Southern Gothic nightmare. In my defense, I had 6 hours sleep and nothing to eat for13 hours.

People I know and respect tried to give their advice in a gentle way. They used the calm, quiet voice usually reserved for a rabid animal. It was then that I had an "out of body" moment, seeing the careful impassivity of their faces which were glistening ever so slightly, I realized that I was turning into the crazy aunt in a Southern Gothic novel, and it was time to return to sanity. I scrapped the florid graphics and jungle-wild format for something closer to conformity. After all, the content was shocking enough.

SEO Charting Your Path

Well designed websites require more than attractive composition, graphics and fonts. Designers must write with clarity, speak with authority and read clients’ minds. We are wizards with XML and Photoshop and Dreamweaver. And we can craft deathless prose that would charm the scales off a sidewinder. It is sometimes difficult not to be blinded by our own shining abilities.


What we may fail to recognize, is that a website without traffic is like the Mona Lisa in a closet. If Shakespeare hadn't actually presented his plays to an audience, or published his sonnets, he would be just another anonymous rube of Renaissance England. The most beautifully crafted website would be just another unfulfilled promise if no one clicked on the site. So, although aesthetics rank high in the world of Web Design, having that design show up on page one of a search engine is even more imperative.


Search engine optimization is the step that brings buyers and their bank accounts to the site. It cannot be an afterthought to be dealt with once the important work is done. A successful design must integrate SEO from the word go. It requires a thorough understanding of the industry showcased by the site. It has its own magic spells. Key words should be used early and often. Content should be organic to the industry. The result should be like a Nakashima table: design drawn from the essence of the medium.

The marketplace on the World Wide Web is an interconnection of virtual communities. It helps to have a reputation because there are no secrets in cyberspace. There is no instant answer that can take the place of relationships built on positive interaction. You can, however, shine your web presence by doing a little pro bono work. The hour spent on an informational site which educates readers, also builds credibility and repays the worker many times over.

Image Above: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net