Cutting Through The Cool Trends

Jamie Hamilton • December 18, 2014

Jamie Hamilton is a Web Design Consultant with Conversion Foundry, he creates web based visual designs and solutions for clients and brands. Jamie has contributed a blog for The Talent Hive followers, sharing his experience, approach to design and the importance of delivering what the client has asked for.

Cutting through the cool trends

Imagine standing in the middle of a square in Tokyo with all those flashing billboards and neon signs around you. It can be hard to focus on one single thing amongst the blur and the clutter. The one board that’s going to stand out, that’s really going to stick in your mind, is one that has a simple, clear, compelling message.

That’s what I aim for with website design. I want to be the one website out of thousands that people remember. These days, internet users are becoming a lot smarter and more mature about web content. There’s so much out there online already that people have become bored of a lot of things. Been there, seen that.

Rather than focus on what’s the ‘cool trend’ right now, a designer needs to get the client’s message out there as clearly and eloquently as possible so it will stick in people’s minds.

I’ve been a visual/ interactive designer for 14 years now. I started off working in a large brand agency in Auckland creating CD Rom content and 3D modelling. Then, as things moved away from offline into online, I began working with HTML, HTML5 and Java Script.

Now, I work at the Conversion Foundry in Christchurch helping clients create a design which “delights and attracts” people to perform a certain task. That task- what we call conversion- can be anything from signing up to something, to buying something, to contacting the company. What a great design does is to get people to intuitively convert by creating conversion pathways. That’s what I’m after.

I like to tailor the visual aesthetic very specifically to the client and their industry. When we’ve got a new client I sit down with them and talk to them about their business and what they’re trying to achieve. I research competing websites to see what other people are doing in the space and then I come up with a design that I think is going to best represent that brand. It’s about getting the key messages out there in most straight-forward manner, while still making it interesting and ‘selling the sizzle’.

In my field, the biggest failing you can have is if the design doesn’t match the client. This usually happens when the designer hasn’t listened to the client – their greatest asset – and instead focuses on what is a visual trend right now.

I believe the design industry operates on a two-year cycle of visual trends where you tend to see the same thing popping up in a lot of work. It’s like designers are trying to take those trends and force them on the client because it’s ‘cool’ rather than looking at what is best for the client.

That’s not to say designers shouldn’t keep up to date with what’s going on in the industry. I think as a designer it’s essential to follow blogs and magazines which showcase designers and learn the latest trends are. But at the same time rather than copying those trends directly, you need to use it to develop your own skills and personal style. Instead of using a new brush I’ve found on the internet, I’ll use a real life brush to paint something and scan it onto the computer.

It’s a fine line between staying up to date with trends and creating useful solutions which actually work for your client. I believe the greatest inspiration for designers come not on the computer but by looking at the visual world around you. One designer I know is really into scrapbooking. She will be walking down the road, find a leaf she likes, put in her scrapbook and then that will inspire her texturally. I love that approach. That’s going to create a design that’s unique. That’s a design that’s going to stand out in a Tokyo square.

Conversion Foundry are a specialist online marketing and conversion optimisation company. They architect and optimise websites that make great first impressions, connect with the right people and convert them into customers.

Conversion Foundry have a team of experts in SEO, AdWords, Design and User Experience. They use a collaborative approach to optimise websites from all angles, ensuring steady traffic growth and return on investment.

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Temp & Contract Recent Trends

May 1, 2024

The economic conditions are influencing the contract employment landscape in several ways. Here are some of the trends Talent Hive has seen recently. Demand Shifts NZ firms facing economic headwinds are hesitant to commit to FTE hires but with projects and deadlines still to deliver on, there is likely to be more reliance on temporary and contract solutions to manage workloads in the coming months. Available Talent Although not widespread, layoffs and restructures in the Tech sector could lead to a larger pool of candidates available for temporary and contract work, and Talent Hive has seen an increase in enquiries from people looking to understand how they might set themselves up for contract engagements. This has the potential to increase competition but could also provide businesses with access to qualified talent on a flexible basis. Tech Sector Specifics We are seeing an increase in demand for contract staff recently, particularly Software Developers, Integration and Solution Architects, and Business Analysts. This upswing in demand is reflected in the recent Seek job listings data. There are 207 Contract IT/Tech roles advertised on Seek today and 23% of those contract roles have been listed in the last 7 days. 52 of the 207 contract roles advertised are for Software Eng/Developers with 30 listed ads for Contract BA’s. Wage Control In Stats NZ’s latest update, New Zealand's salary rates actually increased by 4.1 percent in the year to March. That labour cost growth slightly outstripped inflation, which was sitting at 4 percent. Contract hourly rates in the Technology sector have stabilised in recent months as hiring demand has decreased and we may even see hourly rates come back a little, particularly for role types where there is an oversupply of contract talent. Hybrid Work Trend One trend we are certainly seeing in the contract market are fewer remote work opportunities. Increasingly there is a requirement for contractors to have the ability to work some of the week at a designated office and this is restricting the opportunities contractors are able to go for. Full remote work options aren’t completely gone but they are significantly reduced. Contract candidates must be open to in-office work for at least some portion of their engagement. Overall, the current climate creates a complex landscape for both businesses seeking talent and professionals exploring temporary and contract opportunities. Success for Contractors will depend on adaptability, flexibility around rates, and contract length. Talent Hive's Value Talent Hive's understanding of the current market dynamics, along with our strong network of skilled professionals, positions us uniquely to support both clients and candidates Addressing Uncertainty: For businesses navigating hiring uncertainty, Talent Hive offers flexible staffing solutions. We have access to contract talent that are ready to fill immediate skill gaps and help organisations manage fluctuating workloads. Beyond Just Tech Skills: We understand that finding the right technical expertise is only half the battle. Talent Hive's strong connections within the contractor talent pool allow us to identify professionals who are not only technically capable but also a strong cultural and organisational fit for our clients. This approach ensures smoother onboarding and a positive impact for both the contractor and the employer. We would like to share some of the contractors we’re working with at the moment. Click below to view some of the great IT talent we're working with to find roles at the moment.