There is something undeniably magical about a recipe. Maybe it's the precision of ingredients that bring about the perfect flavor balance. Or it could be the fundamental idea of combining small food to make big food. Whatever the reason, recipes carry a unique beauty for our palette to explore.
The same can be said for a web designer's work. Each project uses a combination of tastes to create a special dish. Whether it be the design, development, or services offered, a designer's profile is essentially their recipe. A given recipe isn't for every tongue, no doubt, but those who favor a certain kind of dish are sure to know what they want.
The secret sauce
This is often times the most difficult part of honing in on differentiating value. The secret sauce is a designer's calling card and can be a major aspect of winning bids - especially in a competitive sea of brilliant talent. The sauce could be how a designer uses photos juxtaposed with text blocks, an illustration style, or even a certain tone that resonates well with an audience.
For example, NationBuilder Architects Tectonica are keen on (and quite adept at) using animation in theme designs as demonstrated with their own site. Others, like Skyrocket, cleverly introduce background video and staggered content blocks into many of their builds.
The chef's personality
Notice how chefs with their own TV show(s) aren't particularly shy? They radiate a sense of passion for their work and ooze eccentricity; an intriguing blend of pioneer and madness that makes for fantastic television.
Designers should be embracing this as well. A unique personality, reflected in both team and work, creates a spotlight that intends to arouse curiosity. The team over at Elegant Seagulls does this in name alone. You'll notice there is a theme of seagulls and trees present throughout their site - which you can read about the foundation of here.
As a casual observer, I'd be interested in learning more about these seagulls of elegance...
The ambiance
There is no denying our environment has a lot to do with how we enjoy a recipe. A delicate, French-inspired dish doesn't attach the ideal experience if you were consuming it inside of a rustic saloon with sawdust on the floor, just as a hearty stew feels wrong when surrounded by that airy and bright aesthetic of a juicery.
Same goes for a narrative that a customer is trying to communicate. Using dark, austere styles to promote a kid's pop-up book is as misguided as applying sunny, playful illustrations to a landing page for a new champagne (unless that champagne is cotton candy flavored).
This is obviously Design 101, but showcasing our versatility of styles shouldn't feel forced. We need to be conscious of our modus operandi, know where our design tastes fit best, and go all-in with pushing that formula in front of potential customers that have a parallel vision.
