I’m not exactly sure why this is but I think it has something to do with having months of hard work packed into one neat package. You can hold your hard work in your hands and have it enjoyed (hopefully) by many.

Regardless of the reason, I’ve embarked on the magical journey of writing my first ebook.

It’s going to be about web design and the primary audience will be for those that want to learn the how and, more importantly, the why of design.

Since this is my first book I’m not sure exactly how long it is going to take me to write. But what I do know is that I’m going to put all my heart and knowledge into it and hopefully it will delight – just like what beautiful design is supposed to do.

I’m no different.

I’ve been working on new concepts and compositions for my new website for at least a year now. I’m constantly questioning my design choices and looking for the latest technologies to implement in order to show off my skills as a designer. After all, the main point of a designer’s web page is to showcase their work and hopefully attract new clients.

But the problem with all my questioning and implementing is that things are never perfect. Things are never complete. My personal website will never be finished.

For example, the design you see now was not created after months of painstaking work but rather in a 4 hour stint I put together last night.

Frustrated by not being able to complete my website I simply put this one together because I need something to publish.

I know I’m not the only designer that suffers from this and I think it comes down to two main issues:

Client work is often very well defined

When I’m working with a client I make sure to get all the information I need to fully understand what I will be designing and why.

I create a clear structure and vision for what I’m designing. From there every element in my design is specifically chosen to meet that vision.

With personal work the structure and vision are much less clear. When I’m trying to represent myself in a design I have a lifetime of experiences to draw from which makes it difficult combine concepts together.

It’s like trying to paint an image that is based on both warm and cool colour pallets. Yes it can be done, but it is much more difficult than just painting around a single theme.

Personal work is, well, personal

A personal website is supposed to represent you, give your visitors an insight into who you are and what you’re capable of. You want to represent yourself with a body of work that will show everyone (including your fellow designers) that you are highly skilled and that your work, to be honest, is worth top dollar.

Combine all these factors together and you have a recipe for the perfect storm for designers. A storm that is likely to last years or, as in my case, may never end at all.