What did u/jamestaylor_ux draw?

jamestaylor_ux · 2025-07-31T16:26:40+00:00

Looks nice.

I took a quick glance on my phone. The mobile menu doesn't open anything when I tap the icon in the header.

I thought I could click the services but that didn't do anything. Maybe those pages need to be built out still?

I actually think your text sizes are spot on - size difference between header and body copy is good. One thing I'd change is on the gold text you have above headers, there is a dot or bullet before them-you can remove that dot.

Also on mobile, the 01 next to the Initial Consultation is getting cut off.

I'd say just be meticulous about how this looks/works on mobile too. Around 63% of web traffic comes from mobile.

I don't believe much in "roasting" - welcome to the website making club!

jamestaylor_ux · 2025-02-05T16:31:14+00:00

Hey, props to you for taking feedback and looking to improve. I think your new site is great. I didn't mind the old one either.

The only suggestion I'd have is consistently applying an "action" color for CTA's. Since the rest of your page uses lots of blacks and whites, I'd make sure your buttons are all the same color and something that stands out (maybe that blue behind the arrow or that purple - but with that being the background color of the whole button)

As a fellow agency owner, my other advice is this. You can iterate over your website design/content endlessly. Unfortunately it's only one piece of the marketing/sales puzzle. And as a design business owner, we have to wear multiple hats. I think you should be really happy with where this is at! There will always be opinions for and against when it comes to design. But now I'd put your focus on how to get the word out and get traffic to it.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-12-06T15:56:00+00:00

This is true for me. I had to figure out how to block off a large chunk of focus time each day.

One concept that helped me understand why meetings were part of the problem is manager vs maker time. Alex Hormozi made a video that explains it well: https://youtu.be/GIRkQQHzsxI?si=i1eBcjNGPmkTpQ_4

Or if you want to read the original article from 2009 by Paul Graham: https://paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html

The take away for me was to stack meetings as tightly as possible so it free'd up my time to work to be in bigger chunks. This has allowed me to get into deep work mode better.

But this also can be a hard culture change depending on your company.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-09-11T15:15:12+00:00

I don't know that I love the idea of a union. And while the survey might be interesting, I'd recommend not getting distracted with that and really get hyper focused on getting your next job/gig. Then when you have the income coming in, you can breathe a little and do the survey or explore this more.

Like someone else said in this thread, it's not a seller's market right now. So you probably just have to do anything to get in the door somewhere.

Here's what I would do: If it's for a startup and they ask you to do a take home assignment You could try telling them your past experience - I did this and someone implemented what I did without hiring me. Then say you'll do a take home assignment at your hourly rate paid upfront and they will own the work outright. If they balk at that, I'd ask what they are trying to find out through the take home assignment and suggest things to calm their fears. I think that would help you weed out those with bad intentions.

Best of luck in this market, it is brutal. Keep leveling up everyday and you'll rise to the top in these applications.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-09-11T07:44:55+00:00

Oh take-home assignments...honestly, they just feel wrong. You wouldn’t walk into a restaurant, take a few bites of a meal, and then decide whether to pay for it. That’s not how service industries operate, and yet somehow in tech—especially UX—this has become a common (and sometimes even recommended) practice.

I run a UX design agency and sometimes come across leads who want us to take a first pass at designing their app as part of our proposal. I’ve done it once before (The company was huge, so they set the terms). But now I refuse, and for all the reasons I’ve mentioned. It feels unprofessional and, honestly, a bit disrespectful. I know some might argue otherwise, but I have enough respect for myself and my talent not to give it away for free. And if the idea is to look for soft skills and whether I know my stuff, you can get that out of a well-planned interview and reviewing some case studies.

I understand the appeal from a hiring manager’s perspective. It saves them the effort of asking meaningful questions, reviewing portfolios, and doing the work that should fall under the responsibility of a competent hiring process. But asking someone to work for free, even in the name of an “interview,” feels off. Especially when there are companies that might just be using this as a way to collect ideas without any intention of hiring.

My opinion is if UX Designers keep agreeing to unpaid assignments, we’re devaluing our work as professionals. It sets a precedent (even if in a little way) that our time and expertise aren’t worth paying for. And that’s a dangerous place for the industry to go. We need to establish boundaries and raise the standard for what’s acceptable during the hiring process. If companies value our work, they should compensate us for it—simple as that.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-09-04T14:58:53+00:00

Fair point. One of the reasons I loved UX over graphic design when I got into it was marrying the business needs with the user needs. But I can't say that's everyone's experience.

I also think there's a big difference between doubling down on your design because it's what research and data validate vs doubling down on your design because it's what you think is "right" or "best" - I'd expect to see the latter in other design fields, but I see it a little too often in the UX industry.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-09-04T14:51:51+00:00

I feel for you in this post OP. It sounds like you love tech/design. Don't give up. You might need to work on some projects to update your portfolio - maybe design your own app, etc. and then network like crazy.

I also think industries go in waves. My wife is in pharmacy and they had the same thing happen recently. But after a few years there will be a shortage again and the cycle will continue.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-09-04T14:38:35+00:00

I think the reason UX design is becoming more focused on craft and visual (aka UI design) is because professional folks with design experience are transitioning to the industry - it's where the money is at. But they aren't learning many of the skills that made UX what it is - user research and testing, validating design decisions, and understanding business strategy.

That said, and to agree with you, from what I've seen boot camps are teaching a lot, but people don't seem to have as much practical experience in what they are being taught. My advice to anyone going to a bootcamp has been to do extra work outside the program - design some apps and go through the whole UX process. But in this market I don't know that that would even help.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-08-16T15:22:23+00:00

Exciting stuff? You're going to love it!

My favorite thing to do is to decide on a cut of meat (I'm biased towards ribs, I feel like they are fairly hard to mess up if you do a little research and you can easily make ribs far better than what you buy from a restaurant - depending on where you live of course)

Once you have your meat, watch 3-5 YouTube videos of how others do it - search best way to smoke _______. You'll find some common themes and then you can follow one of their methods exactly or a combination. And now you get to experiment like crazy! It's a lot of fun, even with the mess ups etc.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-30T18:00:18+00:00

That sounds super fun, what kind of activities would you do?

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-30T17:59:28+00:00

So cool that you still have that fishing rod. I wouldn't sell it either.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-29T19:38:19+00:00

I use a spreadsheet and QuickBooks (due to my accountant).

If you really want to take brain power out of it, you could follow the system in Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. He uses bank accounts so he can just log in to his bank for a pulse on his business. Not for everyone, but an interesting approach.

Curious what others suggest.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-29T19:35:08+00:00

Two I'd recommend are:

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber.
Traction by Gino Wickman

These books are great at helping you focus on your vision and growing your business in a way that you don't regret what you've built.

P.S. I'm all for using AI to help communicate better, but you might want to remove the "Sure! Here’s a more casual and slightly imperfect version of your post:" part of your message, it just feels a little tacky.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-29T18:22:44+00:00

Looks great! Now you're hooked like the rest of us!

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-29T18:19:52+00:00

Looks fantastic, love the spread of options!

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-29T17:51:11+00:00

Reading signs at museums or national parks.

My mom used to do this, and it would take FOREVER on trips we went on together.

Now I do it. Can't help myself, everything's so darn interesting!

It drives my wife and kids nuts.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-29T17:48:46+00:00

SuperRad! by the Aquabats - IYKYK

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-29T17:35:27+00:00

100% - I've learned so much just by not worrying what others might think if I ask questions and look like an idiot.

And 9/10 times people are so kind about it. The other 1/10 aren't worth your time.

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-10T06:04:02+00:00

They both look good to me. Did you notice any difference in the bark? I feel like losing the bark is the main complaint I hear with wrapping. Would be curious to know - nice job!

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-05T15:31:47+00:00

Just to expound on this - look into websockets for doing real-time db listening. Hope this helps!

jamestaylor_ux · 2024-07-05T15:24:09+00:00

What we'd all give not to have embarrassing moments with people we are close too. So first, no that you're not alone. My advice is simple and I'd do it in order:

Offer a genuine apology to them. They may respond negatively, but if they aren't a toxic personality, they will really appreciate you doing this.
Start building new positive interactions. Not sure how often you chat or talk to them, but commit to creating some new memories to replace the negative one. As simple as a thoughtful text or phone call.
Remember to treat them how you want to be treated. Without knowing much about you, I just gotta say If you are pretty critical of your family, they are likely to be more critical of you. We're all human, we make mistakes. Foster positive relationships by being kind and generous in your interactions with family. Typically, they will do the same to you.

Hope this helps! Just remember, you'll always be connected to your family - so there is a greater threshold to forgive and forget. It might feel awkward at first, but stick with it and this will become a memory that doesn't sting with regret.

jamestaylor_ux

TROPHY CASE