Lesley Hays
Web Developer, Bluewire Media
Written by Samantha Hain on 2009-10-09
Lesley Hays is the head website developer for the internet strategy, web design and online marketing company, Bluewire Media. Lesley is a knowledgeable digital consultant and web designer with experience in leading large web design projects. Lesley is also a graduate from the Queensland University of Technology’s (QUT) Communication Design.
Why did you decide to pursue a career in the media and communications industry?
When I decided to go into web development, I didn’t think of it as being in the media and communications industry so I have kind of fallen into it. It has been a really interesting experience so far, especially when working with other organisations in the industry such as advertising agencies as part of our clients’ advertising and marketing strategies. Now I am moving into more of the holistic, strategic side of web development as apposed to just programming. Initially, I decided to study Communication Design at QUT based on the positive things I heard about the course before applying and have been in the industry ever since.
What has been your most memorable achievement or experience working as a part of Brisbane’s media landscape?
It would be Bluewire Media’s involvement with one of our bigger clients, The Queensland Fertility Group. My involvement with them at the moment is essentially as their account manager so coming from a development background and stepping into that role has been a really big achievement for me. Keeping the client happy – and they have been happy with me so far– and all the things that we have been able to do with their website and online presence has been a rewarding experience. They have gone through a few redesigns and since I stepped in, it has been running fairly smoothly while helping them to develop the strategy behind their current website.
What are the most important/valuable skills that graduates can bring to your industry?
Technical skills, obviously, which varies depending on the requirements of the role you’re aiming for. Initiative is also very important as well as confidence in dealing with clients. All of our staff at Bluewire Media are client facing so no matter what you do within the organisation, you will be required to interact with clients so it’s really important that you have the confidence to do so. Whether you’re planning to be a designer or a developer, another key area that graduates should be aware of and know a bit about is usability and general interface design. Even as a developer, you have your own part to play in making sure a designer’s ideas are as usable in practice as on paper. This may include coming up with your own ideas and strategies and it’s important to understand why designers have made certain decisions before you try to implement them.
In your opinion, what is the most prominent trend in web development at the moment?
There are always a number of trends going on at one time and they tend to converge a lot but one that I’ve had personal experience in would be the trend for websites to become smaller and more focused on one particular thing. It can be easier to get users to take action or make purchases if they only have one or two options that are made clear from the start. The Google home page is a great example, though they’re single purpose because that’s what users want to do—they don’t need to coerce people into searching. Alternatively, individual mini-sites for each of a company’s products can help push interested buyers straight to the information and product they’re interested in without having to make their way through a complex corporate site.
What changes do you see happening over the next five years in the web development industry?
Over the next five years in web development I think that our processes and the research that is being done into parts of the industry such as usability, design conventions, how to test things and what we know about users is going to improve as web development as an industry matures. I see these things getting fleshed out more in the same way that the theories supporting the advertising industry have changed and grown over the last 100 years. We should be getting to the point where we can make more design decisions knowing that there are reliable reasons why they’ll work without having to test everything ourselves from scratch.
Can you describe Bluewire Media’s contribution to other Brisbane-based organisations?
Bluewire Media is obviously a digital supplier for Brisbane companies so most of our clients are Brisbane based. We primarily work with organisations in the financial and health sectors so we have clients such as The Queensland Fertility Group, Ezidebit and SunSuper. We find that by focusing on a particular sector, we get to understand all the nuances within that industry. This assists us in being able to better cater to our clients as we will already be familiar with many of their constraints, competitors and design patterns that are relevant to that industry. By developing a close relationship with our clients and understanding their needs, we are able to successfully develop an online identity for these companies.
What do you believe are the most important considerations when developing a website?
Probably the most important consideration when developing a website is to make sure you have something prepared to say by ensuring all your content is well developed and well structured before you start. Another important consideration is to have a good strategy at the beginning of the project. This helps to lay the foundation for the project and ensures that you know all the information you have and where it is going to go. You might also have a creative rationale behind what you are doing before you start and test your initial ideas with real users for things like usability or how easy information is to find.