Interview: Claus Pescha, web designer, web developer

Mr Pescha, you are a web designer. What exactly do you love about your job?

Freedom and creativity. I like to design and use my work to convey what my clients stand for. A website is a shop window for every company. That's why it should invite you to enter and get to know my client and their services better.

Which sectors do you specialise in?

I work for numerous industries, such as the skilled trades, mechanical and plant engineering, manufacturing, restaurants and hotels. But my clients also include freelance professionals such as lawyers, tax consultants, architects, artists, authors and coaches.

The sectors you mentioned are very different. How do you manage to familiarise yourself with the special features of each one?

Various things help me to do this: firstly, I like getting to know people. I am a good listener and have an eye for valuable details. As a geographer, I am used to looking at things from different angles in order to understand connections, work out the essentials and present them in an understandable way. I think and empathise with my clients' projects. To do this, I ask a lot of questions to understand what exactly is special about them or the companies and their products and services. 

On the other hand, there are also sectors to which I have a more personal connection. For example, renewable energies, where I worked for many years, or catering, as a passionate chef I have a particular soft spot for hospitality and good food. I know how to present this on the website so that guests are directly addressed and want to enjoy it.

Is there something that unites all your projects?

Yes, every website is about clarity and authenticity. Clarity in terms of personal strengths, your own services and their value. But also clarity with regard to the target group and what information is relevant for them. I help my clients to find this. The other is authenticity. A website has to fit the personality or the company. That's why I invest a lot of time and creativity in details and the selection of images. 

You programme pages exclusively in WordPress. Why do you do this?

In my opinion, WordPress is the best content management system available on the market. It is by far the most widely used CMS in the world. WordPress offers continuous technical development, future-proofing and ease of use. This means that users can easily change the content of their website.

Cf. Content management systems - development of market shares

You combine web design and web programming in your work. What advantages does this have for your customers?

In my opinion, web design and web programming can no longer be separated. Technological progress in web development is enormous. This means that if a programmer is not up to date with the latest technology, he limits the design of a site. On the other hand, if the designer does not know the technical possibilities and limitations, he cannot take them into account in his design. The result: time-consuming coordination processes, many correction runs and sometimes disappointed customers because they don't get the site they imagined.

I combine design and programming in web development. This results in four key advantages for my customers: shorter realisation times, less coordination effort, websites that look as if they have been cast from a single mould and, of course, lower investment costs.

You mention technical progress. What has changed?

Let me give you an example: until a few years ago, so-called multi-purpose themes with an integrated page builder were very popular. These themes were primarily intended for users who had little or no programming knowledge. And so pure graphic designers also used these page builders to offer their customers complete website development. However, the main disadvantages of these page builder themes are limited design options, relatively long website loading times and cumbersome administration. In addition, there are increasing incompatibilities with the core functionalities of WordPress, which has developed enormously and has now made page builder technology obsolete and redundant.

The technical developments in web programming through new standards such as HTML5, CSS3 and grid layouts make much leaner, faster and superior designed websites possible. In addition, the loading time of a website now plays a major role in the ranking.

Many companies have recognised this and are having their website redeveloped by me. They say goodbye to page builder themes and achieve a high-performance website that represents their company excellently and makes it fun to get to know their services or products.

The interview was conducted by Sabine Walter
from the network management consulting | coaching.