We had a chat with freelance web designer Phil Matthews (www.twitter.com/philmatthews) about his recently launched UK web design blog www.thewebdesignblog.co.uk, the challenges of writing regular content, his thoughts on the web design trends we will see in 2010 and his tips for anyone looking to set up their own blog…
Could you provide a bit of information about yourself and thewebdesignblog.co.uk?
I’ve been a freelance web designer (www.weymouthwebdesign.com) for nearly six years. In September 2009 I setup The Web Design Blog with the intention of providing web design resources, tutorials, downloads and interviews.
How do you come up with your article ideas and how long does each one take to research and write?
In the strangest of places! I’ve found the best ideas come when I least expect it. I could be sat at my desk for hours wracking my brains for an idea that never comes to fruition. Then, suddenly (normally before I fall asleep at night) an idea for an article will pop in to my mind so I always make sure I have a notepad next to the bed to jot them down for the morning.
Are there any web design trends you are expecting to be big in 2010?
I’m expecting to see a lot more designs push the boundaries of the normal grid and box models and not stick to rigid layouts. The trend for big imagery, logos and headers will probably continue as designers look to provide immediate impact with their creations. I quite like the hand drawn look that has become popular so I’d quite like to try this style out for myself if I get the chance.
The UK has a large and active web design community but why do you think that article/ blog style sites from the USA still dominate so much (e.g. smashingmagazine.com and its network)?
I don’t know for sure. A lot of the big blogs like Smashing Magazine, Web Design Ledger and Web Designer Depot have all earned the right to be at the top because their content and articles are superb. Smashing Magazine has picked up an unfair reputation for writing too many “list articles” but I disagree with this. They have a wonderful archive of resources and information and I love the content they provide.
Although my blog is UK based I try to provide resources that will appeal to everyone. There are so many talented designers all around the world and design is universal!
When you first started the website how did you go about getting people to read your blog?
Initially I just posted links to my Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/philmatthews) which got a small amount of traffic. I’ve been lucky enough to interview some fantastically talented designers for the blog which has proved very popular. They’ve shared lots of advice and stories which have really helped promote the blog to a wider audience.
How big a part does ’social media’ play in raising awareness and driving traffic to your blog?
Quite a bit in fact! Twitter is the main way I promote the blog and articles I publish but I also make sure I submit new stories to sites like Design Bump, Design Float, The Web Blend, Digg and Stumble Upon. I’ve also been lucky enough to have the website featured on CSS Remix which has provided a lot of traffic to the website.
What are the top three tips you would give to someone planning on setting up their own industry blog?
1) Write about something you are passionate about. This could be a niche subject or, like with my blog, a more general subject like web design. Whatever you choose you have to be fanatical about your subject otherwise you won’t have the motivation to keep writing about it. Pick something you love and it will be a lot easier to come up with content.
2) Let your users interact with your website. Providing a place for visitors to post comments on your blog will help you get feedback on what articles are popular, help promote your articles and keep the interest on the story going. Also make sure you provide a way for people to spread the word about each article to all major social networks.
3) Focus on content above everything else. It is easy to focus too much on the things that are less important when setting up a blog. I’d recommend putting the time and effort in to the content first and then everything else should fall in to place.
You use WordPress to power your blog, why did you choose that over all the other blogging and CMS programs available?
I chose WordPress as I’ve used it regularly for client websites so it was the obvious choice. Despite WordPress being a blogging platform I’ve been using it more and more as a full content management system in recent months because it is so flexible to work with. Every time I setup a new website with WordPress I find I learn something new!
Which are the essential WordPress plug-in’s you always use?
One of the best things about WordPress is the huge range of plug-ins that are available. I always use “All In One SEO” and “XML Sitemap” which are invaluable for search engine optimisation. For my blog I found “Related Posts” and “WordPress Popular Posts” were ideal for promoting older content at the end of each article.
Although I’ve been lucky to avoid spam comments (so far) on my blog, I’ve setup “Akismet” in anticipation of this starting in the future. I am currently looking to improve the comments section of my site so I’ll be on the search for some comment enhancing plug-ins soon.
Are there any UK focused resources and sites that you would recommend for beginners and advanced designers?
Grace Smith (www.gracesmith.co.uk) always has really useful design links on her Twitter stream (twitter.com/gracesmith) I also love both of Chris Spooner’s websites www.line25.com and http://blog.spoonergraphics.co.uk which contain tutorials and resources. I’d also highly recommend www.boagworld.com (both the podcast and forum) which is a treasure trove full of knowledge and a must for every web designer!
Thanks for the interview! 
Name:Matthew Telfer
About:Matthew is Heart Internet's Marketing Manager, and has held senior marketing positions in the web hosting industry for half a decade. With a passion for online marketing, Matthew is responsible for shaping strategy and developing the Heart Internet brand.
Tags: Web Design, WordPress
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