The Panda Express Tabloid - Digital Design and all its charm!

Sep 18, 2018 2:31:36 PM

It may seem completely obvious, but for any site, brand or industry to be successful they need a bunch of creative minds behind the scenes, making their cause scream ten times more than the rest. For those who already work in a creative role, finding a company that will give you that design freedom and provide progression in a growing industry is extremely difficult.

Thinking of design, it is normally dominated by offline requirements in a company. With changing times and such a huge difference from what was seen 50 years ago. Even companies that have refused to budge in going online up until now are adapting to the publics demands.

Ben Lerch our digital design panda has a vast experience in speaking with clients across the Ecommerce industry, including candidates that are actively making changes to break through into digital design. Being a creative mind himself, Ben has answered some questions from purely his point of view. These are not tabloids to display what we want you to hear, but what our individual consultants have to say about their specialism.

How important do you feel it is for a company to acknowledge and fund a successful digital design team?

“No, not really. I think Amazon should use WordPress and use “Arial” for everything.

Of course – it’s important! Design is in everything these days. Especially when it comes to Ecommerce websites. Yes, Design is only one part of a much bigger machine – but (to me at least) it’s one of the most important. UI and UX Designers (and hybrids) are responsible for the entire look/feel of any one webpage. You could say, Designers are responsible for the “personality” and “voice” of a site – otherwise they’d all be plain white, in “Lorem Ipsum”.”

Is the need for design professionals expanding or have you seen a difference from when you first started?

“Design requirement seems to be going up and up – across both permanent and contract roles. Where it gets interesting, is the diversification of roles. As sites become more complex and companies look to innovate/incorporate new technology – the role of the “Designer” has changed. Ten years ago, there were only Web Designers (no UX or UI division) and now we have new roles like “CX” (Customer Experience), “SD” (Service Designers), “ID” (Interaction Designer), “UCD” (User Centred Designer) …. and many more. So, to summarise – It’s forever changing and evolving! Who knows what new roles we’ll have in 2028 – “Augmented Reality Designers? Voice Search Designers?”

What is it that you find interesting and attractive about the clients and roles you work with?

“We work with a range of clients – all Ecommerce-centric, but across everything including fashion, luxury, finance, food retail, sports, news/media, Pure-Play etc. However, I think the reason I enjoy working with them is simply because they enjoy working with us! We work hard to cultivate strong bonds/trust with our clients – which is reflected in our high level of exclusivity on roles!”

What do you find clients are lacking in candidates?

“Some of the clients we speak with, come to us with a vacancy they want filled (usually pretty urgently). However, the question we want to know is “What is the problem?” Or better yet, “What is the solution? WHY do you need this person in your team?”.

The reason being – sometimes, the person they need may not match the job requirement long term – which is where we come in! Part of our job is to use our extensive Ecommerce/Industry experience (remember, we talk to A LOT of different companies) to advise you on the what we see in the market and what is best for your company moving forward.

This results in – better understanding for client/candidates on the role requirement, better strategic planning for the role/team/company long term and higher retention – Meaning less turn over, and less money spent on re-hiring!”

What do you find candidates are lacking from clients and in roles?

“On the candidate side – Many of our candidates have a goal in mind with regards to their next role. E.g. With a major fashion brand, or working with a smaller team, moving up into a Manager/Lead role). However, as is often the case – they need advice on how to get there. Again, that’s us! We’re here not only to share roles and manage your interview processes – we offer advice! We’re like the SIRI of job searches.

Applying for a job is one thing, but making sure you’re CV/Portfolio is right, researching the right background skills, fully understanding the role, ace-ing the interview – are another!”

Have you seen any industry changes with regards to Ecommerce digital design?

“It’s constantly evolving – much like a living, breathing organism. The biggest change I have seen, is how Designers are being utilised. Many are now becoming Hybrid designers – schooling themselves in new technical/software skills to stay ahead of the curve. These are our best candidates, the ones that recognise where the Industry is going and adapt to stay relevant. After all, it’s your job and your passion, even if you don’t use it straight away – “Knowledge is power.”

Do you have any of your own predictions for the Ecommerce digital design future?

“It’s only going to get BIGGER! Especially with the death of the traditional high street retailer.

Many companies are migrating online to save staff, building, franchising costs – It’ll be interesting to see how many physical stores exist in 5 years’ time…”

What do you think?

Share your thoughts on this post - whether you agree, disagree or have your own insight to share, we want to hear from you!

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