I started designing websites in 1999, although looking back, I suppose “designing” is a strong word. Actually, it was my husband, Grant who started this business “because he wanted to do something on the internet”. His father is a programmer and he had taught Grant the basics in programming when he was just 9 years old. So, he started this web design business and I watched and gave him the necessary support to  help get it off the ground.  My husband is a brilliant programmer and problem solver, he always has been, which is one of the many reasons I fell in love with him nearly 19 years ago. However, he was never much of a visual artist.

Anyway, he started this company and I watched and helped where I could. We had 4 children at home and I home-schooled them, so I was there every day to watch it grow. I remember watching him create these websites on the computer in our bedroom, and after a couple weeks I was no longer content to just watch from the sidelines. I asked him to show me how he did what he was doing, and he did.

I had already been an artist for as long as I could remember, so that part came naturally. As Grant taught me how to manipulate images within the confines of a computer program and create a website in Front Page , I became addicted to web design. I loved it, and within a short time, I was creating designs that surpassed my husband’s artistic skills. I still have to laugh when I think back at the early designs we created because they were, well, 1999 designs. Kind of like the clothes that we wore in 1980 were, well, sooooo 1980.  My design skills were seriously wanting, but I never knew it (thank goodness!). I marveled at being able to create elements and pages, and I thrilled at seeing my creations on-line. Sort of like my mini claim to fame – at least in my own mind – which was a good thing.

I say it was a good thing that I thought I was great even when I wasn’t because I still believe that this had a lot to do with our rapid and continued success. Seriously, from the very beginning we had a “web design firm”. We got an 800# and we created our own company website (which was horrific, but that is beside the point). The real point is that we were owners of a professional web design firm, and we were professional web designers. This was never a question, and over time, our business became what we had already envisioned and impressed upon others. 

Now, this does not mean that I was so arrogant that I didn’t see the need for improvement because that is not the case. I thought I was good (and in retrospect I probably wasn’t as awful as I think I was for that time period), however, I ALWAYS wanted to be better. As a result, I scoured the Internet for inspiration and ways to create better websites, more beautiful graphics, ways to make web pages that would rank high in the search engines, etc. I would literally spend at least 2 hours a day combing the web for breathtaking designs and the newest technical tips, and then I would spend hours trying to recreate these designs or implement these techniques. And over time, it paid off.

Of course we moved on to Dreamweaver for creating the websites, and Fireworks and Photoshop for creating the design elements. I have designed probably 300-400 websites personally since 1999, and to this day I have created sites that still take my breath away. But, is there room for improvement? Absolutely. Which is exactly why I still scour the web for breathtaking designs and the latest techniques. Technology is constantly changing and will continue to do so, but that is precisely what makes this industry so exciting.

So, there you go. We all have to start somewhere. But what’s important is not where you begin, but where you end up – and hopefully you enjoy the journey along the way. I know I have.

©2008 Siouxie Boshoff. All Rights Reserved.