John is a Ph.D. in psychology and is a Marriage and Family Counselor as well with numerous accolades. He practiced in California and out of Pleasanton for over 20 years.
However, he had the foresight to see that one’s credibility relies more and more with an online presence.
He wanted a web site target to a particular market of other professional in the Pleasanton and East Bay area. He had a clever idea or direction to go in that came from another colleague. Visually it was simple, clever, elegant. Very smart and nicely done. However it also had a slight feel of irreverence to it. This made the brand all the cooler and seemed just right for an urban psychology practice to young professionals. The designer in me loved it.
John on the other hand is a very reverent and sensitive guy who emits honesty and trust. Maybe a little nerdy but authentic. I chose to steer him away from his colleagues site and focus more on his message, style and approach.
We chose a direction that would be simple, clear, elegant and as neutral and non-judgmental as possible without looking too clinical. Palette and imagery was kept to bare minimum. This became an exercise in under statement while not being hair pulling boring.
Another challenge in this process was convincing John that he had the content in him to post to create a relevant website. Anyone with a successful practice should be able to write about their profession. And luckily John was up for it and his mojo going.
As a small business or individual professional, my clients have a wealth of information about the product or service they are providing and I often act as a content coach (if you will) to bring that story to the surface and put “in post” (on paper). I persist in asking for explanations and articulations on all relevant nuances of their craft or ware. I love to flex my curiosity.