We were at the Adobe Max Design Conference last year, when Brandon Reader introduced himself and visited our booth. We started to explain the purpose of the .design domain name extension and he mentioned that he already had one! After pouring a lot of time and soul getting it to look and function the way he envisioned, he reached out to share it. And wow, the result, seamlesscreative.design, did not disappoint! If you’re a designer, this is a great website to learn from in terms of clearly communicating the types of design you can offer. The navigation of the site makes it easy to check out past projects or contact Brandon. And the contrast between the dark grey, futuristic headers and the white background below the fold on each page help to establish a visual continuity throughout the site.
Interview with Brandon Reader, seamlesscreative.design
We got the chance to catch up with Brandon and learn more about his experience launching his design business and building his site, seamlesscreative.design. See below for some of the unique insights he shared.
What drew your attention to .design?
BR: In changing my business name to Seamless Creative for the rebranding and relaunch I wanted something other than a .com extension. I noticed that .design was a new extension and it fit perfectly!
How has .design helped you?
BR: .design has given my business name a creative edge. I feel it is a unique way to define a url and helps to set the tone of my business.
What is your big audacious goal and dream with this seamlesscreative.design website?
BR: My goal is to provide quality creative services to businesses and individuals. Whether a start-up client or an established one looking to rebrand themselves. I’m interested in clients that are serious about their business and realize the power of a good investment into creative services. In order to grow my business I would like to expand my network of resources I can outsource to for help with more complex coding solutions, copywriting, advanced SEO, etc.
Who have been your inspirations to date?
BR: I have been a long-time fan of Tony Novak, John Carroll and Eric Jordan at 2Advanced Studios. This team has pushed the boundary of interactive design from their inception and I have enjoyed following the progress. Lately, I have been impressed with the redesign of the “A Book Apart” series from designer and co-founder Jason Santa Maria. If you are not familiar, this is a collection of short books for web designers and a great way to learn new techniques.
How do you hope to inspire other designers?
BR: One of my driving initiatives is that design doesn’t have to be complicated. If you find yourself struggling with a design, start with the extreme basics and build from there. Ask yourself if what you are adding benefits the experience or detracts from it. I think that is where you can find what defines effective design for your own project.
What is one thing you’ve mastered and one thing you’re still learning?
BR: I’ve gotten really good at making French press coffee when starting a new project! Seriously though, I can’t claim to have truly mastered anything in design or technology because they are both in a constant state of evolution. What am I still learning? Well, everything actually. Lately, I am trying to expand my knowledge of JavaScript for more engaging interactive experiences.
What has the website done for you or your business?
BR: This new site presents a majority of what Seamless Creative has to offer. This gives potential clients the ability to learn about the services and work at their own convenience. When they are ready to start a new project it becomes an easier conversation with them since they already have insight into what Seamless Creative is about.
Either intentionally or not, by using .design you are associating with a design community online. What does that community or concept mean to you and how do you see yourselves therein?
BR: Our design community is an amazing way for creatives to support each other in design and the business of design. We all share the same struggles with layouts, client interactions, programming languages… the list goes on. Having such an expansive online community enables solutions to quickly be realized and no designer needs to feel alone in their struggles. I love engaging with the community, it is always an opportunity to learn something new or help someone who may have had the same problem.
Conclusion
Great website design and great design services go hand in hand. If you are thinking about refreshing your own brand, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Brandon at seamlesscreative.design.
Hopefully this interview with the creator of seamlesscreative.design gives you ideas for your own portfolio. If you’re a designer and want to grab a .design domain name to reflect what you do as a designer, click the link below to search for a name you want.