Recently I completed a website for Stohlman Tanzi Woodworks, a Rockville, MD- based company who specialize in high-quality architectural millwork for commercial and residential clients. They were a great firm to work with, and together we had a lot of fun strategizing, planning, designing and building the site. However, the site development process did not proceed without the occasional hiccup. When I presented one of the first design concepts to Marketing Director Luigi Tanzi — a design that I thought was superb — his response was direct: “I don’t like it.”

It was a surprise to hear Luigi’s initial reaction. However, as we discussed the issue, it emerged that he was not unhappy with the visual design, but rather the fact that it did not speak to the target audience he had in mind. I had designed the site primarily for a “residential” audience — individuals with lots of money to spend on fine-quality craftsmanship. Having been blown away with the stunning photographs of Stohlman Tanzi’s cabinetry and wood panelling, I saw the website as basically a photo gallery showcasing the excellence of their work. My initial concept was big on emotion — the tag line I had come up with for the home page was “Passion & Excellence in Architectural Millwork.” I had littered various “quotes” throughout the site, which emphasized such words as “passion,” “emotion,” “craftsmanship,” all designed to inspire homeowners to commission STW to create large quantities of panel work for their mansions.

Luigi saw the website as serving a somewhat different purpose. While not wanting to ignore potential residential clients, he explained to me that the vast majority of STW’s business comes from building contractors who commission them to fit out interiors of new or renovated buildings. These contractors — architects, building engineers, project coordinators — are not simply looking for fine craftsmanship. They take that for granted. Rather, they want to know whether a company will deliver on its promises, meet deadlines and generally provide a level of service that will make life as easy as possible for the contractor. When STW win a commercial contract, they become a team player with many other companies in the construction project. If they fall short in any way, the whole project is affected, and life for the building contractor, and the other companies involved, can become a nightmare. Luigi wanted his website to speak to these contractors, showing that while STW do indeed produce the finest-quality millwork, they are fully capable of being the kind of team player the contractor is looking for.

One might ask why Luigi and I did not have this conversation before I had produced my initial designs. In fact we did discuss these issues, but somehow the message did not get across. One probable reason was that most of the initial photos I was given happened to show residential projects, which colored my perception of what the client was seeking. Also, it often happens in the web design process that a client is able articulate what they do want in a website far more clearly after seeing an example of what they don’t want. Often, before the initial designs are produced, ideas are vague and concepts abstract. Once a design is put in front of a client, things suddenly become better defined, and ideas more concrete, even if the design in question is not what the client is looking for.

Having properly defined purpose of the website, it was not difficult to change the focus of the design so that it spoke to the target audience. In fact the visual design changed very little — we altered the home page photos and tag line, and made some modifications to the text on the interior pages. STW were particularly pleased that we were able to change the focus of the site while still making full use of the great visual imagery available to us. In the words of a long time STW associate, “The new design and layout look real good...”

Currently, STW works with contractors and homeowners to meet their custom cabinetry needs, as well as working on select commercial projects.

If you are seeking web design services, you need to understand what you want from a web designer. If it’s a pretty face your web presence needs, any designer will do. If you want a website that will actually benefit your business, you will need someone with more skills than the traditional web designer will typically offer.