I have recently encountered a new group of people who need design help, but instead of wanting me to design a site for them, these folks need tutoring help with web and graphic design for a site that has already been built. As start up companies grow, new administrative staff members are brought on board to help with the growing work load. Unfortunately this new staff member may then find that their tasks include updating the company website. With all the crazy advertising for DIY websites there is a sense that not only is building a website a simple “drag and drop” activity, but by extension, maintaining and updating a website must by definition be equally easy.
Sadly the back end of a website isn’t something that can be immediately understood. While I discourage the practice, some bosses try to get extra help from their web designers. Listening to these phone conversations is not a pleasant experience, knowing that the designer is probably in the middle of another project and has probably forgotten the minutia of the set up of this particular site. The upshot is that they are not happy to receive these calls and the help given is usually minimal at best.
While I can’t change this attitude, I have come up with a solution for those caught in the middle of this dilemma. I have decided to create web and graphic design tutorials so people can find out how to do small maintenance tasks for themselves. The tutorials will be available from a paid membership site where for a small monthly fee the tutorials can be accessed any time, day or night. There will be longer tutorials on how to build a WordPress site, and shorter ones on topics such as resizing and naming photos for use on a website and formatting text around pictures on the site. The range of topics will grow, but they will begin by covering topics that people keep asking me to help them with.
If you would like personal tutoring from me, I am happy to help! I can work with you by Skype wherever you live, or meet in person if you live in the Western Philadelphia suburbs. You can use the form below to contact me or hire me via Wyzant tutoring.