Philosophy: Business & Website Design Ethics

What sets Aldebaran Web Design apart from other website developers?

I Endeavor to Educate My Clients on the Fundamentals of Website Design.

You might notice there is a substantial amount of information about website design on my website, much more than is typically found on websites of website designers. That's because I want people who are shopping for a website designer to have enough information to make a good decision, rather than just trying to dazzle and impress them with smoke and mirrors and technical jargon. I've found the more my website client understand, the more satisfied they are with their websites.

I'm a Website Designer Who Listens Carefully to Clients

Aldebaran Consulting & Website Design understands that good listening skills are critical to customer satisfaction - after all, only the client knows what kind of website they want. I am someone who is good at website design and technical consulting and who is also a great listener - remember, I've got a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology!

I Believe Website Organization, Navigation & Speed Matter Most

I prioritize organization, ease of navigation, and upload speed over excessive animation and other gimmicks that may frustrate your potential customers and cause them to leave your website prematurely. I only use Flash for videos, not for website design. Dynamic HTML (using javascript) and animated GIF's are used to create just a touch of motion when required. I am strongly against using "splash pages" because they waste your prospective customer's time. Sometimes "less is more". I prefer to design websites that inform customers and promote commerce, versus provide entertainment.

I Use Best-In-Class, Ethical Website Design Standards

All the websites I design are W3C compliant. W3C is the organization that sets website design coding standards. Validating website code is not only a best practice, it also helps to insure that your website renders the same on different browsers. W3C validated websites are also more search engine friendly.

I also adhere to Google Webmaster Quality Guidelines. And if a client asks me to do something that makes their website violates these guidelines, I politely refuse - because they might get my client's website banned, and that is pretty much the worst thing that can happen to a website. Clients are often unaware of these guidelines, and it's important for me to practice ethical website design and search engine optimization.

I Am a Small Business, Just Like You

When you patronize Aldebaran Consulting and Website Design, you are supporting a local Seattle area woman-owned business, rather than a large corporation or overseas web design firm. I do not contract out my work to other people, nor do I accept contract work from others. I spent 17 years working for other people and watching friends get laid off because their jobs went overseas...this is why I'm in business for myself.

Socially Responsible Website Design?!

How does a website designer make the world a better place? By only working on websites that are aligned with my personal values and that I believe actually add something to the online universe. For example, I won't work on directories, because there are already too many of them. I also won't work on sites that directly or indirectly promote products that bring suffering to animals. I won't work on sites that contain material that is sexist, racist, homophobic, violent, or otherwise harmful to humans.

In sum, I reserve the right to decline business based on my own values because I want to help other businesses that don't promote harm to humans, non-humans, or the planet in general. But hey, that's the beauty of running your own business, isn't it? :-)