Some years ago (and one of the many reasons why I became a web designer), I was a small business owner who was taken advantage of by an unscrupulous web developer.

This particular web developer had achieved some success in the industry, and felt justified in charging an exorbitant amount of money for a simple, three page website. Not only was the website extremely basic, but the whole thing was cloaked in mystery and the designer took many months to build the site – only responding to emails after many days had passed.

This experience was truly the straw that broke the camel’s back – and as we finally launched the site after thousands of dollars and many months – I said to myself ‘I will never put myself in this situation again’.

And so I stepped into the industry as a web designer in 2017 determined to build beautiful, functional websites at a fair price – but perhaps more importantly – to provide a fantastic digital experience that empowers business owners and builds technology confidence.

Dominated by tech-bros, unfortunately the Hollywood stereotype of the cocky young man with a swagger (i.e. a tech-bro) spitting out lines of code and ‘saving the world’ is not just a fictional character.

There truly are those in the technology industry who take a smug delight in making people’s heads spin with complicated jargon and mysterious technical concepts; it feeds the ego and creates a perception of control and confidence.

But demystifying website design and development is good for all of us. Watching the light bulb switch on as a client ‘gets it’ – and that little bit of confidence that comes with it – is both greatly satisfying and in my opinion, the responsibility of those in the technology industry.

By inviting others into our craft and taking the time to bring our clients along on the journey, not only do we break down ‘technology mysticism’, but the end result is always better than anything we could have achieved on our own.