Understanding Technical Jargon

David Risley is a pro blogger from www.davidrisley.com http://www.davidrisley.com/2009/09/24/blogging-technology/

Wrote a post about the importance of other bloggers understanding the importance of understanding technical jargon.

Most Bloggers are faced with the dilemma of technology, they need to get a blog up and running and the only way to do that is to either try and figure out how to do it on their own or to hire a designer to build it for them.

No matter how many technical resources there are out there on the subject it is difficult for a technical novice to follow along or know how to react when a technical problem occurs. Ending up with them giving up and not actually getting to the fun stuff.

Reading this article gave me the opportunity to see the end product, I am a developer so this jargon and the technical challenge is what I thrive on. While reading I was able to put my shoes into my actual customers and prospects and see how frustrating it could be to need something done but not fully understand what they need and how to go about doing it, then a designer comes along and say yeah I can get that accomplished for you then ba ba blah, which may sound good at the moment but really have no clue what is being said.

I would say this probably happens with every type of graphic design project, not just the development of a blog. I see when someone says they want a 6 page brochure… When reality is a brochure can’t have siz pages, it has to be divided by 4 being that one page folded in half is four side. But then realize they wanted a “trifold” a page that is folded into 3 side 3x2=6. AS a designer I don’t mean to sound arrogant or make the customer think they are ignorant to the jargon, they just don’t know, just like I would have no clue about the jargon of their industry.

I see that if I could slow down and try to help my clients and prospects fully understand the jargon, and help guide them through the process, I may be more successful as a designer and business owner. I have a hunch that if I can guide the client thought the project that that interaction and customer service will be more valuable than the actual finished project. No matter how great it looks.

I can’t wait to put my new practice into play, so bring your next project to me, and allow me to help guide you through the technical jargon. Feel free to read the original article and let me know what you think...