SO... Yea I know, this site just got up. BUT I have been learning so much more about Drupal lately and I just want to try new stuff. I need to slow down. I have a bunch of clients lined up and I need to get started on their sites as well but I want to do things that are just testing out and having fun which most of the time you can't do with clients.

Ok, on to the idea of redesigning existing client sites. When doing a redesign of a client site, take the time to figure out what your client likes and dislikes about their current site. Do they have it running on a content management system? Drupal perhaps? :) Find out what they want their new site to portray, what type of features that they want to include. And then... wireframe. There is nothing that is more important. User experience of your site can make or break your site. Think about what your client's customers will think, not just your client. Your client is already a professional in their industry and you have to make sure that the people that aren't such an expert to understand what you want them to see. Visually make them move their eyes around the page. The reason their old site wasn't working to draw in clients was probably because of the fact that their user experience was lacking. Lead the customers through the site with color, directional lines, and grids. You can make your client see what you want them to see, you just have to do it right.

Take a look at http://fourkitchens.com you will quickly see who and what this company does. "We make BIG websites" jumps off the page and you immediately know if you are on the right site and if you will stay on this site for more than 10 seconds. Even their navigation gives the eye a focal point, you can immediately see what they want you to do. Almost like a call to action with a simple color change.

So in a redesign, think about your flow, think about your audience, and understand that it needs to be more than a pretty page.