Paul Boag

How to build your web design career

Author:
Paul Boag
Email the author
Published:
30 April 2015
Categories:
Working in Digital
Reading time:
1 minutes

So you want to be a web designer. Or perhaps you already are and don’t know what your next step should be. Either way you will have tons of questions. This is the place to ask them.

Warning! The post you are viewing is out of date and almost certainly no longer accurate. For more topical posts, check out the “related reading” at the bottom of this page or drop me an email with any questions.

Hardly a week goes past without me receiving an email from somebody wanting advice about their career. They are unsure of what to do next. Should they go to University? Should they setup by themselves or try and get a job? They just have so many questions. I figured it was time we tried to answer them.

On the 21st May the Boagworld Show is back for its 12th season. This time we are going to be looking at building your web design business. We will be discussing everything from winning pitches to work/life balance. Best of all we will be discussing these questions with some of the biggest names from web design.

We want to start the season by looking more broadly at your web design career. We want to discuss questions about how to start or what type of job to get. Should you work in-house or would agency life suit you better? If you have a question about your career we want to hear it.

But more than that we want your answers to. Take a moment to look at the questions below and share your thoughts based on your own experience. Did you make a mistake in your career that you want to warn others about? If so please share it with us.

The comments are open, get posting!

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I’m a UX consultant and conversion optimization specialist with 32 years in digital. I help teams create user experiences that work; winning support, improving results, and making change stick.

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Actionable Insights
Dylan Valade
Puma

Actionable Insights

Paul has the ability to see what is hiding in plain sight. He validated ideas under consideration and provided new, actionable recommendations. The most valuable insight was illustrating how our issues were symptoms of an inefficient UX project team structure.

Genuinely brilliant
Sarah Zama
Oxford University

Genuinely brilliant

Paul is genuinely brilliant to work with. He’s funny, thoughtful, and really good at meeting you where you are. He matches my energy, communicates clearly, and always seems to know how to say the right thing. Working with him feels easy, constructive, and properly enjoyable.

Demonstrates his prowess
CREATIVE BLOQ
Magazine Interview

Demonstrates his prowess

As we talk, a pronounced pattern in Boag’s patter becomes apparent: he enthuses about a topic, demonstrates his prowess and then knocks himself down with a swipe of self-deprecation.

Smart & Generous
Gerry McGovern
Author of Transform

Smart & Generous

Paul is one of the smartest, most passionate, most generous people I know in the web / online industry. He is truly committed to helping organizations become simpler and more customer-centric.

An inspiration
RICHARD HURST
QUEEN MARY’S UNIVERSITY LONDON

An inspiration

Paul is an inspiration, I only wish I’d worked with him earlier in my career. His ability to understand and break down problems and offer advice, drawing on his many years of experience is unrivalled. He genuinely wants to get the best out of you and your organisation and you can’t ask for more than that.

Invaluable
NONDAS PASCHOS
MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES

Invaluable

Medecins San Frontieres, being a decentralised international association, faces challenges in meeting the needs of a diverse global audience. Paul and the team at Headscape have been invaluable in helping us see the potential of digital for doing this. They have helped us recognize the changes needed to engage with our connected audiences, bringing clarity and innovation to our digital strategy.

Supportive and Challenging
JENNIFER RUSSELL
THE SAMARITANS

Supportive and Challenging

It’s been a pleasure working with Paul. He manages to be both supportive and challenging at the same time and has a very accessible approach. It’s been a really inspiring process and I would love the opportunity to work with him again.

Entertainingly Informative
JOANNA SOUZA
UNICEF

Entertainingly Informative

We can count on Paul to be entertainingly informative. When we bring him to speak at our workshops, people walk out of the session energized and with a better understanding of how a multichannel journey should be assessed and optimized. Thanks Paul!

Best investment
RIVKIE LIEBERMAN
MOTIF STUDIO

Best investment

You’re the best investment I’ve made thus far in my business, and that includes a previous coach, paid mentors and many courses! Your expertise is absolutely invaluable. Thank you!

Moves the Needle
Brooke Mills
Beginning Boutique

Moves the Needle

It’s not a question of whether I’d work with Paul again, but what we’re doing next. He takes the time to deeply understand your business and goals, then moves the needle across the growth levers that matter most.