Hello, this is Kagawa from the operations team.
The operations team I belong to handles a wide range of tasks, including direction, coding, design, planning, access analysis, and social media operations, and I am primarily responsible for design.
But actually, my job is not just about design.
I provide direction, create landing page wireframes, sometimes do coding, and perform access analysis using Google Analytics.
Of course, basically there is a main role for each person - director, planner, designer, coder - but the operations team does everything across those boundaries.
This time, I would like to share what I have learned from being part of the operations team from the perspective of a designer.
Designing with updates in mind: lessons learned from coding
When designing a content page that will be continually updated even after publication, the design must take into consideration smooth operation and keeping the amount of work required for updates to a minimum.
A simple example is that in places where it is expected that text will be replaced frequently, it is expressed using device fonts rather than images.
For example, when we are asked to design column-type content where articles are added every two months, we design while being conscious of the distinction between areas that can be freely designed (such as the main visual) and template areas that are designed with the same layout every time, so that they can be updated simply by editing the text, images, and links in HTML, without having to adjust the layout with CSS.
A design that takes into account the updating work that will be done after the page is published is essential for ensuring a smooth operational phase, including the ability to respond flexibly to unexpected requests.
That's why I feel it's so important for designers themselves to carry out the updating work through coding.
Proposed design learned from planning
When creating landing pages or banners, we often create designs based on instructions or manuscripts given to us by the people in charge, but we don't simply create the design based on what we're told.
For example, even when creating a single banner, we always review the instructions and manuscript from a planner's perspective, such as whether the title written in the manuscript really conveys the content. Therefore, sometimes we will propose an alternative arrangement of the manuscript.
There are also times when design experience can be useful when creating wireframes.
When I create a wireframe for a landing page, because I design on a regular basis, I can naturally picture what it will look like in design.
This will allow you to create wireframes that take into consideration the number of characters in the catchy copy and the consistency of the amount of text in the body of the text, which will make the subsequent design phase go more smoothly.
I developed the above mindset when I was previously involved in proposing improvements to product pages on a certain e-commerce site, where I proposed content improvements from the end user's perspective and created wireframes.
Something everyone on the operations team can relate to
This time, I spoke from a designer's perspective, but I think the same can be said about directors, planners, and coders as well.
Since our operations team does not build websites from scratch, we receive many requests with relatively short delivery times.
In order to deliver better creativity within a limited short production period, directors, planners, designers, and coders need to improve their work by looking at things from a perspective other than their own. Above all, it is essential to take post-processing into consideration in order to achieve smooth operational work.
I believe that if all members of the operations team have the stance of "doing everything" and not just having one job, it will lead to improved skills in the main job and the speed at which projects are completed.
Finally, reflecting on my work in these words has reaffirmed the breadth of skills required of an operations team, and at the same time, it has given me a real sense that I am in an environment where I can take on a variety of challenges.
I would like to continue taking on new challenges and gaining new experiences that only being part of the operations team can provide, and continue to grow as a designer and as a webmaster.
KAGAWA YUTARO