I think always of economy in my work. Not what I get paid or how many hours I work. But rather, what needs to be done to solve a problem or create a better solution, and how that solution can be reused and modified to solve other problems. Simplicity in all thoughts and all things.
I found an article tonight on Huffington Post that buzzed me because I also am aware of this type of economy in my personal life. I hate waste. I don’t like buying things knowing they are junk. Or buying silly, stupid little geegaws and gimcracks for my kids simply because they want them, knowing these things are destined only to our next yard sale. I’m not a cheap guy; in fact, I love to spoil my girls (my god, I am truly doomed as money conduit). But I also want to send the message to them that they do not need every little thing that captures their eye.
Which is why I love this quote from the article:
Create a pile of goods, point it out to random bystanders and say, “Take what you want.” How long would the pile last? An hour, or 30 seconds?
I feel the same way about design and development of websites. People seem almost greedy about ‘web 2.0′ gadgets and widgets. Sure, you can have all you want. But which of these things delivers what you need for your business? Which brings you satisfaction that your website is serving you and your customers well? A really great website is the result of reviewing all those lovely gadgets out there and deciding which are the ones that will be useful and relevant to your business and your message.
Ask yourself: do you need that Ajax interface to deliver your message? Ajax is cool, but it can also mess with your Google exposure. Can you deliver the message without it?
Focus on content. How to structure that content in a readable way. How to make sure that content gets picked up by Google. How that content is perceived by your readers. The true economy comes from delivering your particular and unique content in ways that are attractive and pleasing but also functional and useful to your audience. Focus on your message first and your tools second.