Advantages of Working With a Gen X Web Designer
This weekend I'm attending my 30-year high school reunion in Seattle. Thirty years! How did that happen?!
When I graduated in 1995, the internet was barely a thing. I wrote my college applications on my mom’s electric typewriter, which felt fancy at the time. And I didn’t have email until I went to college that fall. I still have the handwritten letters mailed to me by friends during those years.
The idea that I'd one day build websites for a living was completely unimaginable. Did I even know what a “website” was when I graduated high school? Probably not.
High school graduation with a friend I still see regularly. He can't make it to reunion because his son (who I met when he was a couple days old) is leaving for college the week after 😱😭
My dad still teases me about how when I graduated from college in 1999, I told him I wanted to get a job where I didn’t need to use a computer. Lol.
Despite my early resistance to all things digital, I obviously got on board pretty quickly once I was out in the world.
Now I think there are real advantages to working with a Gen X web designer:
→ I've seen it all. Flash websites, table-based HTML layouts, the rise and fall of countless design trends. I've got the gray streaks in my hair to prove it. Trends come and go, but I’ve been trained in solid design principles. I understand what actually works versus what just looks cool for five minutes.
→ I get your constraints. Juggling family and business? Been there. Racing against the clock to launch something important? Same. I design with real life in mind—not some fantasy world with unlimited time and budget.
→ I speak both "old school" and "new cool" fluently. I can bridge the gap between "how we've always done it" and "what's working now." That perspective is priceless when you're trying to reach clients across generations.
→ I know your experience is your superpower. While younger designers might try to make you look "fresh" or "trendy," I know that your decades of expertise are what set you apart. I make sure your brand reflects that depth.
Last year, someone told me to remove my graduation years from LinkedIn because they made me look "really old."
I considered it for about thirty seconds.
But those dates represent something valuable: a quarter-century of hard-won experience, relationships, and yes—mistakes that taught me what actually matters.
So no, I won't be hiding my years. I'll wear them as proudly as I wear the gray in my hair.
Goodies Just For You
WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT: The Social Media Driver's License. The woman who developed it reached out to me last year about branding help. It wasn’t a good fit and I haven't tried it myself—it's too late for me and my kid—but I love the idea of what’s she created. It’s a course for parents and their kids (ages 10–14) to help both prepare for phones, social media, and everything that comes with them. There’s a video-based course for kids, and an audio course made especially for busy parents. If you're thinking about giving your kid a phone—or already have and want to feel more confident supporting your child—check it out!
WHAT I'M BAKING: This weekend I made Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread for my friend's birthday party. Alison Roman thinks traditional chocolate chip cookies are "deeply flawed." I disagree, but I do think there's room for more than one approach to any great classic. This one is buttery and salty and delicious, with the perfect crunchy exterior and soft interior. Shortbread, but for a party.
WHO I'M ADMIRING: Brooke Latham of Social Canvas. Brooke runs a comprehensive digital marketing agency. I love referring people to them because they're an all-woman team and they really do it all. I love the ease of a one-stop shop. I'm talking social media marketing, email marketing, paid advertising, creative services. Like I said, "comprehensive." And they're just lovely and easy to work with.
