This week we have an interview from a great designer named David Appleyard. David runs several websites, including Design Shack, AppStorm, 13Styles, and Design Top 10. You can see his portfolio at DavidAppleyard.net.

Photoshop-Pack.com: First of all, thank you very much for agreeing to answer some questions for us, David. I’ve admired your work for quite some time. How did you begin designing and have you always primarily worked on the web?

David Appleyard: My pleasure! I’ve been designing online since a young age and I’ve always enjoyed experimenting with creating websites. My educational background is mainly related to business and computing, so I don’t have any formal design training. I’m still learning more every day – design is a notoriously difficult thing to get right!

PP: Indeed it is, but I would say you have a pretty good handle on it. Now, starting a business takes a lot of hard work. What made you decide to pursue web design as a career and how did you go about it?

DA: When leaving university, I had to make a choice between working for a big management/finance firm, or pursuing my own career path. It was a very difficult decision, but I was lucky enough to build up a network of profitable websites whilst studying. Knowing that I would be able to comfortably support myself financially made it somewhat easier to take a path that allowed me to do what I love – writing, designing, and keeping my fingers in a number of entrepreneurial pots!

PP: Well, I’m glad that you were able to make it work. Would have been a shame keeping you behind financial forms. Financial stability is often the primary obstacle for most designers in making the decision to “go pro.” It really helps when you can go after something, but still remain comfortable while doing so.

You have your hand in a lot of projects – can you give us an inside look at some of your favorite ones?

DA: The project I’m most attached to is Design Shack (http://designshack.co.uk). I’ve been running the project for several years, and have watched it grow from a tiny site into a popular community. I’m hoping to really push the site forward this year with more content and an improved gallery system.

I’m also working on a new management system for bloggers at present, likely to be released later this year. It will hopefully meet a need I’ve discovered whilst working for Envato. Follow me on Twitter (@davidappleyard) to stay updated!

PP: Design Shack is always a good stop for some inspiration and ideas. It is one of my first stops when going into a redesign and I never leave unsatisfied. I’ve discovered quite a few very talented artists thanks to the site.  What sites/artists have you found to be particularly inspiring recently?

DA: Recently I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Andy Clarke’s regular insight into his redesign of the New Internationalist site (http://forabeautifulweb.com/). It’s great to watch the workflow of a very talented designer.

I’ve also been playing with Perch today, a tiny content management system (http://grabaperch.com/), which looks set to be really useful for design projects in the future – It’s a real gap in the market!

A few sites which have inspired me recently include:

> http://convergesc.org/

> http://thinkcage.com/blog/ (and Jason’s application to 37 Signals)

> http://norbauer.com/

> http://www.nclud.com/

> http://www.squaredeye.com/

PP: I know you are the editor at AppStorm -  a great Mac Apps review blog – give us a quick iPhone App recommendation. I just got one and I am a bit obsessed at the moment.

DA: I am indeed – I enjoy Apple’s hardware and software immensely (most of the time!), and really enjoy experimenting with new software. A couple of iPhone apps I’ve really enjoyed recently:

> Trails, for tracking where you’ve been (great for tagging photos too) - http://trails.lamouroux.de/

> VeriSign App, for extra security on eBay and PayPal - http://blogs.verisign.com/identity/2009/03/verisign-iphone-app-protects-identity.php

> X-Plane, for a fantastic mobile game - http://www.x-plane.com/iPhone/X-Plane/iPhone_X-Plane.html

PP: Nice, getting X-Plane right now and Trails is amazing. Good call. Finally, what advice would you give up and coming design entrepreneurs?

DA: Design is a very competitive industry, and to make a living on your own as a web designer you need to be exceptionally talented. I certainly couldn’t live solely on my income from design work! I rely on a number of other projects to keep busy (and profitable).

Don’t underestimate the power and growing importance of advertising online. Pick a topic you’re passionate about (not design – it’s been covered countless times), set up a site, get writing, build a community, and within a year you’ll have a reader base that advertisers would like to target.

To be a successful entrepreneur online it’s foolish to focus solely on one thing. Look for problems which need solving, network whenever possible, and always be on the lookout for new opportunities that stretch your comfort zone!

—

Thanks again to David for the great interview, and remember to visit him at his personal site and follow him on Twitter (@davidappleyard)!

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