In this episode of Divi Nation, the official Divi podcast, our host Nathan B. Weller sits down with Digital Strategist Marie Poulin to talk about her transition from Web Designer/Developer to Digital Strategy and why more people might want to make the switch.
They also talk about re-branding, what makes outside consultation valuable, and common mistakes WordPress web designers and developers make with clients.
- 1 Divi Nation Episode 09: Transitioning from Web Designer to Digital Strategist with Marie Poulin
- 2 This Week in WordPress 07
- 3 Transitioning from Web Designer to Digital Strategist with Marie Poulin
- 4 Divi Quick Tip 06: How to Make Divi’s Hamburger Mobile Menu Your Default Desktop Menu
- 5 Production Notes
- 6 Nominate Our Next Co-Host!
Divi Nation Episode 09: Transitioning from Web Designer to Digital Strategist with Marie Poulin
[powerpress]
Marie Poulin is a Digital Strategist and self-described web generalist. In her time as a web designer and developer she discovered that what she was really helping her clients with exceeded the scope of “just web design”. By re-casting her services as Digital Strategy she has been able charge more, extend client relationships, and bring more value to those who work with her.
I hope you enjoy this episode and our conversation. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Also, if you’d like to make sure you can easily watch or listen to future episodes of Divi Nation, please take a moment and use one of the subscription options we’ve provided below.
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This Week in WordPress 07
In this edition of This Week in WordPress our host Nathan B. Weller talks with guest host Marie Poulin about re-branding, what makes outside consultation valuable, and common mistakes WordPress web designers and developers make with clients.
Transitioning from Web Designer to Digital Strategist with Marie Poulin
In this interview guest host Marie Poulin shares her story from graduation to web designer to digital strategist. Together we explore the potential benefits of taking a digital strategy approach to business over a strictly web design approach.
To complete this Divi Quick Tip, paste the following CSS into your custom css panel under Divi > Theme Options > General Settings
@media only screen and (min-width: 980px) {
#top-menu-nav #top-menu { opacity: 0; -moz-animation: fadeOut 0.6s 1 cubic-bezier(0.77, 0, .175, 1); -ms-animation: fadeOut 0.6s 1 cubic-bezier(0.77, 0, .175, 1); -o-animation: fadeOut 0.6s 1 cubic-bezier(0.77, 0, .175, 1); -webkit-animation: fadeOut 0.6s 1 cubic-bezier(0.77, 0, .175, 1); transition: fadeOut 0.6s 1 cubic-bezier(0.77, 0, .175, 1); }
#top-menu-nav #top-menu.menu-visible { opacity: 1; -moz-animation: fadeIn 0.6s 1 cubic-bezier(0.77, 0, .175, 1); -ms-animation: fadeIn 0.6s 1 cubic-bezier(0.77, 0, .175, 1); -o-animation: fadeIn 0.6s 1 cubic-bezier(0.77, 0, .175, 1); -webkit-animation: fadeIn 0.6s 1 cubic-bezier(0.77, 0, .175, 1); transition: fadeIn 0.6s 1 cubic-bezier(0.77, 0, .175, 1); }
#top-menu-nav .menu-toggle { float: right; margin: -8px 0 0 10px; cursor: pointer; }
#top-menu-nav .menu-toggle:after { font-family: 'ETmodules'; font-size: 32px; speak: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; text-transform: none; line-height: 1; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale; position: relative; content: '\61'; }
}
Next, navigate to Divi > Theme Options > Integration and paste the following code into the section titled “Add code to the < head > of your blog”.
<script type="text/javascript">
(function($) {
$(document).ready(function() {
if ($('#top-menu').length) {
$('<div class="menu-toggle"></div>').insertAfter('#top-menu');
$('.menu-toggle').click(function() {
$(this).prev('ul').toggleClass('menu-visible');
});
}
});
})(jQuery);
</script>
Now you can navigate to the front end of your website and test out your new hamburger menu.
Production Notes
This week was the first week in which all of the gear we bought was in use. The list below form last week is up-to-date and should continue to be from here on out.
- Scrivener for the scripts.
- Skype for the interviews.
- Ecamm Call Recorder for the interview recordings.
- Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 for call recording and webcam segments.
- Canon XA20 Professional Camcorder for my segment videos
- iPad Teleprompter for segment videos.
- LimoStudio Light Kit w/ Backdrop for my lighting.
- Screenium for screencasting.
- Rode Procastor mic for my interview audio.
- Zoom H6 for my segment audio.
- Adobe Audition for audio editing.
- Adobe After Effects CC 2015 for the motion graphics.
- Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2015 for video editing.
- Blubrry PowerPress for podcasting from WordPress.
There are a few improvements I would like to make in future episodes. Mostly to do with lighting and camera settings. Because of the challenge of working with full studio gear in a small space I’ve had to get creative with where my lights are positioned.
I’ve noticed that there simply isn’t enough room for me to simply point the lights at myself the way one normally would with this setup. They’re too bright and they wash everything out or result in lighting that is so flat and uneven that it ceases to be interesting.
In the coming episodes I hope to figure out a good way to light the grey backdrop in a more interesting way as well as settle on some custom camera settings. I’d also like to get a fuller sound out of my boom mic.
As always if you have any thoughts, questions, or comments about the production of Divi Nation feel free to chat me up in the comments section below.
Nominate Our Next Co-Host!
We are looking for Divi enthusiasts to co-host Divi Nation each week. If you are interested in sharing your experience with the Divi community, be sure to submit your application below so that we can get in touch! Or, if there is someone else you’d like to see featured on the show, please take a moment to nominate them so that they’re on our radar and we can reach out to them.
This was the first Divi Nation podcast I’ve listened to – it was so great! You’re an excellent host Nathan! You asked a lot of really great questions.
I have to say, as a student in Marie’s Digital Strategy School, the first half of the program alone (preparing your business) makes taking the course worthwhile. I’ve already seen such amazing strides in my business since joining 6 months ago.
Keep up the good work! I can’t wait to check out more episodes!
Thanks Kellie!
I recently started experimenting with WordPress Multi-Site and had an idea to use the divi quick tip from this episode, but it does not work properly. Works fine in a single site install, but not multi-site. Have any suggestions? Oh, and I am able to individually edit the css of each site. Thanks for the quick tip, and ALL that you do each week!!!
Shawn
Yeah this quick tip is intended to be done on a site by site basis. I’m not sure how to get it to work properly on a multi-site install. May be something you’ll want to consult a multi-site expert on.
Bravo, Nathan!!! You have provided great preparation and insightful questions in the interview. I really like how you guide the co-host to bring out the vital points of being a successful web developer too. Thanks Nathan.
ps: Marie, you look like a super model, so pretty!!! And thanks for sharing your professional tips, all the best!
This was my favorite one so far– there is such a need for this kind of digital strategery and I love doing this kind of “wholistic” or “big picture” internet marketing work for my clients. The website is really one piece of a much bigger puzzle. Thanks for sharing your wisdom, Marie!
I’m a big fan of the big picture approach too.
I’ve watched four of your podcast Nathan. Have enjoyed each, and learned from all. Appreciate the obvious research and the preparation, on your part, that the interviews entail. Production values are more than adequate. Nice shirt for the gray screen and say howdy to that gray kitty cat.
Hope Nick and the crew know these post-podcast are added value + for ET subscribers.
One thing, while you’re talking the power of story and the consequence of narrative, a lot of your guest host (ain’t naming no names) seem to see denouement, or not, as just another call to action button.
Nothing wrong with that, just a notice.
Hi Doug,
Always love to hear (read) someone familiar with the vernacular of storytelling. You’re right, a proper denouement is not a call to action button. For the existing client it is the stage of a project when everything comes together and they have a site that moves their business into a brighter future. For the prospective client it is the promise of the same.
Ideally, I would see a call to action as a call to adventure. One of the first stages of a carefully crafted customer journey. Which, as it happens, is the topic of our next episode. Although I have to admit we don’t really take a storytelling approach to it as it is explained from her experience and expertise (not mine).
Thanks for tuning in. Hope to see you again in the comments 🙂
Nathan
Fantastic episode. So happy to learn of Marie and others moving into this field. I realized this year that when people hire me for their website design or content that the real value I bring is through this strategic thinking, so I am working to make that the central feature of my business. Thanks for the great ideas and encouragement!
Awesome episode and post! Really good hearing Marie delve into more details. I’m hoping one day I can take her course, her blog alone is just stellar!
Still another week goes by and no Extra update???
The whole team is working on it now that the Divi Builder Plugin is out. As soon as it is finished it will be our next release.
You know I looking for an article with images and pictures for an extra update.