Darryl Brown is an owner of 2b design. Flagstaff Business News asked Darryl about working as a website designer and the changes in the industry during the past decade. Darryl Brown also shares his experiences of being a small business owner in Flagstaff. He and partner, Artist Erica Vhay recently moved into their new office location off Heritage Square in Downtown Flagstaff.
1) How is it you became a website designer?
I started as a computer programmer, getting my master’s degree in 1993 at the University of Oregon. I did scientific and financial computing for 15 years. My wife was working as a web designer and I had been helping her with geekier parts of web design. The more I spent doing web design, the more I enjoyed it. I am quite nerdy, which shows in the fact that I have love programming. I have always liked visual design as well. Web applications is a great marriage of the two disciplines, so it felt like a great fit for me. That was when I switched my focus to working with the web. Since then, I have been building my current business of web design and mobile applications as well as teaching web programming at NAU off and on. I now have three people working with me at 2b design and we continue to grow.
2) In what ways do you see your industry changing in the future?
Web applications and design are in a constant state of change. The immediate future is going to be dominated with the new standards for html and the challenge of mobile browsing devices. In their most basic form, these new standards (HTML5 and CSS) are changing the web into a more dynamic and more interactive framework. Web sites of tomorrow will be more interesting, more immediate and more complex. These standards are not universally adopted yet, but they are slowly being phased into new browser releases. Most of us have already experienced some of them without knowing it. Responsive design describes the web design paradigm that allows a web site to respond to the device it is being displayed on. In this way, the same web site can look and function great on a large computer monitor and on an iPhone. This challenge is with us today as mobile browser is huge, but many (most) websites currently on the web do not respond intelligently to smaller devices and so are difficult to use on a device like a smartphone. Beyond the immediate future, I find it hard to predict the path of the web. Because of the load-on-demand nature of the web, it is the most efficient platform for delivering the applications of today and tomorrow, so I think it use and potential are going to grow. The only thing I feel confident in predicting is that rapid change will continue, and all the folks in my industry have to be ready change with it to keep up!
3) What things attracted you to Flagstaff?
I received my undergraduate degree from NAU in 1991, so I had experience with the town. A decade later I was starting a family of my own and of all the great places I have lived (Eugene OR, Boulder CO, Montana), Flag was my place of choice. I have made some terrific friends here. The people I have come to know here are independent-minded, friendly, and most of the time they laugh at my jokes. I see people that I know throughout my day which makes me feel connected. Flagstaff feels like home. I particularly love downtown Flagstaff. I have had my office here for several years. We live close by – up on Cherry Hill – so I walk to work every day. I was doing the math and I think I have made that walk over two thousand times. I enjoy being able to commute on my own power, so this is an ideal work situation.
4) Do you have any advice for entrepreneurs hoping to take a similar professional track?
I know the basics that all small business owners know. If anyone has a bad meal at Restaurant X on Tuesday night, everyone hears about it by Wednesday noon. I think all small business owners here know that in a place like flagstaff, you have to deliver every single customer a great product. This is necessary in the long run to develop a reputation of integrity and quality. However, it is a lot more fun in the short run regardless. Delivering something great is always more fun than explaining shortcomings. For web designers in particular, I would say you need to stay nimble as far as tools of the trade go. The recent challenges I discussed above have driven quite a few people in my industry out of business because they were not able to adapt.
5) How is it that being a small business owner in Northern Arizona connects you to the community?
Many of my clients here have evolved into friends. That is the best connection I could ask for. Through my business, I became a Technical Mentor at NACET, which has a great staff and group of clients. Through them, I have also participated and mentors at several startup weekends, which has been great fun. Teaching web programming at NAU has brought in the academics. In the end, each of these segments has been fun getting to know and has ended up bringing me quite a bit of business. Having my office downtown has brought me in contact with many of the people who live and work here. I eat lunch at all the restaurants down here every day, so I have come to know the regulars. I save a lot of time because they already know what I am going to order. My former office was behind The Artists’ Gallery (below the Wine Loft). That was a great location with great people, but we have expanded over the past year so we needed more space. We have moved into the former Flagstaff Photography Center on Heritage Square. This new space has a rich history that we are excited to be a part of. It has brought us into contact with many new folks that we count as friends. My wife is a painter, so the main upstairs space is our fine art gallery filled with her work (Vhay Gallery). My office is adjacent and my team works downstairs (along with the ping pong table and LazyBoy recliner.). Being a part of the First Friday Art Walk has brought us in touch with a lot of people – many artists and other gallery owners. These folks have been extremely welcoming in our new space.
6) Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I feel lucky to be a part of Flagstaff. I appreciate the people who bring me business so I can continue being a citizen of this great place!
107 N. San Francisco St, #3
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
office: 928.226.1367
fax: 480.339.6103