Among the many communication channels architects use to reach out to potential clients and create a following, the website is arguably the most important one. With a plethora of website-building platforms and attractive themes available to architects, choosing the right one can become a headache. Solutions that strike the balance between beautiful design, streamlined navigation and affordability are rare, and those tailor-made for architects are even rarer.

Common Mistakes Architects Make When Creating A Website

One of the most common mistakes architects make when creating a website is opting for a template that lacks intuitive navigation. We’ve all seen website builder for architects that feature cool animated graphics and stunning visuals, only to see them turn into frustrating experiences after just a few clicks. Visitors end up spending little or no time trying to navigate the maze of information and rarely come back.

Another mistake is having a single URL website that doesn’t allow users to link back to specific projects. This means that bloggers and social media users can’t share specific links in their posts and tweets, but can instead only link to your homepage, thus forcing their audiences to hunt around for relevant information.

Most marketing efforts in architecture rely on great visuals. Firms hire professional photographers to capture images of their built projects and use engaging diagrams and 3D models to represent work in progress. All this effort can go to waste if not properly displayed, organized and optimized for online searches. There are two important aspects concerning images that need to be considered when designing a website. Firstly, it’s useful to have some text to accompany each image in order to make them more searchable. Another reason for adding text is providing useful information to journalists and bloggers who want to talk about your work. Images should also be large enough to be reposted in online magazines and platforms.

A Website Builder Tool From Architects For Architects

A structured and easy-to-use website is the cornerstone of every architect’s business. Its technical, aesthetic and functional aspects will determine traffic, user engagement, and build a firm’s reputation. An ideal architecture website should let the work speak for itself and require minimum effort to maintain.

Monograph website builder for architects is a subscription-based website-building platform for architects that offers beautiful, responsive templates and a free concierge service. Unlike other website-building platforms like WordPress, Monograph Website is designed to be wysiwyg (“what you see is what you get”). While working in WordPress can be cumbersome an require programming knowledge, the Monograph Website backend shows the page you’re editing exactly as it will look when it goes live. The drag-n-drop interface makes it easy to edit content, choose fonts and arrange elements.

One of the best things about Monograph website builder for architects is the fact that it was developed by a team of architects turned entrepreneurs. Robert Yuen, Alex Dixon and Moe Amaya created Dixon & Moe, a boutique software development and design consultancy focused on building applications and digital products in the AEC industries. The agency’s first digital product is Monograph Website, an industry-tailored web platform, website builder and concierge service designed specifically for the architectural profession.

The available templates focus on the visuals and let your portfolio speak for itself. Each is search engine-optimized in order to maximize your web presence. You can simply drag and drop media, arrange, update and reorder content using the streamlined, intuitive editor. You can also monitor traffic and connect Google Analytics. The platform currently offers three gorgeous themes–Avant, Mezzanine and Meridian– with three more to come.

How To Turn A Slow, Difficult To Navigate Website Into An Effective Marketing Tool

Arkansas-based Modus Studio migrated to Monograph website builder for architects when their previous website became too complicated to maintain. The firm, which works across typologies and scales, from sustainable renovations and conversions to urban design and multifamily housing, built their previous website by themselves. The amount of coding necessary to keep things running smoothly eventually forced them to hire professionals. Nevertheless, the site became slower and more difficult to navigate, and turned from a useful marketing tool into a resource- and time-consuming chore.

Switching to Monograph website builder for architects allowed Modus Studio to use their website as an on-the-fly marketing tool to quickly show their work to potential clients. Their current home page has a simple grid layout that showcases a select number of projects which best represent their practice. They use the Avant theme with a clean, banded layout. Each clickable image leads to a project page with an image gallery, project description and essential info like project typology, location, completion date and photo credits.

“Our particular website design using Monograph Website has helped to quickly get the information that matters to potential clients”

“Our particular website design using Monograph website builder for architects has helped to quickly get the information that matters to potential clients,” said the architects. “Our philosophy, design team, projects, contact info…all of it flows to the user rapidly and in an organized manner,” they explained.

Among the many useful features Monograph Website offers, architects at Modus Studio have been most impressed with the streamlined way of adding content to their website and organizing it on the front end. “This reflects well on our level of organization. For example, if one of our designers has a meeting with a potential client or has a presentation to a particular group, we can promptly reorganize the content of the site to fit the theme of the day. Photos, sketches, and diagrams appear quickly and navigating through these in conversation is effortless. Since the website works so well, we’ve been able to turn all of our designers into potential marketers. If projects come up in conversation outside of the office, any one of us can quickly pull out our phone or tablet and get to the project type being discussed.”

“Since we began working with Monograph website builder for architects we have noticed that our target market seems to have a better, more complete understanding of our work.”

Monograph Website provided the firm with a level of consistency in marketing that resulted in considerably higher visitor engagement and stronger online presence. “Since we began working with Monograph Website, we have noticed that our target market seems to have a better, more complete understanding of our work.”

We interviewed Robert Yuen, Co-Founder of Monograph.io and Partner at Dixon & Moe as part of our Archipreneur Insights series. Check it out to learn more about how Yuen and his team mates develop innovative products for the AEC industry.

Also stay tuned for the upcoming Monograph Dashboard. Their second in-house software venture, Monograph Dashboard is a data driven platform designed to help architects and engineers understand and run their businesses more effectively, combining project planning and management with time tracking, forecasting, reporting and a lightweight CRM.

Learn more about creating a high converting website for architects here

The post Monograph: A Website Builder for Architects, by Architects appeared first on Archipreneur.

This week’s interview is with Robert Yuen, Co-Founder of Monograph.io and Partner at Dixon & Moe, a technology company that is based in San Francisco, CA.

Monograph is a website builder and concierge service designed for architects. Dixon & Moe was founded by architects, engineers and designers with a mission to help the AEC industry develop and deploy software solutions.

Robert is a great example of an architect who is pushing the traditional boundaries of the job profile and developing digital technologies within the architectural market, making him a perfect fit to the archipreneur concept. Read on to hear more about Robert’s background, what he learned along the way, and his advice to up-and-coming archipreneurs.

Enjoy the interview!

P.S. If you do not yet have a website and plan to develop one, make sure you try out Monograph.io!

Could you tell us a little about your background?

Sure, I did my undergrad in Architecture at the University of Illinois, Chicago, followed by a master’s degree at the University of Michigan. I also did a postgraduate degree, with a focus on the use of robotics in architecture and digital fabrication. I then worked for a number of years—spending a short period of time at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in Chicago—before I relocated to San Francisco, where I currently reside.

I’ve worked as an architectural designer across a vast spectrum of work, from prefab at Blu Homes, skyscrapers at SOM, to high-end residential and design build.

Why did you focus on robotics?

Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a great interest in technology. In part, this is why I chose the University of Michigan as the best place for me to attend graduate school, as their School of Architecture had heavily invested in robotics, digital fabrication tools and the faculty to teach advancing technology in architecture. I am extremely interested in the advancement of architecture through a wave of technological advances such as robotics, automation, and software.

And now you are focusing on digital technologies within the field of architecture, is that right?

That’s correct. Immediately after graduate school, I started my first company, an educational consultancy called Section Cut (sectioncut.com). Its goal is to demystify architectural education and to effectively “close the gap” between the various schools of architecture through the use of a bookmarking tool. This tool slices through the Internet to create a crowd-sourced library of resources and information for architectural students. I’ve been working on Section Cut part-time since 2012.

Not long ago, I met Alex Dixon and Moe Amaya, who also have a background in architecture. They have a Master of Architecture from MIT, and immediately after their studies they started building software, websites and web applications. Shortly after our meeting, we partnered to form the digital agency Dixon & Moe.

Dixon & Moe is a boutique software development and design consultancy focused on building applications and digital products primarily in the AEC industries. We’re one of the few consultancies in the world that can take an idea or problem from end to end with domain knowledge in architecture, engineering and construction. Because of the agency, we’ve built a number of websites for architects before the idea for Monograph was born.

Okay, so Monograph.io is Dixon & Moe’s first actual product?

Correct. The agency runs on a service based model, and Monograph is our first digital product designed to be product oriented. It’s a web platform, website builder and concierge service designed for the architectural profession. So, it is very different compared to other digital products out there. We understand the industry and that architects need a little help along the way, thus a hybrid business model was born.

Could you elaborate on how Monograph works? And what is the business model behind it?

Monograph is designed to be a software as a service (SaaS) model. SaaS is simply a fancy way of saying that it’s a subscription based model for access to technology. Our subscription based model is on a monthly or annual plan that includes the concierge service for free.

So if I have a small architecture firm and I want to build my website with Monograph, then I can go to your website where I can buy a subscription, choose a website theme, and help me build and migrate content over, right?

Correct. We’re like a small extension of your team, so you’re not completely alone. We’re industry experts in the web world, so if you have questions about SEO, or file and image optimization, or if you want to understand the best practices for consistency of updates and digital presentation, or if you need pro tips on managing social media networks, we’re here to help.

We’re also quite different from WordPress. Our complete platform is designed to be wysiwyg. That’s an acronym for “what you see is what you get.” Unlike a WordPress site where a lot of backend work is involved, when you’re logged in to our system the page you’re editing will look exactly the same as your front end website will look when it goes live, making it much easier to edit. If you can use Facebook and LinkedIn, you can absolutely use Monograph, no coding is required at all.

That is great, because architects are very visual and value aesthetics, right?

Yes, agreed! My partners and I had designed a number of websites for architects prior to developing Monograph. As trained architects, we understand the value of a profession that is heavily based on visual communication. A firm’s website is an extension of its portfolio and a representation of its practice online, so it is important to present it well across all media devices. We understand that the industry is primarily referral based, but a website is essentially a further reassurance to potential new clients.

What were the responses when you first launched Monograph?

Fantastic. It’s been a full sprint. We’ve only been live for three months and already have over 150 architects on board.

Great! How do you plan to grow the business?

Unlike other SaaS products, Monograph will largely depend on word of mouth. I hope to have a few more interviews, podcasts, and conferences in the coming months to get the word out. Our model is one currently is based on online marketing and word of mouth. This ideal plan for use to continue work and prioritize quality for our users.

Some of our clients and friends refer to us as a startup. I personally don’t like that word. Startups have the connotation that focuses on massive growth with an idea that necessitates venture capital first above quality and profitability. I see us as a small business, providing a value-first concept to the industry; our customers come first. We will continue to grow our business with this “small business” mentality which will help us build the right company for the industry.

Do you think that there is potential for architects to work with digital technologies?

I think so. As time goes on, the automation of construction and building technologies will vastly increase. I don’t know how much of it will impact architecture; I think the first impact will be seen in construction due to the size and scale of that industry relative to architecture.

I think the role of the architect will change in the coming years, with a primary focus on how architects will engage with advancing digital technologies. Learning to work with, direct, and design within automated construction, and leading the charge for developing new pedagogy and paradigms will inform how we move forward.

How has your architectural training helped you in the actual running of your business? What specific/transferable skills have proved the most useful?

Honestly, I think most architects are not trained very well to be business people. It’s not part of the curriculum of architecture as there’s already so much to learn.

But what architectural training does do is it encourages a creative mindset and promotes openness, scrappiness, a hard working ethic, receptiveness to criticism, and ensures you iterate and test solutions once they have been developed.

This is something people in other industries have a hard time learning because these types of skills are not in their foundational toolkit. To design, to edit, to re-design, to look at problems in a different light: all these traits are extremely important and valuable in running a business.

Do you think that business courses should be implemented into architectural education to better prepare students for work life?

I think it’s really important to at least get a very broad overview, perhaps something like a Business 101 class, which just touches upon business formation typologies, contracts, and negotiation skills. We don’t have to dive too deep. But at least that would mean you’re not graduating with zero experience of business. To focus on a curriculum that teaches a mindset that expands on how transferable skills from studio to business would be an extremely exciting course to take.

Do you have any advice for archipreneurs who are interested in starting their own business?

I would say: don’t be afraid. The best advice is to get rid of internal barriers to helping you achieve success. Once that fear disappears, then you can look at the situation more logically and focus on developing a business plan and strategy. Eliminating the fear and the “I can’t” feeling is a really important first step.

You are living in San Francisco. Is the local startup environment there helpful for growing your business?

Looking back on some of the decisions that I’ve made to make things simpler, I have found that the contacts I have gathered in my local environment have been very, very important for my work.

I strongly believed if you are very passionate about being entrepreneurial, you should surround yourself with likeminded people. You have to surround yourself with contacts who can help foster the kind of spirit to push you forward. I think that’s very important. And it’s the fastest way to learn! Being in San Francisco, provided me the context and resources need to build a business.

How do you see the future of the architectural profession? In which areas (outside of traditional practice) can you see major opportunities for up and coming architects?

Generally speaking, I think that architecture has been one of the most technologically underserved industries thus far, so there’s a lot of room for archipreneurs to come in and provide value and assistance. The industry is slow, so there is a lot of room to grow and make processes more efficient.

I think technology companies are currently seeing a lot of potential in the AEC industries. Opportunities are rich for architects to engage with various kinds of advancement.

There’s a number of technology companies that have a great deal of interest in architecture, construction and cities. So there are a lot of possibilities for architects to operate outside of the traditional practice of architecture. I’m a strong believer that being an entrepreneur is more of a mindset than a job title. You can develop the mindset of being an entrepreneur by assisting larger companies, providing your expertise on the built environment.

One of my greatest interests in the future of architecture is the automation of digital fabrication in architecture and design build. I would love to work on introducing rapid prototyping and robotic assemblies onsite.

About Robert Yuen

Robert Yuen was born in Chicago, IL., USA. An entrepreneur, strategist, and architectural designer, he received his M.Arch and MSc. in Digital Technologies from the University of Michigan. He is now Partner at Dixon & Moe, Co-Founder of Section Cut and Co-Founder of monograph.io.

Robert’s key mission is to elevate the AEC industry by developing and designing specific software applications for architects, engineers and designers. With domain knowledge and expertise in marketing, strategy, and architecture, his interests are in consulting on real world problems and in taking digital ideas from end to end.

The post The Story Behind Monograph.io – a Beautiful Website Builder Tool from Architects for Architects appeared first on Archipreneur.

I had the idea for this article from my own research over past few weeks into creating a website for my architectural profile and projects. I thought it would be cool to have a place that housed all my projects so that future clients, firms or partners could browse my profile and take a look at the projects and firms I have been a part of.

I wanted to create a minimal – but also unique – layout and did not want to hire a professional designer or spend a great deal of money. I also wanted it to be mobile responsive so that it would look good on each of my devices. It had to have extra features, like the possibility to integrate my posts to social media outlets. And, importantly, I wanted to be able to update the content and projects by myself.

Here is the wish list I made for my portfolio site:

• Aesthetic, minimal and clean design
• Compatibility with all devices, meaning it has to be mobile responsive
• A portfolio section containing all my projects
• An “about” page
• Social media features and plugins
• The possibility to have a blog
• Inexpensive and low cost to maintain
• Easy to customize and update

I quickly found that the easiest way to fulfill this wish list was to take an existing WordPress portfolio theme and then customize it. Many themes are designed to be mobile responsive, which means that whether the user is on a laptop, iPad, iPhone or any other device, the website layout should automatically convert in order to accommodate the different resolution, image size capacity and script. (Illustrated in the cover image above)

You can even get some themes completely for free! However, I experienced that the higher quality themes I liked the most cost anywhere from $40-$100. Even so, using a theme will still save you thousands of bucks in web design and coding that normally goes into a handmade website.

And so I started in my research for WordPress themes that would satisfy all of my requirements. Here is my list of favorite themes I have found so far. I am not yet quite sure which one I like the most, but once I have settled on a theme for myself I will fill you in on the process of how to create your own portfolio website that looks professional and is pleasing to the eye.

Enjoy!

Angle

Angle is perfect for displaying your portfolio in a beautifully simple and unique layout. The minimal design and clean typography allows the viewer to focus on your work free of distractions.

Price: $75

Live Demo | Download

Infinity

If you’re looking for a clean and minimal theme to showcase your work, Infinity is the theme for you. It comes with project filtering and infinite scrolling for blog posts. And it’s all wrapped up in a responsive layout, which means it will look great across multiple screen resolutions and devices.

Price: $59

Live Demo | Download

Hayden

Hayden is a beautiful agency theme designed for those that need a way to show off their portfolio, highlight their services, and have an overall stunning web presence. Perfect for architects.

Price: $59

Live Demo | Download

Hanna

Hanna is an striking and immersive portfolio and blog theme designed for serious creative professionals, like architects and designers. The project page lets your work take centre stage, and a charming masonry style blog features post formats to give you flexibility.

Price: $59

View Demo | Download

Motive

A powerful WordPress theme for creatives, with eye-catching animations and multiple layouts for showcasing your portfolio and blog. Get inspired with Motive and have things your way.

Price: $59

View Demo | Download

Agency

Agency is a perfect theme for architecture firms . A fullscreen homepage, two portfolio layouts, and strong typography offer flexibility and minimalism in this awesome feature-set theme.

Price: $59

View Demo | Download

Base

Base is a super crisp and responsive portfolio theme perfect for architects, freelancers and designers who want to let their work do the talking. I think this is also a perfect theme for architecture students who want to have an online portfolio. You could present your work to firms that way.

Price: $59

View Demo | Download

Kalium

Kalium is a creative WordPress theme mainly related for portfolio showcase with plenty of layout designs, theme options and rich drag and drop content builder elements to create your portfolio site in minutes.

Price: $48

View Demo | Download

Koncept

KON/CEPT is a unique portfolio WordPress theme, focused on minimalism, elegance and simplicity. It’s created around a modular concept and an amazing masonry portfolio grid. Packed with a lot of useful features, options and shortcodes, this theme offers a great solution for any architect.

Price: $58

View Demo | Download

Nordic

Nordic is a clean, minimal responsive WordPress theme, optimized for best portfolio showcase. Nordic is a full ajax theme, which loads only those dynamic parts, and makes browsing experience very smooth for your visitors.

Price: $43

View Demo | Download

Fount

The Fount theme is great for architecture firms. It comes with tons of useful options to ease and speed up the content creating. The theme was envisioned to be a one page theme, but it can be also used as a regular multi page theme.

Price: $58

View Demo | Download

I hope you have enjoyed looking at these themes. Please feel free to share your favorite WordPress themes for architects in the comments. If you are already using a WordPress theme for your website, it would be very interesting for us if you could share your link so that we could all take a look at a real, live example!

The post 10+ Aesthetic & Responsive WordPress Portfolio Themes for Architects appeared first on Archipreneur.