Graphic designer, Nigel Gordijk, has just discovered that another company - MDO Design - is so impressed with the look of his Web site that it has copied it.

Key Services

Common Sense Design's original design

MDO's copy

Common Sense Design has been using this layout for over three years on this and two other sites that promote Nigel Gordijk's services: www.commonsensedesign.net, www.nigelgordijk.co.uk and www.webproposalwriting.com.

"I stumbled across it from a link on Facebook", he said. "I was shocked to discover that Mathew O'Marah - with whom I actually used to work - has based his site's layout almost entirely on mine. Thankfully, it's just a poor imitation. However, the funniest part of this story is that O'Marah has had the audacity to put a copyright symbol on his version of the design! It would be ironic if someone ripped him off."

Gordijk is currently negotiating with MDO's hosting company to have the site removed. Update: The hosting company's legal department ordered O'Marah to "...make contact with us, and take immediate action to remove the copyrighted design from their Web site. We have stipulated a deadline for removal to be made by Monday 12th January 2009 at 12 noon and should our customer fail to make contact and take action as we have requested, we shall take any action we deem necessary to rectify the matter which will include to shut the Web site down."

Nigel Gordijk has a B.A. (Hons) in graphic design and over 20 years of commercial experience. Mathew O'Marah doesn't mention on his site if he has any design qualifications.

About Common Sense Design's Nigel Gordijk
Nigel Gordijk is an accomplished, independent Web consultant with 20 years of design industry experience. His client list includes BP, Royal Shakespeare Company, Honda, Primus Telecommunications, and No 10 Downing Street (UK Prime Minister). He has also designed sites for New Hamburg Firebirds, The New Hamburg Harry Potter Festival, Kitchener Waterloo Habilitation Services and Waterloo florist, Lilies White.

Nigel is one of the co-founders of Creative Latitude, a worldwide network of creative professionals that promotes ethical business practices within the design industry.

Nigel has bee featured in two books by American design guru, Jeff Fisher: The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success and Identity Crisis. In 2006 Nigel published an eBook, Web Proposal Writing.

Email: nigel@commonsensedesign.net | Phone: 01273 311 420

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