Finding a website designer

heyjude · Apr 15, 2010

How to, please?

About a month ago I sent out maybe a dozen inquiry emails to designers who advertised their services online. I got back three responses. Two were "This is really too small for us to be interested in." One guy wrote back but clearly our personality styles weren't going to mesh. (I was sane... nevermind.)

So I did the site myself... I just want something pretty and small with a blog, nothing real fancy, but I didn't do so hot. Plus it confused me.

So, friends, how do you go about finding a web designer? Other people seem to manage just fine. Is it me? :tongue

Williebee · Apr 15, 2010

Step one: Know, to the very best of your ability what you want this site to do. Who do you want it to reach, SPECIFICALLY.

Step two: Know what you want to be included in the website, and have those materials gathered (the text, the graphics, the images, preferably already in digital form).

Step three: Know what your budget/time frame is.

Step four: Be ready to be flexible about Step two. The designer, in your budget, you choose may not have the capabilty/technology to do everything this time.

Step five: Contact local community colleges/high school's graphics teachers for referrals.

You were very wise to shy away from the guy who you didn't mesh with. At it's best, this is not a short term relationship.

Good Luck.

Matera the Mad · Apr 15, 2010

what the flying monkey said

Deleted member 42 · Apr 15, 2010

Do you really want a Web site with a designer? Have you thought about using something like WordPress, installed on your server, and using it for blog posts and static pages?

That way you can update and maintain it yourself, down to changing the basic design.

shadowwalker · Apr 15, 2010

I gave up on "pre-packaged" web designs because none of them looked or did what I wanted them to. Did my own, took a couple of months to get the coding but now I can update, change, do whatever by myself, costs nothing but a bit of time, and I like it.

heyjude · Apr 15, 2010

Thank you so much! Williebee, that was fantastic advice, and probably pinpoints one of my main problems: I'm not totally sure what I want. I want someone to tell me! Ha!

Medievalist said:
Do you really want a Web site with a designer? Have you thought about using something like WordPress, installed on your server, and using it for blog posts and static pages?

That way you can update and maintain it yourself, down to changing the basic design.

I did. And I'm reasonably tech-savvy, but I just switched to a Mac and now things are different... it's a learning curve. I can't figure out why the comments are on a different page and to be honest I'd like for someone else to clean it up for me.

But maybe you're right, maybe I should give it one more go before I cry uncle.

Thanks, all. I really appreciate it!

Williebee · Apr 15, 2010

I was going on the impression that you didn't have the tech-savvy. That cleared up:

What Medi said - sort of.

A wiki or a blog may well be all you need at this stage. Something to use to claim and manage your name on the web. (And something with down and dirty tutorials readily available on places like Youtube.

)

Create the wiki or blog, then tell whoever is handling your name registration/DNS that www.yourwebsitename.com should point to the address of your blog/wiki. viola!

heyjude · Apr 15, 2010

Williebee said:
Create the wiki or blog, then tell whoever is handling your name registration/DNS that www.yourwebsitename.com should point to the address of your blog/wiki. viola!

Ah, yes, should it be so easy... I tried this, got a note that Mac isn't supported. At which point I wondered if I should stop tearing out my hair and give someone else a shot at it (at the website, not tearing out my hair, haha).

CheekyWench · Apr 15, 2010

Heyjude, I rep'd ya!

Deleted member 42 · Apr 15, 2010

The reason I'm increasingly hesitant about telling people to "roll their own" is that the browser support issues are a royal PITA.

Williebee · Apr 15, 2010

Medievalist said:
The reason I'm increasingly hesitant about telling people to "roll their own" is that the browser support issues are a royal PITA.

What she said (again).

Matera the Mad · Apr 15, 2010

Yea-ha, browser issues -- the main reason I keep IE around is for webbish testing. Not usually too much of an issue for me because I K.I.S.S., but there are hairy moments.

ATP · Mar 13, 2011

Hello folks.

I have completed approaching 3 out of 4 web designers/firms for quotations (the last is a template & package firm).

I have been quite clear on my requirements/'specs' in terms of type & amount of content, formats of content, type of CMS required, technical requirements like the necessity for a taxonomy in the back end etc.

It subsequently appeared to me that neither of the firms/designers had any experience with Wordpress, the CMS of choice. But, I didn't ask this question at the time of proposal discussion. I am pretty sure that the one
I spoke with face-to-face can do the job, as he indicated a knowledge of WP, and similarities between user-friendly CMSs. My requirements were/are very simple, so either these designers themselves will do it(or get one of their colleagues within the trade to do it ie. sub-contract; I am guessing here).

The point however is this: even if the firms/designers are busy, how long is considered a 'reasonable' time to wait to follow up on the quotation?

Thanks.

alleycat · Mar 14, 2011

ATP said:
The point however is this: even if the firms/designers are busy, how long is considered a 'reasonable' time to wait to follow up on the quotation?

The short and quick answer: a few days. Most firms (in whatever field) are generally quick to get back to someone with a proposal. Even busy firms want more work, and web design is certainly a competitive field.

Tirjasdyn · Mar 14, 2011

Few days is a reasonable time period. If they don't seem to know what you are talking about or try to sell you on a service you don't want, you don't have to hire them.

You can lean on your own, it never hurts to do so.

ATP · Mar 18, 2011

Following on from my earlier post, I wonder if there is any way that a novice customer can assess potential website designer/web designer ability?

Could there be some sort of standard steps that one ought to go through before parting with one's very hard earned money?

All suggestions & guidance accepted from other web designers or customer/members who've gone through the process...

Thanks very much.

Summonere · Mar 18, 2011

2-cents

ATP said:
Following on from my earlier post, I wonder if there is any way that a novice customer can assess potential website designer/web designer ability?

Could there be some sort of standard steps that one ought to go through before parting with one's very hard earned money?

All suggestions & guidance accepted from other web designers or customer/members who've gone through the process...

Thanks very much.

Portfolio. Client list. Word of mouth.

Regarding the portfolio, how diversified are the sites they've built in terms of look, function, content? It seems that many designers crank out sites that look very much alike from one client to the next, or that they specialize in certain areas that may or may not be of much use to you.

Tirjasdyn · Mar 18, 2011

ATP said:
Following on from my earlier post, I wonder if there is any way that a novice customer can assess potential website designer/web designer ability?

Could there be some sort of standard steps that one ought to go through before parting with one's very hard earned money?

All suggestions & guidance accepted from other web designers or customer/members who've gone through the process...

Thanks very much.

Ask to see a portfolio. The websites may not be up anymore but they should have screen shots.

Talk to other clients.

As what software they use. You don't want to be paying someone for using Iweb to design your website. They better be using dreamweaver or can code themselves.

Are they using CSS based websites or are they going to use tables. If they are still using tables, run away.

Do they require that you host with them, or have software you must use to work with them? if they say yes, you may want to look elsewhere.

Will you be able to update the website yourself or will they require that you come to them. If they require that you go through them after the site is done then run away.

Make sure that if they are going to register and set up hosting that it will be put in your name. When you look up your webpage in Whois you should see your name there.

A lot of companies, big and small get taken because they don't know enough to question the web designer. I've had a lot of clients that we're being taken for 10,000 or more a year by web designers holding them hostage. The only time that a designer can hold your website is if you do not pay them.

Matera the Mad · Mar 18, 2011

iweb -- omfg lol! horrorz!

Didn't mention Flash. WARNING! Flash is not a website, it is an abomination. Slow loading, annoying, not sensible. Not updateable by site owner. Maximum suckage. Do not do Flush(sic).

In one word: Wordpress.

ATP · Mar 28, 2011

Hello again all.

Well, I have narrowed the list down to 2 designers: one is actually a division within a larger design firm, & especially deals with "the low end of the market" ; the other is a freelance "designer" if you could call him that.

The low end division sells a variety of packages, with the basics of a choice of a template, plus a choice of cms & some other value-added services.

The freelance "designer" specialises in coding, and has basic design skills.
I have seen some examples of his work that he's done for himself, and they are functional. I am not looking for design "fireworks".

They are approximately the same price, with the low end division of the design firm being a bit more for a value-added package.

My question concerning the low end division product is this: if they are supplying a template, why would they also have the choice of a cms, if the template functions seemingly do not allow the end user to make any additions?? In other words, I might add Wordpress, but I do not think that I would be able to make any additions given that the template apparently would not allow them? I add that I would be required to pay for the addition of Wordpress (despite it being free for them, I think).

Is this correct? Or have i got it all backwards? Any out there kind enough to explain this to me?

Thanks.

bethany · Mar 28, 2011

You may want to check out web designers who specialize in authors. I got quotes from several designers and have been very happy with mine.

Tirjasdyn · Mar 28, 2011

It's free for them and you. You download it from wordpress.org or install it via your webhost for free. Usually you can do both if you want.

If they are putting in your contract that you cannot make changes yourself and must pay them for any changes RUN AWAY. If they won't use your CMS of choice run away. I prefer wordpress and install it for most of my clients. However if they are using drupal or joomla and want to stick with that I do force it down their throat. Design wraps around the CMS. and technically you can take any template and apply to wordpress.

In a self hosted wordpress installation. You can edit template files under Appearance, and Editor. There are a lot of files but using the default 2010 them you really only need to worry about three.

Style.css - the css file that styles your website. Colors, layout etc
Header.php
Footer.php
These to files may need editing if you just want to change stuff around. The default theme lets you add custom heading pictures, and backgrounds.

ATP said:
My question concerning the low end division product is this: if they are supplying a template, why would they also have the choice of a cms, if the template functions seemingly do not allow the end user to make any additions?? In other words, I might add Wordpress, but I do not think that I would be able to make any additions given that the template apparently would not allow them? I add that I would be required to pay for the addition of Wordpress (despite it being free for them, I think).

Is this correct? Or have i got it all backwards? Any out there kind enough to explain this to me?

Thanks.

ATP · Mar 28, 2011

Tirjasdyn said:
It's free for them and you. You download it from wordpress.org or install it via your webhost for free. Usually you can do both if you want.

Tirjasdyn said:

If they are putting in your contract that you cannot make changes yourself and must pay them for any changes RUN AWAY. If they won't use your CMS of choice run away. I prefer wordpress and install it for most of my clients. However if they are using drupal or joomla and want to stick with that I do force it down their throat. Design wraps around the CMS. and technically you can take any template and apply to wordpress.

Click to expand...

No contract as yet, but the division "chief"/head has indicated that I may choose to make changes myself-as many others before me have also indicated

Tirjasdyn said:

Design wraps around the CMS. and technically you can take any template and apply to wordpress.

Click to expand...

Great--ok. The head has indicated to me that there are limitations to the template eg. content can only be added to two "tiers"/levels, when I started to move into wanting or needing three "tiers"/levels.

I then asked myself what other limitations on functionality and design does a template impose? If this, then is wordpress necessary? will the template actually prevent use of much of wordpress functionality?

Thanks.

Deleted member 42 · Mar 28, 2011

ATP

Have you tried playing with WordPress yet?

You really need to do that first.

The tiers thing--that doesn't make sense. You can create Pages, which can have a Parent page, but don't have to.

I've created Pages using WordPress that have this kind of tiers structure:

Books

Genre

Fatasy

Urban Fantasy

Etc.

You can get a pretty good idea of what's possible using a free throw away account on wordpress.com

Tirjasdyn · Mar 29, 2011

ATP said:
Great--ok. The head has indicated to me that there are limitations to the template eg. content can only be added to two "tiers"/levels, when I started to move into wanting or needing three "tiers"/levels.

I then asked myself what other limitations on functionality and design does a template impose? If this, then is wordpress necessary? will the template actually prevent use of much of wordpress functionality?

Thanks.

He's wrong. I've created sites with more than six levels down. Wordpress now contains it's own menu functionality tied to its pages. When you create a page you can select it's parent and it will automatically populate the menu. New templates should be using the wordpress menu.

IF he's creating a template that will limit wordpress functionality (people do this and it sucks), then maybe you should look for something else. A template does not impose ANY limitations unless they do it on purpose. That screams to me that he either has no clue what he's talking about or that part of their policy is to make things difficult for you so you have to go back to them.

There should be no limitations on wordpress from a template.

Finding a website designer

Making my own sunshine

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

Deleted member 42

empty-nester!

Making my own sunshine

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

Making my own sunshine

O.o

Deleted member 42

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

What happened to my LIFE?!

Still around

Outline Maven

What happened to my LIFE?!

Outline Maven

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

What happened to my LIFE?!

:)

Outline Maven

What happened to my LIFE?!

Deleted member 42

Outline Maven