Since when has a website design been in PSD?

The amount of people on here nowadays who are "web designers" but would not know how to use CSS or XHTML if it smacked them in the face is shocking.

I tried to out source some work a few weeks ago and this guy said he would give me a fully working site which was coded.

He ended up sending me a shocking PSD and saying this was the website I wanted.

Is this the way "web design" is going now?

 

The package usually comes with HTML/graphics (CSS if used) and PSD.

There is this one guy also offered me 4 templates. I unzipped it and they are all PSD files, I didn't know what to do with it, I didn't have photoshop either.

 

I would hate to see a "site" designed nowadays without CSS though!

 

I believe there is a huge gap of communication here.
You should assign the project with guideline clear to the designers.
Here is how you should write instructions when you outsource next project.

1. Fully layered Photoshop design ( mockup should be approved in JPG first)
2. Cut the XHTML compliant webpage in Div tags, No tables please.
3. Please use CSS externally and comment it well for modifications in future.
4. Validate it on w3c before delivery

Also dont pay full upfront. ask for 50% upfront and 50% on delivery kind of model.
Above instructions can find you suitable designer who understand the details.

 

Well when I say I want a web site I just assume it would be a web site, not an image?

 

I am a web/graphic designer and I design websites in Photoshop (PSD file format) and send to clients. But I do tell them that I can only provide them uncoded website.. then they go and hire a coder, which I think is not a big issue cause one can not be expert in all things.

I am good in designing and some one else is good at coding. I do know coding but I don't like it that's why I don't do it. I love only designing.

I can only suggest to ask your designer that will he deliver coded html files or just PSD file. Everything should be clear before hiring anyone.

 

Graphics is the hardest part in webdesign I guess, at least for me. I want everything looks perfect and nice.

 

But the bit I don't get is how are you a web designer then if you work in PSD?

 

There is no definite definition of a "web designer". I personally consider someone who makes PSD mockups a designer. They created a design and nothing else. I think people need to make it clear what they are going to deliver. Not knowing how to code makes you no less of a web designer in my opinion. I prefer coding over designing, but many others feel the other way.

 

They are what we call a Layout Designer. They designer the look of it, but if the deliverable isn't a web site you are absolutely correct - they are hardly a web designer.

It's always important to be sure you understand the deliverables in a project, because that ought to be a negotiating factor when you are discussing the price of the project. You pay a designer to solve a design problem, and then you also pay them to deliver the solution in a certain format(s) which you can use.

The problem is that the web has grown. Back 10 years ago one person could learn HTML and make a website. They could even make graphics and put them into the website. Now there is XHTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, Ruby, Python, Video content, and graphics. It's grown to more than one person can excel at - so often you need a team to deliver a quality product.

Designers may not need to be programmers in order to play a valuable role in web designer, but they are simply creating a layout, and the programmers are coding the guts of the site.

If I were you I'd look seriously over what was promised to be delivered, and see if they didn't mislead you. This isn't a fun lesson to learn, but I know from now on I'll be very clear about the deliverables before the project is done.

 

I am a business owner of web development firm. If my customer asks me a website, for me its a complete website cut in html because in user terms website means which can run on browser
Now if a web designer takes the requirement of "I need a website" as just a layout in PSD, that could be really frustrating for customer as his expectation is complete website "coded" in html.

Few so called web designers consider Layouting as designing but that is half done job.
the web designer must know how to cut good html out of it and that too he/she should upgrade himself quickly to new xhtml guidelines.

knowing php, asp, ruby, python is not necessary for designers as they are server side scripts and not needed for most of the sites that are static. A programmer/developer is a good choice for server side scripts.
But knowing HTML/XHTML , CSS and a bit of javascript should be known to new age designers.

 

Perhaps you were clear on the subject, but when he realized that he doesnt know to html/css, maybe he tried to sell you this half-baked product, keeping his finger crossed

 

ohh cheapez very sad
if u want any help to convert ur psd to html/css pm me

 

mahendras pretty much has the right of it. Web design is not about graphic design. It's about architecting a structure that provides the content to the user in a highly usable and accessible manner. That means deciding the relationships among pages, and the information structure of each page. The core layout of the page is the purview of the information architect, not the graphic designer.

The graphic designer's job is to use his skills to set the atmosphere, establish branding, and guide the user's eye to the page segments in an ordered manner. To the extent the graphic design enhances the user experience, it is successful. Where it doesn't help the user, or where it actually reduces usability, it fails.

Unfortunately, all too many soi disant "web designers" do not understand the graphics is the least important of all the web development skills.

cheers,

gary

 

anyway PSD is better then anyother type !

 

PSD isn't necessarily better than anther type if the person you send it to doesn't have Photoshop.

example: a multi-layered GIMP .xcf can be opened and edited by anybody for free on any operating system. Photoshop costs money and only runs on Mac and Windows.

Now, for the record, GIMP also does have more support for PSD than Photoshop does for XCF (hint, photoshop has none), and as long as they aren't relying on clever devilry (photoshop layer styles) it should open up the same.

Adobe Fireworks is far superiour to Photoshop for creating web layouts, and it writes standard PNG's as well. If you're hardcore into layout, use the web layout software from Adobe, not the photographic manipulation program.

 

But Photoshop is more popular, especially when every kid owns a pirated copy.

 

Photoshop is more popular, but that doesn't make it better suited to the job.

I imagine Firefox is more popular than a web IDE, and I'm sure there are plugins that will allow you to edit code in firefox, but there's a reason people use web IDE's for code.

 

I love Fireworks. Photoshop is over the top in most cases. Its a photo editing and image manipulation tool, that is its purpose. I don't understand why so many people use a tool thats not really designed for the job, and a tool thats more complicated than required. Fireworks is the best tool for the job and its easier to work with.

As far as GIMP is concerned...cant say i'm a huge fan, but I do admit since its free, has many features and supports all the popular file formats, its a viable alternative if you cant get your hands on either of the above.

 

"Since when has a website design been in PSD?"

I was wondering the same thing. In the Buy, Sell or Trade forum all the web design services on offer seem to be just chopping PSDs.

Call me negative, but I hate it. The websites are so graphic intensive and look out-dated. Although, I guess that's not always the case..
psdtuts(.)com/designing-tutorials/9-essential-principles-for-good-web-design/

I wish there were more people here offering websites coded from scratch, so far searching through the Buy, Sell or Trade forum hasn't come up with much..