Hi Folks, New to the forum and I've got a big question right out of the gate! Here's my situation: I've been doing web design for about a year and a half now, and would certainly describe myself as competent, but I've come to the point where I need to decide if I'm really good enough to make any money at this. I want to go after small, simple local projects that can be done in my free time. I have a full-time job that I can't afford to quit so time is pretty limited. I have far more experience in business than I do in web design, and I know there are people who can code in their sleep what it takes me all day to do. This would allow me to concentrate more on building business. I love the graphic design aspect so I don't want to give that up, but is it cost effective, easy...realistic to think I can find someone to quickly code up my mock ups if I send them the sliced images and copy? Thank you so much for any advice on this! Kestral
Well if coding takes you too much time to do and you're not even sure you can do it right then better off hiring a professional. It'll definitely save you time so you can concentrate on designing & on your full time job.
I think you just have to weigh out your time vs. your money because sure it would be easier. Can you afford to hire someone and still make a decent profit from your work? If so, then why not!
Thanks for your replies guys! I guess that's kinda the crux of my problem. I don't know how much it would cost to have, say, a 6-8 page static site coded. I have considered looking for someone overseas, who could work for a lot less per hour than here in Canada or the US, but I wonder if I would loose more in the time it would take overcoming language barriers and possibly dealing with a lower skill level. The o'll "more time X less $ vs less time X more $" issue!
HTML is easy. I'd personally spend the time doing the projects myself to gain better experience. The more you do it the quicker and easier it becomes. Save your money and improve your skills at the same time. Soon you'll be one of the people who can code with their eyes shut
Send them the PSD not presliced images - if you are not expert at HTML/ CSS you are not necessarily the best person to decide how the image should be sliced. Outsourcing is perfectly legitimate to either make use of lower cost foreign designers/ developers or to cover skill sets that you rarely need and therefore doesnt justify employing someone directly. We provide development (not html coding) services to a number of web designers in the UK and USA not because we are cheap (because we arent) but simply it allows them to offer complex development projects to clients which they would otherwise have to turn away but as they only win these types of contract every couple of months it doesnt stack up to hire a developer at $70k a year