Question for paid web designers-how do you create websites?

Discussion in 'HTML & Website Design' started by misha_val, Mar 28, 2009.

  1. #1
    Hi, I'm just wonder how you paid web designers create websites?
    Do you use dreamweaver? Hand code? Photoshop?


    Also, would this be acceptable way of designing web sites for clients

    1)Create website "template" in Photoshop
    2)Use Dreamweaver to insert layout div tags.
    3)Link the div tags to the images from your photoshop layout
    4)Add text/links/images.

    Thanks and have a wonderful day:cool:
     
    misha_val, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  2. StrangeLife

    StrangeLife Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    269
    Likes Received:
    10
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    140
    #2
    Misha

    Every web designer has their preferred method for developing a website, go with what your best at and more comfortable in, after time you will develop expertise in your field which will improve the quality and time of your sites.

    Anything will be acceptable if the client likes the final product ;)
    I found that when i started doing freelance work the majority of my clients wanted the ability to control what informtion goes on the site, meaning a CMS must be in place, now i design all my sites around the one and only glorious wordpress! something you might want to think about.

    My process is...

    Mac > Photoshop > BBEdit > CSSEdit > Cyberduck

    Then the continuation of head-banging through this cycle...

    BBEdit > CSSEdit > Cyberduck

    I'm using a mac, BBEdit is a HTML Notepad, CSSEdit is a visual CSS Editor (highly recommend, i mean highly!) and Cyberduck, an FTP Client.
     
    StrangeLife, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  3. StrangeLife

    StrangeLife Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    269
    Likes Received:
    10
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    140
    #3
    Oh, and make sure you have more than 1000 songs on your itunes ;)
     
    StrangeLife, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  4. misha_val

    misha_val Active Member

    Messages:
    200
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    58
    #4
    I've heard that tables aren't a good way to create a website. Is that true?
     
    misha_val, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  5. Defcon1Media

    Defcon1Media Active Member

    Messages:
    563
    Likes Received:
    12
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    95
    #5
    Hmmm I never had a problem with using tables. Css is very powerful though and you can do a lot of neat things with it other than using tables and what not.

    Back when I was 15, I am 21 now, I used to use invisible tables to set up my sites structures. I don't like hand coding and havent hand coded html or css in a longg time since I started using front page then transferred to dreamweaver. I do hand code my php and mysql of course though.

    But yeah just do what ever you are comfy with, as long as it looks good then you have nothing to worry about.
     
    Defcon1Media, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  6. innovati

    innovati Peon

    Messages:
    948
    Likes Received:
    63
    Best Answers:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #6
    tables are great for tables, CSS is the only acceptable way to do layout.
     
    innovati, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  7. Kerosene

    Kerosene Alpha & Omega™ Staff

    Messages:
    11,366
    Likes Received:
    575
    Best Answers:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    385
    #7
    1. I design in Photoshop (down to the pixel!), I don't ever start coding until I'm 100% happy with the design.
    1.5. If I'm working for a client, I get them to sign off on the design at this stage.
    2. Hand code from scratch using Dreamweaver code view, recreating the Photoshop graphics as I go. I use PHP in nearly every site, so I work directly on the server, or on my local home test server.

    @ misha_val re tables - read this :)
     
    Kerosene, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  8. misha_val

    misha_val Active Member

    Messages:
    200
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    58
    #8
    Are you paid for what you do TheRantAndRave?
     
    misha_val, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  9. misha_val

    misha_val Active Member

    Messages:
    200
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    58
    #9
    Yeah I saw that before :).
     
    misha_val, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  10. supernoobice

    supernoobice Peon

    Messages:
    376
    Likes Received:
    4
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #10
    The best advice of them all. lol

     
    supernoobice, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  11. Defcon1Media

    Defcon1Media Active Member

    Messages:
    563
    Likes Received:
    12
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    95
    #11
    Nah I am not paid for really anything. My site was started almost a month ago. I've made like $1.00 with google so far lol.

    I just do what I love to do and if I make money in the future, well everyone would love that.

    I just have a side business for my web designing which isn't big because it was started a few weeks ago but I did do a site for a waterproofing company a week or so ago and got paid pretty nice.

    I wish I had more partners with that site so we could all round up design jobs and get them done and get paid.
     
    Defcon1Media, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  12. wwwbryan

    wwwbryan Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    181
    Likes Received:
    2
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    103
    #12
    The way I design websites is just draw up a very simple layout on a piece of paper, like a menu here, a logo here, etc. Then I start making the "divs". And I try to make it look good as I'm building it. Then I look at the overall appearance and see if it looks good and what needs to be changed. Then I just tweak things and see if it looks better.
     
    wwwbryan, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  13. Defcon1Media

    Defcon1Media Active Member

    Messages:
    563
    Likes Received:
    12
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    95
    #13
    I usually draw it out on paper when I am in school.
     
    Defcon1Media, Mar 28, 2009 IP
  14. misha_val

    misha_val Active Member

    Messages:
    200
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    58
    #14
    Any other paid web designers want to share their methods?
     
    misha_val, Mar 29, 2009 IP
  15. innovati

    innovati Peon

    Messages:
    948
    Likes Received:
    63
    Best Answers:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #15
    1)
    I sit down, mock up my site in a vector app like illustrator or Inkscape, because until I have decided on the final pixel-sizes of the design, I can easily and non-destructively resize the elements and play around with them.

    I will mockup pages, subsections, and all of the various styles the site will use.

    When I am ready to export the graphics, I export them out to PNG, and then bring them into a bitmap editor like Photoshop or the GIMP and crop and save the images there with a lot more flexibility, to make sure my files are the smallest and most efficient they can be.

    2)
    I load up a syntax highlighting code editor, I have purchased dreamweaver, but lately I've found the 'Find' feature in Smultron (a free app) to be far more powerful anyway and just end up using that. I hand-code my HTML and CSS from scratch.

    3)
    I load up firefox, with the web-developers toolbar, which is absolutely indispensable, and I check my progress as I go along, every once in a while I check how my site renders in Safari/webkit and Opera just to make sure it's not Firefox-only.

    4)
    When I'm satisfied with my site, I upload it to the FTP server using Cyberduck, another free app for mac.


    extra:

    If I were using windows, my software loadout would be:
    editor: Notepad++, jEdit, Eclipse, Aptana studio
    graphics: inkscape.org, gimp.org (or adobe creative suite)
    ftp: filezilla

    on linux:
    editor: jEdit, kate, gEdit, anjuta, eclipse, kdevelop
    graphics: inkscape.org, gimp.org
    ftp: gFTP

    on mac:
    editor: Smultron, jEdit, Eclipse, Aptana, or dreamweaver
    graphics: inkscape.org, gimp.org or creative suite
    ftp: cyberduck.

    Everything in the list above is free, except for Adobe's products. I hope this clears up the process for you!
     
    innovati, Mar 29, 2009 IP