What does it take to design a website like this?

Just to add, I don't think designing websites with a team of people is usually a 'set to task' thing.

Generally I've found one designer will specialise in the design - making a photoshop template and necessary page graphics. Another will cut up the template and get each page onto the web - or get each page into a template for a coder. The coder will then make the site work properly. Someone will then go through the whole site and check the copy on each page.

Of course sometimes these jobs overlap and one can start without the other being totally finished. Or maybe one person will assume numerous roles. 90% of the time, I'll do all of them myself - but then I usually work for myself or as a freelancer.

If it's important to have a really professional looking site, and you've never made a site before, I suggest you hire a really good designer and coder, or outsource the whole project. If it can wait a while, spend the next six months reading (and experimenting!) everything you can about web design and coding, and *then* hire a good designer and code it yourself.

Remember, as they say - good design gets to heaven, bad design gets everywhere.