Designing a Web Page

[jwalker80]

Hi,

I am curious about peoples different techniques when they go about designing a web page. What are the different steps that you would take when designing a site with regards to mocking up a page and prototyping.

For example would you

Pick a colour scheme, then decide what colours are for the header, footer, content, navigation etc...

Would you mock up a page in Photoshop before and then slice it up for HTML? And if so what is the best way to design a page in Photoshop

[mlseim]

jwalker ...

Not to ignore this post, but this topic has been discussed several
times .... maybe you can search on this forum to find them. I think
you'll find many different approaches. For me, it's seeing the logo first.
That gives me color ideas and the "feel" for the site, whether it be
formal, informal, whimsical, happy or sad ...

[Eddy Bones]

For me it all begins with knowing what kind of content I'm going to be displaying. Many's the time I've had to redesign a site because I didn't design around the content.

[planetgman]

Logo and content are both good things to design around.

As well as those, I also take into consideration what the client has to say. As most designers know, about 90% of the time, a client doesn't know what they want.
You can leave a meeting and still not have anything, but if they feel you take their "input or direction" and incorporate that into the site.......they feel more of a sense of ownership (that it was their vision and design) that was brought to life.

Then you can use Eddys and Msleims examples. Look at the content and logo (if there is one) and then work with the ideas the customer gave you........you will have a great site.

I have and still do design in Photoshop. I like it, I'm comfortable with it. Then I put it into CSS and bring it to life.
You take the ideas above and use your skills and you can always come up with a good vision and design.

It is when you stop listening and going with what YOU think looks good that you will start to run into the pitfalls that some "designers" get into. Use your eyes and your ears and you can and will always come up with fresh new designs.

But, hey........that is just my opinion!
Good luck......

[Jason]

I look at what other people have done. If i am making a site for a clothing company i will spend an hour or two looking at what the rivals have done and take positives and negatives from the site.

I will then sketch out a few layouts and play around with where content and navigation will go. When i am happy with a layout i will make a color page. Which is basically my design on the screen but in its most basic forum with blocks of color instead of graphics.

If things are still looking good i start putting in logo's, making graphics navigation etc and i just go from there.

[xchanin]

I always listen to what my clients say or do. There is so much information you get from a client, you just have to be willing to open your ears and eyes. While talking with ta prospect I throw out a bunch of ideas and see how they respond to them. After which, I go home, take out my notes, open Illustrator or Photoshop and just start playing around with some ideas and see where it leads.
Sometimes I sketch things out, but that is rare; I just kind of see what I want in my head and I just work with it.
As far as color goes: I will figure out what type of mood the site, brochure, or whatever is supposed have and that helps to narrow down the color palette for me.

[DarkNite]

You have to decide what you want the site for. If it is for showing off your web designing skills, by all means spend time on designing.
If you are designing for a client, get the content first.

[ablaye]

I usually start out by picking 2 or 3 colors that I call my theme colors. All the other colors used in the website would be variation of those theme colors.
However, before I get to that point, I usually make sure that my script is working and all the functions and website layout have been ironed out.

[riverguardian]

I usually begin skeleton first, if you can pardon my expression. I code everything first (using Notepad ;-) ) and set up the bare-bones "shell" that is going to make up part of my site. Then I go to Photoshop and start doodling, creating a logo first and testing around with images and colors until I get what I would ideally like my website to be, in an image form. Then I translate that to code by putting rulers and "cutting" out segments of the images (like repeating backgrounds, header images, logos, etc) and then saving them separately, and then using CSS apply those images to the appropriate area.

It's a sad thing to be a perfectionist in the online world, because then you're sure never to suceed at whatever you do. (me).

Ah well. I like everyone else's methods. Planetgman has most of my points covered already, so this might be redundant. *sigh*

[pyrodragon]

Hi,

I am curious about peoples different techniques when they go about designing a web page. What are the different steps that you would take when designing a site with regards to mocking up a page and prototyping.

For example would you

Pick a colour scheme, then decide what colours are for the header, footer, content, navigation etc...

Would you mock up a page in Photoshop before and then slice it up for HTML? And if so what is the best way to design a page in Photoshop

Generally when createing a site i jot down the layout on paper. Then useing photo shop or ms paint i draw up teh design quickly to see it in full colour the scheme i use depends on the site a more professionall site generally has brighter colours with the occasionall background exception.