Hey WHT,

Does anyone know if theirs some kind of list from a reliable publication (online or print) that lists the top web design companies?

Or, does anyone have recommendations? I'm looking for about a maximum $2000 project based on music entertainment.

I don't know that there's a list handy perchance. We've discussed this in past threads, and you're talking about rating design companies on 30-40 different criteria, none of which any single company is capable of fulfilling. Regardless, the top design companies are not doing $2,000 jobs. Most of them aren't even doing $20,000 jobs. They do much bigger business than this.

Now, if you're looking for recommendations for developers here, I'm certain the members here can compile a list for you of the most reputable designers who frequent WHT. Many of them work on projects in the range you've specified. Will the list be reliable? Maybe. WHT is an open community - you always have to take recommendations with a grain of salt. But it never hurts to hear about other people's experiences.

Rather than a list, you could compile something yourself. Scout around WHT for designers and their portfolios... go through them and find what you like, then back that up by searching there name here on WHT... that should give you a pretty good idea on the designer and their work.

Stay away from kids, more often than not they will be the ones offering logo's for $5, and web sites for $20... we all know who they are.

Stay away from fake companies, you're looking for a web design company, but you will be better off finding a solo web designer, half of these 'web design companies' are kids, and use the term 'we' when it's really only them... they just think it looks better?

At the end of the day you have to use your own discretion, you have to decide who is reliable, and who is not.

some of these "kids" are really good making websites.

It's still illegal and slave labour!

I would start out searching for web design firms in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and check their work. One of the well known firms is Maushaus in Silicon Valley or more affordable Specto Design in Los Angeles.

Personally, I like webrhinostudios.com . Maybe you should consider them.


As for a top notch, some of them are:

http://www.blitzagency.com/

http://widegroup.net/

Who is Maushaus, I've never heard of them?... I went to what I thought would be their web site but it just said thank you?

Blitzagency has some nice work also... I wonder how much they charge :) ... and how they get the gigs in the first place!... they must have a crack team of marketing ninjas working for them.

Originally posted by Graphicism
It's still illegal and slave labour!

I don't think counting yourself as the slavemaster makes you a slave :stickout:

There is nothing "illegal" about hiring a teenager. Nor is it slave labour. But there will be contract issues should they not fulfill their promise and deliver the design you want.

Now people mention check to see if they are a design "studio". You have to realise no design studio which makes cutting edge designs will touch a site for $2K. You can find studios that will do work for $2K, but its not going to be filled with extreme flash, 3d modelling, and some great programming. Places like 2advanced (not saying they are the best, but a lot of great development has come from them) these design houses charge a lot of money to build sites...

GopherDesign is right. Some of these "kids" are outrageously talented, and definitely have the chops. I've bought some very inexpensive site designs from "kids" and am very very satisfied. It's a good way to go; you get something unique, and they get to build up their skills.

Now, assuming you find a template you like on the cheap, you've still got to deal with coding, testing, project management and deployment. And also (possibly) content editing and SEO optimization.

Following up on what the_pm said, you rarely do find it all in one place, especially for "large" jobs which usually involve a coordinated printed branding element (business cards, letterhead, brochures, etc.) which comes with a whole new set of design headaches; managing web vs. print colors, fonts, and more.

In these cases the Art Director's initial retainer will run you more than 2k up front right there.

OK, the whole point of this was -- is this your site? A site for a client? Do you already have content? Code and/or a coder? What exactly do you *need* from the designer? Just an unsliced template? full branding? coordinated print materials?

If all you need is a basic photoshop template, chances are actually very, very good that you could get a top design company to bang out a one-pager for $2k, especially if you managed to pique their interest in your site concept.

Just a few thoughts for a gray Sunday morning :)