Just wondering, for those of you who design your own sites, how do you get started? For instance, I usually draw a quick sketch on paper so I know what I am going to do, then I make a rough draft in Photoshop and try and put the whole thing together. I don't see it as the best approach, because I never seem to get anywhere. How do you all do it?

Basically the same way I do it ;)

Sketch it out on a piece of paper, and design the images and such in Photoshop, PSP, etc. then I code it in Notepad.

heh, okay :)

Damn though, I was hoping other people do different things. Maybe my problem is that I suck at graphics? ;) I can come up with what COULD be a cool looking layout on PAPER, but I can't ever seem to actually do the design in Photoshop.

Well there's loads of people that are artistic and can draw well on paper, but when it comes to computers they haven't a clue and so what they try to do on the computer using Photoshop, never looks like what they had drawn on paper. You could get someone who is good with graphics on the computer to re-produce what you've drawn on paper. But if it's just computer skills that you're lacking then a reading Photoshop tutorial books could help.

Alan

Try Macromedia Fireworks. Its much easier than Photoshop IMO.

use illustrator

Originally posted by ho247
Well there's loads of people that are artistic and can draw well on paper, but when it comes to computers they haven't a clue and so what they try to do on the computer using Photoshop, never looks like what they had drawn on paper. You could get someone who is good with graphics on the computer to re-produce what you've drawn on paper. But if it's just computer skills that you're lacking then a reading Photoshop tutorial books could help.

Alan

I don't mean that I detail what I draw on paper :) I just take a regular old Bic pen and a piece of binder paper and make a VERY quick sketch of where buttons will be, logos, graphics, etc. Just to have a small idea of where stuff will go. I've actually been using Photoshop since version 4, I don't know why I'm so bad or why I have so much trouble, heh :) ;)

I lay out exactly how I want the site to look in Macromedia Fireworks. It's a really fast and easy program.

You could always start with Front Page and go from there. But writting all the features of the site down ahead of time is helpful.

Paper?... What's paper?

Sketching the design first is good. It's quicker, and you can do exactly what you want without restrictions. Then you worry about how to do it once you have the idea down. There are some elements that you cant bring onto paper, but you can just imagine them ;)

All of my work comes straight from http://mybrain.com/brain.html

But I keep getting a 404 Brain Not Found error?? :stickout

You could always scan the drawing in and use that to trace in Photoshop.

Originally posted by Ectoman
You could always scan the drawing in and use that to trace in Photoshop.

*laughs* (see attachment)

See, now there is a start! :D

I usually start in Photoshop, and draw the whole thing out.. then code it in HTML.

Originally posted by Ectoman
See, now there is a start! :D

That is what I meant by "sketch," hehe. I was very literal in that statement :) ;) :D

I start out, and draw it - then I take it into Photoshop or Fireworks. Then from there it's into HTML and then I "tidy it up". Afterwards I check for errors, fine tune. Then I go through it over and over to check, then it goes up.

I lay down the html layout in notepad first and use tables with a fine line border to mark out where the images will go. Then I go in and make logos and pretty stuff in Photoshop and any pixel work in Corel Photopaint... then in the end iron out any problems and bugs.

Sometimes I'll draw the design in photopaint first though.. dunno why I like photopaint the best.. it's easier to draw things in it for me or something. Then I lay that out and do the fancy stuff in Photoshop last. :D

I basically do the same things. Once I have an idea I may sketch it out or just hop right in to photoshop ( I need to start messing with Illistrator ).

One resource I find handy is http://www.coolhomepages.com/ I will surf sites looking at different ideas and colors. I am not very good at color schemes so web sites and printed matter help me get ideas.

I'm not good at all with coming up with my own, spiffy designs. I usually just have to wait and see what clients like (I usually require they show me some sites they've seen in the past that they like). When I do sites for myself, I usually just browse the web and look at all kinds of sites, finding little things that I like on each one, and add those all together to make my stuff. (everyone's putting my IP address on their site's block list now :D )

I lack the creative skills necessary to actually *think* of something thats going to be good, whether its logos or entire pages, but I consider myself to be really good with USING Fireworks. I know how to do just about anything, but it has to be at someone else's suggestion (someone thats the designer). The hardest thing for me is probably logo design.

Anyway, to get back on topic....I usually *try* to sketch out an idea that I have (on RARE occasions) and then do the entire thing in Fireworks (<--best graphics program!) and then go into notepad and build the page. It's a pain to go into Fireworks and try and cut everything up to fit on the page, but I don't like to use the page export tool and splicing tools it has.

I'll shut up now...

LOL @ drawing! Holy crap that was funny...not slamming the design...but that frog is the best frog I've ever seen!

Thats a very very funny concept !!!!

I would love to see it when the site is completed !

Originally posted by secludo


*laughs* (see attachment)

deleted

and I realise the frog looks like a decapitated frog,left with 2 'hands' , HAHAHAHHA.
I cant stop laughing !!!

You might wanna make that frog into a cartoon character and sell it to disney. its really cute!!!

Start drawing it in PhotoShop, then make the slices and what not, and take it into UltraDev.

I think about it... sometimes I'll draw it... most of the time I'll do quick graphics in photoshop and then htmlize it ;)