how do freelance web developers work with limited graphical abilities?

Joined
12 Feb 2006
Posts
17,190
Location
Surrey
i often find myself very limited when building sites as i am not a very creative person with graphics which quickly becomes annoying as i can have some big ideas, just unable to put them into action.

i was wondering if anyone on here has/had this problem, and how to deal with it? do people outsource that to another company? work in partnership with a graphic designer etc?
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Nov 2002
Posts
11,141
Location
Barnsley
I'd try and find someone to work alongside who can do the graphical work.

IE, your "partner" mocks up a web design in photoshop, then you XHTML/CSS/CMS it.

I used to only be able to design, but through experience and a bit of hard work I learned to develop also.

I'm not sure this is as easy the other way round as a lot of people think you can't "learn" design - you either have it or you don't.
 
Permabanned
Joined
9 Aug 2009
Posts
12,236
Location
UK
I used to do a bit of freelancing while I was at uni. I used to take photos and then crop bits out them to make designs. Take a photo, Photoshop it loads so it doesn't really look like a photo anymore, then make a site out of it.
 
Associate
Joined
15 Jun 2005
Posts
630
I normally try to design the pages using a sensible XHTML structure that will allow the designer to hook his or her CSS into it. I often have to tweak things at their request, but it gets you 80% of the way there. I don't bother designing any layout at all, it just looks like a flat file until the designer gets involved.
 
Associate
Joined
18 Feb 2008
Posts
997
If you don't have the time to learn/practice I'd definitely try to find a designer partner to work with you.

I strongly disagree with the notion that "design can't be learned" I've worked in web design and game design and met several people who used to be "bad" at design, and get told by snobby designers that design "can't be learned" yet now after practice they're great designers/artists.
 
Associate
Joined
16 Jan 2010
Posts
768
Best thing to do in my experience is get involved with a design company that does not have their own website builder. Most of my work is building sites from their designs.

It also helps develop you own design skills too. With practice and some knowledge of the Adobe products you can soon get quite good.
 
Back
Top Bottom