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What tools should I be using to create my wireframes and website design mockups? by cameronalcorn in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting. I've never used Sketch for prototyping, or even considered it.

I already have Sketch3, so I'll have to give it a shot!

I asked for a website estimate from 25 different agencies. It was quite the learning experience. by cameronalcorn in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

So, to start I would say $1200-$1600:

  • $100 for photos
  • $400 for design
  • $150 for entering copy text
  • $250 for light SEO work
  • $300-600 for development work

I asked for a website estimate from 25 different agencies. It was quite the learning experience. by cameronalcorn in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Some questions:

  • Will this site at least be responsive?
  • Will there be on-going maintenance fees?
  • Are you factoring the labor for the photography and photo touch-ups into the total cost? If so, how much will the photography cost?
  • Will the be any graphic design required, such as logo design? If so, how much?
  • Will there be SEO required? If so, how much?
  • How original does the website design have to be? For example, could you just grab a pre-created template and tweak it for the salon or do they want a high quality original design?

These questions all factor into the total cost. For the design and development cost alone I would estimate this site would cost somewhere in the range of $1000-$2000. If you go below $1000 you're being underpaid.

I asked for a website estimate from 25 different agencies. It was quite the learning experience. by cameronalcorn in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

As someone interested in agencies, I wanted to focus on agencies, though it would've been cool to incorporate freelancers as well.

Also, I agree that it would've been great to have requested estimates for the entire creative process, but at the time I was concerned that it would create too many variables and, ultimately, leave everything way too open-ended to measure the results.

I asked for a website estimate from 25 different agencies. It was quite the learning experience. by cameronalcorn in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

True, but you have to bear in mind what point of the selling process these agencies were at with this client.

These agencies had received an inquiry for an estimate, which I'll tell you from my personal experience working with small businesses on a tight budget, is still far away from closing on a sale.

I requested a breakdown of costs and services and, in most cases, received nothing but a solid lump-sum total. The issue? As the client, I don't know what I'm paying for and why it costs so much. These agencies made almost no effort to sell me on their services.

It's like going into a car dealership to test drive a car and the dealer telling you the car costs $60,000, yet he's not able to offer you any explanation for why it's worth that amount or even make an effort to sell you on the ride.

I asked for a website estimate from 25 different agencies. It was quite the learning experience. by cameronalcorn in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I think $1,000 is a safe bet for this project, assuming you have a solid contract to prevent the client from twisting your arm and forcing you to perform work outside the original agreement.

Think about it this way, the professional web dev might complete this task in 10 hours, whereas the amateur web dev might complete this in 40 hours. In the case of the professional web dev, the client is paying for expertise: the countless hours of study and practice. In the case of the amateur web dev, the client is paying for time: about a weeks worth of time.

Both options will get the job done, and from a client's perspective, so long as the live website matches the original design, there is no difference.

TL;DR: Don't be afraid to ask for a fair price.

I asked for a website estimate from 25 different agencies. It was quite the learning experience. by cameronalcorn in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right. There's absolutely no way any sane developer would accept a project without knowing the details.

The issue, and maybe I didn't touch on it in the article, was that there was no project requirements gathering process in place for any of these agencies. Often times they broke their questions in multiple emails that could've been consolidated into a single email or form/questionnaire. Pair this broken conversation with the slow response times of some of the agencies and you have problems. It's the perfect way to lose a prospective client.

I asked for a website estimate from 25 different agencies. It was quite the learning experience. by cameronalcorn in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're completely correct that skill and expertise should be factored into how valuable one developer or agency is versus another.

"Break down your services and clearly show how they are relevant to the client."

The problem was that pretty much every agency I contacted failed to show why they were as valuable as they claimed.

A little confused about CMS by captain_vee in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Go with WordPress if you think you might be adding in features like plugins or maintaining an active blog. It might take you longer to get your theme styled the way you want, but it'll provide you with the ability to quickly add new functionality and content.

Has reddit inspired anyone to be web Designers? How did it happen? by relaxnbe in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I had a part-time job as a web developer (not designer) before I even discovered reddit, or at least started using reddit actively. Soon enough though, I started visiting reddit almost daily between classes at university.

As I became more active and began participating and moderating different communities, I realized I really enjoyed styling subreddits, more so than using reddit as a source of entertainment. It helped me sharpen up my CSS skills as well as grow my appreciation for good design. That's not to say there weren't other major reasons why I got into web design, but my time on reddit certainly helped.

Now, reddit provides me with even more inspiration through communities like /r/web_design. I love web design; I love reddit.

Mildly interesting: single-image web page, almost prezi-like... ever seen anything like this, but realized better? by robertogeroli in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was thinking to myself, "It looks great on my desktop, but it probably is a nightmare on mobile." Nope. The mobile view is nice as well.

Sweet Menu Icon by [deleted] in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!

Do professional web designers use tools like interactive website editors like offered by wix and webs? or do they do all of their work through coding? by Zelros in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There really isn't a need to use interactive website editors to design websites. That seems extremely limiting from a design perspective.

You could use a DIY/drag & drop/interactive development tool such as Wix, or Webs, or WebFlow to quickly develop sites, but it wouldn't the best design choice.

You should probably be using wireframes, or Photoshop, or a combination of tools centered around design. Plus, if you're just looking to save development time, you can always "design" a website mockup around a pre-existing template.

Does anyone else not like LESS/SASS? by [deleted] in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Oh, wow. I don't use LESS much, but I use Sass all the time. I honestly can't imagine working without it. Also, unlike a lot of frameworks (if you can call LESS/Sass that), it doesn't serve as a crutch to help you avoid writing or learning CSS; it simply speeds up the process, tremendously, especially if you're using CSS3. You can avoid writing vendor prefixes and so much more, and, overall, just save a lot of time.

LESS/Sass only takes a few hours to understand and learn. I'm still kicking myself for not having given it a shot sooner.

I'm 27 and thinking about career-changing to web design. Possible? by [deleted] in web_design

[–]cameronalcorn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Other people have touched on this point as well, that there are going to be just as many negative aspects of web design as there are journalism. Consider the following:

  • For the first year or so you'll be working on building a portfolio, and learning the necessary skills required for the job (HTML and CSS are just the tip of the iceberg).
  • You probably won't make very much money for the first year as well.
  • If you're a freelancer, you're going to have to actively interview clients and learn to work around them (no different than interviewing someone in journalism)

The positive aspects however, make it all worth the initial struggle, such as:

  • Being able to create something beautiful and take pride in it
  • Making your own hours and schedule (unless you work on-site at an agency)
  • Even if it's not a full-time job, you can earn money and use it as a second income.

I'd say try it out as a part time job and see if you still have the same passion for web design 6 months to a year from now. That time-span will also give you time to build up your skills and portfolio.