Creating a website - The Bear and Badger

JonB

I moved my site over to Wordpress last year. It used to be a pure HTML thing. The theme I created is probably a complete mess, but it seems to work.

b0r1s

I run a small web design company and, despite the 1 and 1 ads, serious web design is not easy.

You need to consider a lot things now like responsive (mobile to slate to desktop) web design, HTML5, SEO etc.

If you don't want to get your hands dirty the best bet is Wordpress on Wordpress.com.

The second choice is to install your own copy of Wordpress on your own hosting platform and then buy a pro template from somewhere like theme forest. Pay about £30 for a good responsive theme. You install that over the top of your wp install. You'll need to follow the theme instructions and know a little bit of html bit nothing brain frying.

Third choice is to go whole hog with a good cms. Personal experience is Umbraco on the .NET side and ExpressionEngine on the PHP side, I prefer the latter as it is supported with a good range of addons, but is a commercial product and does require a good level of HTML, CSS and JS knowledge.

Facewon

That's pretty much what my mate has done for me, and why he went wp. (The second choice.)

b0r1s

For people with little budget it's your best choice as the template designer has done all the hard work, which I you were to pay an agency or freelancer would cost a lot more obviously.

mk64

I need three pages linked. One page with thumbnails and a task bar with a blog like thing which I can update. Another with a button to download a file. Another with a webform to go to my email. I've got a mate who will do the graphics.

b0r1s

Not as simple as you make it sound MK. I get this a lot from clients.

It's just three pages, it's just a blog etc.

Key issues are going to be

Your mate who does the graphics does he know web? Is he up to date on web? This is the area that can take the most time to get right. A lot of graphic designers can create a design, but the limitations of the web restrict the final website.

Next issue

The fact that there is a blog means that there will need to be some kind of cms system installed, along with comment moderation. Possible member management.

The download a file bit is not an issue or the fo to email you.

Mod74

I'd stick with Boris' suggestion up above. Either pay wordpress.com or use a normal host (www.hihosting.co.uk is Dan's company and he's excellent at the customer support) and install Wordpress. Then get a theme from somewhere and apply it.

Unless of course the graphics are something you're having custom made but even then it would be better to select the template with the layout/style you want and then get your mate to adjust the graphics/colours to suit.

If he's good enough to make a website design he should be able to shoe horn it into a Wordpress template. As Boris also said, get a template that's flagged as Responsive and it'll work nice on a mobile without faffing a specific version out.

b0r1s

Cheers Mod
Btw you don't have to pay for anything from Wordpress it's all free

Only thing you will have to pay for is hosting, if you install your own WP and the theme, again if you don't want the free stuff.

Mod74

Wordpress.com is paid for though. Well, to make it ad free it is. But you're right it is free with the ads.

b0r1s

Well that's like anything - nothing is free is it?

If you don't like ads stump up, or gain the knowledge and install an open source version.

Facewon

May or may not be of use. Chrome app called Mockflow. Looks to be handy enough for muppets like me to set up the layout we have in mind for people who actually know what they're doing.

About to test out right now.

Facewon

Well, I can confirm that it's fucking useful. Probably worth remembering for anyone who isn't a web designer, but wants to explain what they want. Free, as far as I can see, and easily exportable to all manner of things.

In true Chrome store style, it's taken trying and being frustrated by 4-5 other apps before finding this one.

Speedhaak

Web Design is the biggest pain in the fucking rear going. And what's more, chasing assholes for money once the work is done is ever more fun.

dynamiteReady

I attended a web-dev seminar a few weeks back...

Some interesting talks there, but one of the better ones was a breakdown of a recent BBC homepage R&D project - http://now.pilots.bbcconnectedstudio.co.uk/

Remembering how we bitched about the current BBC homepage - http://www.bbc.co.uk/ - on the blu-rum' (especially G), it was quite a cool session to sit through. Apparently, the Beeb itself had performed some tests and concluded that the current page was "dull" and "boring". I think that's a little harsh but not entirely off the mark...

To be honest with you, I don't think the R&D page is any better, but the devco did offer up some strong numbers in support of their thesis... The design goal was to get people to click on items other than the main headlines. The test group sample polled in workshop/lab/whateverthefuck suggested that the redesign could increase the volume of their long-tail page impressions...

Anyway... not sure if it will ever go live, but I thought it was a pretty cool thing to be privy to.

three1ne

On behalf of a mate - anyone here build apps?

What's the general opinion on the free app builder sites?

[Deleted User]

The agency I work for can/have done apps (more specifically web apps) - Not sure what the craic is with free builders, I can't imagine them being particularly great tbh.

GooberTheHat

Dan, my sis in-law has just finished uni doing graphic design and typography. She's having a tough time finding work, would you mind if I pm'd you for some advice? Cheers.

Mod74

three1ne wrote:

On behalf of a mate - anyone here build apps? What's the general opinion on the free app builder sites?

Things like Conduit or Phonegap are useful if you've got a site with content and want to use that to make something that's strictly speaking native, but in reality little more than a web app.

Petey

Not that I've ever used it, but http://www.squarespace.com/pricing/ looks like it might be of interest; £5 a month for basic package of 20 page site, and you get full hosting, a selection of pretty damn good themes, full CMS functionality, and the possibility to tinker with CSS / HTML etc if you want. Worth at least trying the 14 day free trial to see if it works for you or not.

three1ne

Ah, so I think those are for turning websites into apps? He just wants an app that can be sold on the App Store. I don't think he ever plans on having it linked in to a website.

Mod74

Well they will make apps as well, it's just having the content existing already is a shortcut. Bear in mind you need a developer account to publish to the App Store. And a Mac to publish from.

three1ne

A mac to publish from! Ha, thats a new one! Cheers Mod.

AJ

My thing just hit alpha, if anyone's interested: http://60smusic.tv

Current plan is that when it reaches beta 2, I should be able to offer it's use for free to any of you guys who've got/buy a domain, should anyone want to.

three1ne

Looks very nice. Will take a praappa look later.

AJ

Thanks. It's not had a proper design job on it, really, just some stuff thown together when I was high. Fuck loads better than the last version, though, and I'm relatively happy with the architecture.

[Deleted User]

We just launched this:

http://www.johnson-tiles.com/

Mod74

Very nice. Veeeeeery nice.

One thing though, what the hell has happened to your facebook and twitter icons? The Twitter one looks like road kill

[Deleted User]

Mod74 wrote:

Very nice. Veeeeeery nice. One thing though, what the hell has happened to your facebook and twitter icons? The Twitter one looks like road kill

All the icons on the site are designed to a specific grid (and we didn't design them :-)

)

Mod74

All the others look great, but the facebook and twitter ones look like they were done in Paint!

Point yer man at

http://www.icondeposit.com/

[Deleted User]

Mod74 wrote:

All the others look great, but the facebook and twitter ones look like they were done in Paint! Point yer man at http://www.icondeposit.com/

I don't actually mind them - Twitter one is a bit different but I quite like it for that.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories