I am currently offering design & front-end development, I launched my business on the 26th of May this year having come from a totally different background. I have got several website contracts which I am working on, I have designed email stationery & newsletters and also created numerous facebook landing pages.

 

The bit I enjoy most is front-end dev, designing I find really challenging - although this may be a lack of confidence as everything I know is self-taught. I have contacted a local college re a Graphic Design course thinking this may help? I don't feel I'm naturally creative but I love coding

 

Should I be going down a design route at all? Is there any work for front-end dev alone or does this need to be accompanied with either design or back-end dev?

 

Confuzzled and hoping this makes sense?!

 

Any thoughts appreciated

If you enjoy development then you might be better off sticking to that rather than forcing yourself to learn something you're not 100% in to.

 

Maybe consider teaming up with a graphic designer who's local to you, or even. Friend, and let them handle.the graphic part of the job.

Many people may disagree with me here but...........

 

when I started out just over ten years ago, I was essentially a developer, I specialised in Perl writing all kinds of apps. Never dealt with clients direct, always worked for agencies. I had absolutely no graphic skills and couldn't draw a straight line. But over the years I've taught myself and would consider myself an advanced user of Photoshop and Fireworks. Photoshop for me was the "in between" bit I needed to unleash my creative design skills which I could never recreate using pencil and paper.

 

Work at it yourself and work at creating all kinds of images and ideas. I started developing my photography skills and created some amazing stuff just by importing and playing with photos. I'll never be a true graphic designer but Photoshop lets me do whatever I need to do. I'm now a full blown designer/developer and there's really nothing I can't handle, entirely self taught.

 

Learning EVERYTHING in Photoshop is practically a university degree in itself, but you'll be glad you know it. One of the things that turned my skils around was Photoshop Top Secret - http://www.photoshoptopsecret.com/

 

I also carry a camera all the time and take pics of the strangest stuff; textures, objects etc, and I keep an extensive library really helps my workflow and imagination.

 

And well done for getting your business up and running, starting out as a web designer is one thing, actually making a living from it is another thing entirely.

Thanks for taking the time to reply :-)

 

Mike, although I completely agree that in theory the development route appears to be the best option, the reason I haven't given up completely on the design route is because I love the client interaction and taking a project from a concept to a fully fledged website that my clients are delighted with and which brings real results. I feel I may lose this interaction should I go down the dev route, although maybe I'm wrong...

 

when I started out just over ten years ago, I was essentially a developer, I specialised in Perl writing all kinds of apps. Never dealt with clients direct, always worked for agencies. I had absolutely no graphic skills and couldn't draw a straight line. But over the years I've taught myself and would consider myself an advanced user of Photoshop and Fireworks. Photoshop for me was the "in between" bit I needed to unleash my creative design skills which I could never recreate using pencil and paper...

 

Gary, really appreciate your post - it's great to know others have been in a similar position and have succeeded. Some fab ideas in there too on unleashing creativity Whichever way I go, I'm thinking a Graphic Design course is a big commitment when all I really want to do is build great websites. Can you recommend a course (online or otherwise) where I could learn things like colour theory, typography and using images in a really creative way? Or would I be better looking for a mentor or just picking up different bits as I go along?

 

And if I do go down a design route, how far should I really take the dev side without spreading myself too thinly? I love the things PHP and Java/JQuery can do. Should I really focus on design and this?

 

Thanks again

 

Andrea

I just picked up stuff as I went along, downloaded various books, accessed various online sites, but I'm learning all the time. I found the Lynda.com stuff very good. I've collected a massive resource of materials over the years, but of course it goes out of date and you've got to keep on top of technology.

 

You'll know yourself if you're spreading things a bit thin.

 

I love Perl and still do, but rarely use it. Over the years I've picked up PHP, MySQL, Flash, Javascript, Ajax, Python, of course keeping up to date with HTML and CCSS, and read up and practiced regularly on SEO, business practices, concepts and ideas etc etc. I've also studied various CMS, including WordPress, Joomla, ocPortal, Drupal, Typo3 etc. I've made sure that I know these inside out and can pretty much make them do anything I want. There's a definite increasing trend in the use CMS. Also like to keep on top of server technology, in particular for Linux.

 

I keep up to date with Photoshop, InDesign, Flash and Fireworks, occasionally a bit of Dreamweaver if needed.

 

But bear in mind I've been at this now for over ten years, but for me it's never ending, I'm always reading up on stuff, practicing and keeping up to date.

 

I made the choice to go it alone and keep it that way. I have a bit of help from my family who sometimes deal with admin and other tasks. I don't regret it, but you can never rest and sit back, you've got to keep at it and always look at ways of improving you and the business as well as ways of finding new business.

 

That might seem a bit overwhelming but you'll soon adjust. Explore technologies and see what you like. I never really developed a passion for working with anything else, any Windows server based stuff and ASP.NET etc, just not my thing whereas it might really appeal to you. But make sure you find something that excites you, that's what you'll enjoy and pick up most.

 

Don't ever worry about turning work down, it does happen and should happen, don't take work just because you think you need it. And set a fair pricing structure right across the board for clients, and stick to it.

 

I get a lot of requests for a web site with a budget of £100 or £200 etc, be realistic, if you can't do it for that price then don't! Keep your integrity.

 

And finally, it's not going to happen overnight, maybe even not in the first year, but five years down the line you'll be glad you did and that you stuck to your guns.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but web design is one of things that "everyone" has a go at doing, and the market is saturated, but if you're in it for the professionalism and the longer term, it'll pay off.

I'm pretty new here too, is there a thread with a list of good web resources? If not could we start contributing to something?

I just picked up stuff as I went along, downloaded various books, accessed various online sites, but I'm learning all the time. I found the Lynda.com stuff very good. I've collected a massive resource of materials over the years, but of course it goes out of date and you've got to keep on top of technology....

 

Gary, inspiring words, thank you. Good for you on your development, there is so much to learn and I appreciate this will be an ongoing process, good job I love it :-)

 

I've decided to continue to learn myself, rather than going to college as I feel for me it would be a better use of my time. Sometimes I think I just lack confidence when it comes to designing because I don't have a certificate that says I can do it, how silly is that?! I learn by doing so I've found tutorials on YouTube have been a great help, I just wish I could get the hang of colour theory and visual design - if you can point me in the right direction for this I would really appreciate it, I don't mind paying for this if it's recommended.

 

 

Don't ever worry about turning work down, it does happen and should happen, don't take work just because you think you need it. And set a fair pricing structure right across the board for clients, and stick to it.

 

I have turned a few projects down, I have been asked several times about SEO and logos/leaflets - I acknowledge this isn't my strong point and doesn't interest me particularly. I have also turned down quite a large project because they wanted to outsource it to me but have their name on my design and I wouldn't have any contact with their client, I can't work like that. On the other hand, pricing I am finding really difficult. I haven't got a set pricing structure because every project I've quoted is different, I really don't see how I can do this. I'd really like to, it would save me lots of time :-) I have set prices for email templates and facebook pages, but the websites I'm working on are so tailored and custom, I know now I completely under-priced them but I'm incapable of doing 'half a job' so right now I'm probably on 50p per hour :-s

 

I'll get there, I'm learning all the time and I enjoy (almost) every minute of it.

 

Thanks again for your comments,

 

Andrea

Personally if you enjoy the dev side of it id stick with that and read up on a bit about app dev also. You can always team up with a more experienced designer ( like me ) just because you don't design does not mean you lose the edge with the customer.

 

Most of my work comes from developers who need a polished a design, they give me the break down and I crack on with it, I hardly chat to the client, and thats mainly due to the developer having some knowledge of design relay what they need from me and deal with the client them selfs then.

 

Once you build up a solid network, you should enough contacts to be able to take on the biggest of jobs or at least refer them for a fee. Turning work away because of lack of skill is no longer an issue then.

 

Either or it still takes time

Most of my work comes from developers who need a polished a design, they give me the break down and I crack on with it, I hardly chat to the client, and thats mainly due to the developer having some knowledge of design relay what they need from me and deal with the client them selfs then.

 

I hadn't thought if it that way - thanks Pandadoodle