Hello,

 

I design websites in Photoshop.

 

I was wondering what other people did to get good at designing websites? whenever i sit and start trying to design a site for practice for something like a Flower Shop or a hotel or somethnig... i just dont know what to put on the design.

 

Am i missing something? Should i start from somewhere else?

 

What do you all do when you first start out designing?

Hi

 

It's a good idea to create a brief for imaginary project to work with. Here is an example of what should be included in a design brief http://wdf.co/38

Create one like this and fill it yourself, then you can make a design around it.

 

Hope that helps

Web design and development is really about solving problems so create a scenario/brief like teodora suggests then try to "solve the problem".

 

It doesn't take much imagination, here's an example:

 

I'm publishing an e-book about cats

It's aimed at pet owners

It's sold via Amazon and off my own site via Paypal

I want to give away the first chapter for free as a teaser

 

 

Think about what the site needs to achieve (ebook sales)

How do you get a customer to buy it?

thank teo... I remember doing design briefs in college and school. So, i think ill just have to give it a go at doing that.

Blue, thanks fro comment. I mean more like, i dont know what to add to the design itself (not the content)... Like, i am never quiet sure how I should layout the page and stuff...

 

But with a design brief, it will defiantly help to get an idea of a website as a product in my head, then make a few designs and design it fully.

The whole idea of web design is "content design", anything else is decoration (to paraphrase .Zeldman -http://www.zeldman.com/2009/11/19/a-design-apart-qa/ )

 

Think about typography, colours, presentation. Experiment with layouts, content structure to see what works and what doesn't...

Creativity starts with generation of ideas & I think you are facing difficulties there. You want to be unique in your designing. What you need is ways to mind mapping (see online tutorials in that)& then locking one idea which you feel satisfied. But don't go back once you have decided. Let it happen & see how does it look like.

Edited June 22, 201313 yr by shahzaibkhatri

If we search online, you may find dynamic design skills, how to use dominant elements in design, try to focus on balance and proportion for visually appealing and exciting layouts, boxes, sidebars and call-outs, importantly add some sort of interest to text-heavy pages, be expert in easy-to-read documents etc are vital to improve your website designing skills.

Edited June 24, 201313 yr by teodora
Link not relevant - removed.

A lot of the "design" bit is establishing hierarchy of information. Through typography, calls to action, and separation of similar information (through pages or modules) the user should understand what to look at and know where to go next. He/ She should also understand the premise of the site immediately.

 

Generally I define a brief like Teodora's and go from there. Then I put myself in the postion of the user and see how easy it is to find specific information. Its always good to have other people do your testing but generally that comes after the site is built.

 

Superfluous information and design elements can be distracting so make sure they have a purpose.

A brief is the perfect way to start. At first I assumed that I would be provided with a brief by the client but I have since realised a clients idea of a brief can be please redesign my website I want it to look just like thissite.com, getting used to writing your own briefs where you need to can be helpful to managing your projects.

 

Something I did was target a sector to practice with, for me it was the confectionery industry, this was more to do with the fact my first two freelance clients where confectionery businesses.

At first I assumed that I would be provided with a brief by the client but I have since realised a clients idea of a brief can be please redesign my website I want it to look just like thissite.com,

 

Ha ha, yes, most clients seem to think that's enough I sometimes spend two-three days exchanging emails with the client, so I can get what they have in mind. It is also extremely difficult to make (some) people fill a design questionnaire....