The Design Process

Hey,
What process do you go through when making a template/skin?

The way I do it, is somewhat unconventional and often frustrating.

It usually goes:
Open Photoshop
Draw basic shapes
Design each part completely step-by-step. Ie, designing the entire header, then the entire nav-bar, and so on.

Usually resulting in a poor outcome. So now I'm looking for a new way to go about this, which will hopefully increase the quality of my designs.

Regards,
Indy

When I design, I try not to force myself to design certain things. I only like to design when my imagination is running wild.

1. Open Photoshop
2. Come up with a color scheme
3. Come up with a layout
4. then start to piece the design together...

I think everyone has there own way of
designing. I start off with wireframes
and then bulid on that.

These websites offer alot of info on designing.

Alist apart http://www.alistapart.com/
Sitepoint http://www.sitepoint.com/

A good book to have in your library is:

The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web
http://www.campusi.com/isbn_0735712026.htm



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I believe in using a sketch book first :P But then again, my background is in art.

I would use a sketchbook...but I can't draw.
my process is:

1. Open Fireworks
2. experiment till I find something I like
3. draw slices around the graphics I need and export them
4. open editplus
5. code. and code. and code. and not sleep till it's done.
6. that could explain why I'm always dead tired during they day

1. Think about why I am doing this.

2. Draw the basic layout on some paper

3. Make it in Photoshop, remember to "optimize" the coding.
I mean, when I can use default "html" patterns (dotted, dashed, solid etc.) I will do it, instead of something that can only be accomplished by using images.

4. I know merge all layers, and take every part to a new PS document, and save it for web.

5. Open Dreamweaver, and code it.

When I create:

I first start with a small sketch of the layout. Whatever my mind/hands come up with that is what I will base the design off of.

Then on paper I draw a bunch of different objects that I want to use in the design.

Then I scan them in photoshop and recreate them following the lines from the scan.

Once finished with that I piece everything together

I just start and pray everything works out okay really. I don't do any prior planning, I have a basic concept in my head however the finished product never looks the way it intended to look.

1. I start off by considering how much I am being paid for the project and therefore how much time I need to spend on it.

2. I research my client thoroughly.

3. I begin by putting ideas onto paper, rough sketches at first, breaking up more detailed sections if neccessary.

4. I work out the colour scheme needed by the client, and how to make it work in the design.

5. I present the client with a basic mock-up (basically an image of what the site will look like).

6. Once accepted I then begin slicing the image and hand-coding it in standards compliant tableless XHTML and CSS.

But then you didn't need to know how I coded it did you?

The main thing is to have a rough idea in your head before you start. Get ideas down on paper and you will have them ready at hand for any project!