How to become better at Web Design??

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Electric Amish

Elite Member
Oct 11, 1999
23,578
1
0
Since many people here believe that I have no skills, could someone explain to me how to become better at it?

Is Flash a requirement nowadays?

What are good color schemes?

What's the optimum for linking? Buttons? Text?

Please explain and/or point me somewhere that can point out the in's/out's of design. I'd love to get better at this.

tia

amish
 
LordMaul

LordMaul

Lifer
Nov 16, 2000
15,168
1
0
Flash is NOT a requirment. Flash is a major piece of crap, IMHO, while it can be cool once in a LONG while...it's mostly annoying.

color: Try to make sure everything is easily visible, and not too many colors.

Buttons are good for a flashy site without an insane amount of links. If you have alot of links(like voodooextreme.com or something) then just use text in columns.

:)
 
Supermercado

Supermercado

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2002
5,893
0
76
The way I got better at web design is just practicing. Every time I go to a site that looks really nice, I kind of store the ideas back in my head. And evventually, all of the ideas that I've seen come together in something that's presentable.

I don't think Flash is a requirement. I want to learn it and it may become one of my projects over the summer when I have time - make a Flash-driven website.

As far as color schemes, it's whatever you think looks good together. I usually tend to put like colors alike. For example, a dark grey background with light grey or white text on it, etc. Just try and keep all the links (visited, unvisited, active, hover, etc.) and graphics all within the same general color scheme. Another idea that's really kind of corny, but not a bad one is this (I've done it before and it does actually work): go to Kmart or some other store with a paint department that has paint swatches that you can take home with you. As dumb as it may sound, try and go to Kmart because they have the Martha Stewart paint there (I used to work in the hardware department at a Kmart, so I know). She takes colors that she thinks looks good together (like 4 of them) and puts them on one paint swatch. Just find a few that you like and take them with you and try and use those color schemes (either scan the colors in for a close match or just eyeball them). That's what I do, anyway, and as crazy as it sounds, it does actually work.

That's about it, really. Just practice and keep your eyes open. Look at magazines, etc. for other inspiration. Anyway, back to packing up all my stuff to go home for the summer and studying for my last exam. PM me if you got totally lost in what I said.
 
kami

kami

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
17,627
5
81


<< Flash is NOT a requirment. Flash is a major piece of crap, IMHO, while it can be cool once in a LONG while...it's mostly annoying.
 >>


Spoken like someone who doesn't know how to use Flash :p Flash can be great if used right. The best use of FLash I've seen has always been subtle work and often could not have been done in HTML unless hell froze over. You can also integrate Flash elements into an HTML site, it doesn't have to be pure Flash. Try and learn it if you can.

How do you become better? Practice. On the other hand, some people just aren't creative with such things. Web design might not be for you in the end.
 
J

joohang

Lifer
Oct 22, 2000
12,340
1
0
Linkie

Just don't follow the antipatterns mentioned in this website and you're better than 99% of others out there.
 
E

Electric Amish

Elite Member
Oct 11, 1999
23,578
1
0


<< On the other hand, some people just aren't creative with such things. Web design might not be for you in the end. >>



I'm a programmer at heart. :)

This web stuff is fun to play with. I just can't seem to get the hang of the design end.

amish
 
C

Czar

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
28,510
0
0
practice, find a site that has a layout that you like, use that as a template for your own creation, basicly just copy their work :p

also this is something you have to have an eye for, some people are born with it, some people learn it and some people just cant do it.
 
StageLeft

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
I'm a programer also because i realized after coming into contact with professional web designers that I could never be one so I quickly gave up. I now let other people do the pretty work while i do the stuff behind.
 
C

Czar

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
28,510
0
0
also if you want to make pretty stuff in html, use css, learn css, live by css, css is your god :p
 
J

joohang

Lifer
Oct 22, 2000
12,340
1
0


<< also if you want to make pretty stuff in html, use css, learn css, live by css, css is your god :p >>


LOL

Gosh.. those were the days. When I soooo totally fell in love with CSS and DHTML when IE4 beta 1 came out. :)

Then I learned to get extremely pissed off at Netscape. ;)
 
C

Czar

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
28,510
0
0


<<

<< also if you want to make pretty stuff in html, use css, learn css, live by css, css is your god :p >>


LOL

Gosh.. those were the days. When I soooo totally fell in love with CSS and DHTML when IE4 beta 1 came out. :)

Then I learned to get extremely pissed off at Netscape. ;) >>


yes but lucky us, netscape still sucks and mozilla fully supports css2 so whoopy :D
 
J

joohang

Lifer
Oct 22, 2000
12,340
1
0


<< yes but lucky us, netscape still sucks and mozilla fully supports css2 so whoopy :D >>


LOL

I just *somehow* saw that one coming from you. :) ;)

BTW, is Mozilla 1.0 released yet?
 
C

Czar

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
28,510
0
0
hey
people who might know
http://webfx.eae.net/

on that page the transparency on the menu works in mozilla and I thought the only way to get transparency was using the filter css tag that is only supported in ie, how do they do it?
 
J

joohang

Lifer
Oct 22, 2000
12,340
1
0


<< hey
people who might know
http://webfx.eae.net/

on that page the transparency on the menu works in mozilla and I thought the only way to get transparency was using the filter css tag that is only supported in ie, how do they do it? >>


Do a search at SiteExperts.com.

There are a lot of crazy, intelligent folks out there. I even recall seeing a "DHTML API" for Netscape! :Q
 
StageLeft

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Mozilla, wha? The only web browser you should be using is IE. Resisitance is futile.
 
LordMaul

LordMaul

Lifer
Nov 16, 2000
15,168
1
0


<<

<< Flash is NOT a requirment. Flash is a major piece of crap, IMHO, while it can be cool once in a LONG while...it's mostly annoying.
 >>


Spoken like someone who doesn't know how to use Flash :p Flash can be great if used right. The best use of FLash I've seen has always been subtle work >>



I can work my way around Flash, but your second point is 100% correct: SUBTLE WORK!! For ever great site with Flash incorporated into it , there are 100 that over do it and make it an annoyance for ther viewer/user. Don't try to convince me that Flash is the next coming and HTML is on it's way out or something...that's bullshlt.

I cannot STAND a website that loads every stupid little button with a cute animation and flashy lights and stupid lens flares and constant mini-videos between each and every fscking page!
 
S

sthreallyobscure

Member
Feb 23, 2002
29
0
0
Would anyone mind looking at this site, telling me what they think?
myurl
I put the site together but havent had any previous experience so i would much appreciate your advice.
Thanks, David
 
W

weezergirl

Diamond Member
May 24, 2000
3,366
1
0
I agree with the person who said Flash can be annoying. There are some really cool sites that use flash but overall, i think unless u really kick some arse in it don't even try. i think it's easier to just stick with simplicity. no super flashy colors. and look at websites that are pleasing to the eye and get inspired that way. it's easier to know what looks good after you've seen what looks good. i don't mean copy but just to get ideas. and i find the most useful things in website designing to learn are stylesheets and tables
 
C

Czar

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
28,510
0
0
weezergirl,
I agree on almost everything you said except the bit about tables, overrated. Best thing is <div> and css, clean and simple :)
 
N

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
The msot important part of a website is content. No one really gives a crap about what you ate for breakfast this morning, so if that's what your site is about, no one will read it regardless of how pretty it is. However, they'll sit and read plai ntext files if they hold important information.

Anyway, as far as design, there's a lot of borrowing that goes on. IF you see something you like remember it, you can use elements from it's design in your own later on. I'll even admit that I stole the color scheme for my site from some other site.
 
J

jjones

Lifer
Oct 9, 2001
15,424
2
0
Czar, this is the tags they're using in the xmenu.css for opacity.

filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Shadow(color="#777777", Direction=135, Strength=4) alpha(Opacity=90);

-moz-opacity: 0.9;

That's a great site. I'm going to have to learn a bit about what they're doing. I also like how they use the text positioning tag and then flip it horizontally and vertically.
 
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