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Setting up a website

D

dannifood4less

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 4, 2008
Messages
132
i am in need of a [H]elp!
I have been trying to start a business for a while now.. i specialize in wall murals and graphic design.. the premise of what i will be doing is design a clients wall mural digitally and superimpose it on a photograph of the wall.. once they are happy with the look and feel of the mural, I begin to actually create what I designed.
I have had my domain registered for a while now, and im trying to get serious now with this so I need my site to be functional. Im with godaddy right now, and it slaps a ugly add on the top of my site so first things first i need to find a better host.
second, my web design skills are very basic, defanatly not even close to up-to-date.
I definitely want a nice looking gallery, that is a must! something professional for a main page.
i have a logo designed.
(please note* that card is the old version, i have a more appropriate business e-mail address- dchurch@artscapedesigns.com)
www.artscapedesigns.com
BACKdesigncopy.jpg

FRONTdesign.jpg

any help will be greatly appreciated...
 
Did you come to ask for help or to pimp your stuff? You didn't really ask anything. You said you needed a new host...want some suggestions?

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=758618

You want a gallery? www.google.com

Until you can be a bit more specific on what you want help with, no one is going to be able to help you. I mean, do you want someone to design a site for you? or help you with specific questions?
 
well, first off, don't blame GoDaddy. You're using their free hosting service, which explains the forced advertisements. Pay for a regular account and those will go away..
Like supergper said, what exactly are you asking for? Do you want a critique of the logos and/or the website? Do you want us to suggest a new host? Do you want a suggestion for photo gallery software? What??

We're not being mean, we just need to know what part of your post you need us to help you with.
 
i was looking fo some general help in the coding dept. i know what i want the site to look and feel like, but i dont know enough about coding the website to get it to reflect that. i was very doubtful anyone would care enough to help out anyways.
 
dannifood4less said:
i was looking fo some general help in the coding dept. i know what i want the site to look and feel like, but i dont know enough about coding the website to get it to reflect that. i was very doubtful anyone would care enough to help out anyways.
Click to expand...

It's not that people here don't care and won't help out. It's all in how you ask. You spent more time saying what you do and what you have without really mentioning what you need help with. [H] users are notoriously helpful, but we're not going to do the work for you. Bring a specific question and you'll get answers.
 
webdes03 said:
It's not that people here don't care and won't help out. It's all in how you ask. You spent more time saying what you do and what you have without really mentioning what you need help with. [H] users are notoriously helpful, but we're not going to do the work for you. Bring a specific question and you'll get answers.
Click to expand...
Exactly, we'll help you as much as you're willing to help yourself. You can't just say you want it to look like XXX and have people do the work for you (unless you're willing to pay someone to do it ;)). Most of these guys earn their livings doing this stuff, their time is worth money.

I will say, the first place to start if you want to get into any kind of web development is www.w3schools.com

When you have specific questions, post up and I am sure you will get many answers.
 
i was thinking of making a mock-up example of how i want it to look... anyways, im off to work right now. ill draw up a mock site later.
 
ok, heres a sample of what i want it to look like.
im looking into a new hosing service...

if anyone can help me code this to work in html i would appreciate it. it seems like a rather simple thing to code, but i just am clueless in that field. also im open to general crituqe and comments on the look and feel of the design. thanks in advance...

testsitecopy.jpg



 
the body text will not be the same as that.. it was just what i had selected..
and how is my logo unappealing? that is rather upsetting to me.
 
dannifood4less said:
and how is my logo unappealing? that is rather upsetting to me.
Click to expand...
There's nothing wrong with the logo itself, it's just that it isn't working in this setting.

First of all, ditch that template. That distressed paper look is so cliched and outdated.

I would make the logo bigger and bolder, centered across the top.
Make the navigation horizontal under it instead of vertical down the left. Give the logo some color so it doesn't fade into the background.

Use the same logo on your business card. That gel text doesn't cut it.
 
its not a template at all. hehe i made that from scratch in photoshop. i do agree though now visualizing it, it probabbly will look better with the nav bar horizontally.... and i was really happy with the look of my logo.. the glowing text on the front side of my card isnt a logo.. :/
 
i agree the nav links should be horizontal.

I like the distressed paper look, I think there's still some life left in that design meme, if anything, it's definitely a refreshing alternative to rounded corners :)

The logo is getting lost in the background, you need to make it stand out more.

Be careful with your choice of fonts for your body text, web browsers only support a very limited set of fonts by default, anything else and the user will need to have your specific font choice installed on their machine. If they don't have your selected font installed, then their browser will default to one of its own. Google "Browser safe fonts". Fonts used in images will be OK though.
 
dannifood4less said:
the body text will not be the same as that.. it was just what i had selected..
and how is my logo unappealing? that is rather upsetting to me.
Click to expand...

I personally don't like the logo, but that's beside the point. What I meant was that look at your initial screenshot. It simply doesn't belong there. You have to focus to see it and read what it says.

And not to be an ass, but welcome to the internet. You've gotta learn to take criticism. I understand that my comment could make you a bit upset, but remember, not everyone likes the same stuff.

I see this is for graphic design. Not a flame, but I think you can do better with your logo. It just seems bland to me from a graphic artist.

Also, as soon as you get hosting, please update that email address on the business card! Having a yahoo address is very unprofessional.
 
i know that its unprofesional, the reason its not changed is that at the time i set it up i diddnt have another email account to use.. and this business got put on the backburner when i found out my wife was pregnant.. life has been very busy the last few months.. anyways.. with the baby due this next month i decided i needed to clamp down and get the ball rollin again. in the process of getting my business licence, and ive been dreading the website, which is why i posted here to begin with.
 
is this any better?? i dont know what would look best as the main body.. is this at least an improvement?
SITE2copy.jpg
 
Hello dannifood4less,
I like the first mockup better, testsitecopy.jpg. Send me some images and I'll code something up for you. I'll pm you with an email address.
 
Your logo definately fits in much better with the second iteration. May I suggest trying out the logo without the emboss (therefore, flat)?
 
Do you have photoshop? If so, why don't you just let photoshop make the website for you. Bridge has some nice gallery's, as well. If you want a nicer gallery then there is ton's of free web gallery's that use flash you could use, just Google "free gallery". If I wasn't moving next week, I could do your site for free. Coding XHTML/CSS is simple once you understand the rules.

Just remember that you will be needing to update your website so you will have to learn HTML/CSS unless you pay someone. So why not start now.
 
Oneos said:
Your logo definately fits in much better with the second iteration. May I suggest trying out the logo without the emboss (therefore, flat)?
Click to expand...

I agree... I've never been a fan of the embossing, it almost looks like you're trying too hard. If the purpose of this website is to gain clientele you want to focus on a clean, professional image. Embossing and over the top textures just screams "I'm an amateur trying to make myself stand out". That's just my opinion, but you asked...
 
I liked the look of your logo from the first post, it was a little futuristic... the AS was embossed but not heavily so it was a little subtle.

I think the second mockup isn't too bad. I agree, tone down the emboss a bit on your logo. Looks pretty good though.
 
Please tell me you're not using Comic Sans.. it's probably the most hated font in the world, no one will take you seriously if you go with that.

As for the logo, i would get rid of the embossing entirely and reduce the distance of the drop-shadow.
 
i may reduce the dropshadow, and ill go with another font.. but i like the logo just fine the way it is, ive played with it enough to know i like it like this.

BTW, whats so wrong with comic sans, lol i actually like that font.
 
Comic Sans just doesn't belong in 90% (pulled outta my ass) of the places it's used. Sure, if you're using it for perhaps, speech bubbles in a comic, or for some sort of kiddie theme (though still not as body text), than you're probably okay, but other than that not often a good choice.
 
dannifood4less said:
BTW, whats so wrong with comic sans, lol i actually like that font.
Click to expand...

The main problem with comic sans is that it is very overused, usually by people who have no design skills. Comic sans is what your Aunt would use for her holiday Christmas cards; it's what a 14-year old girl would use on her kewl web page along with font-size of 45px and alternating text colors; it's probably what your crappy high-school newsletter was done with.

In other words, nothing screams NOOB louder than Comic Sans. It's fine for fun, whimsical types of things, but if you want to be noticed in professional circles, it will instantly brand you as inexperienced.
 
dannifood4less said:
i may reduce the dropshadow, and ill go with another font.. but i like the logo just fine the way it is, ive played with it enough to know i like it like this.

BTW, whats so wrong with comic sans, lol i actually like that font.
Click to expand...
You NEED to get rid of comic sans and embossing. These are the top 2 design no-nos.
 
BurntToast said:
You NEED to get rid of comic sans and embossing. These are the top 2 design no-nos.
Click to expand...
embossing went out of style right around the same time as animated gifs, frames, and blink tags...and dont let the [H]ardForum logo lead you believe it's still acceptable ;)
 
It's ok to use pts in a mockup, but don't ever use them in an actual live site. They don't scale with the user's font settings. Consider using percentages or ems in your CSS instead. And yeah, no Comic Sans. Choose something that's a web standard (like Verdana) so your site looks crisp and consistent across browsers.
 
the site is up now, however i still have lorem ipsum as my main body, :D.... got a working portfolio, still messing with everything, and learning as i go.. and a big
THANK YOU goes out to AMDbuilder, for helping me set this all up, and for being so patient with me and my n00bness..

www.artscapedesigns.com
 
I think its looking very nice and a great improvement. Glad you were able to find some good assistance here bro. Now lets see some real content... ;)

 
It's come along way, but you're a prime example of how people can be taken by the web development industry. Anyone can decide "I'm a web developer" and charge people, as your own website claims, $500-2000, for a service with which you have no experience in, and frankly aren't that great at. If it wasn't for the feedback given to you here, you would have stuck with those other design "instincts". Please don't take this as me smashing your dreams, it's an industry-wide issue, and it's the type of stuff my customers come to me all the time about. "I went to this company, and paid 2 grand, and my website doesn't look good, doesn't work, and isn't manageable". I really think you need more experience, either working with a company as an apprentice, or self-training and a lot more learning before you start to claim you're a designer and take people's money. Just my $0.02, and I'm sorry it's so negative, I do recognize how far you've come since your initial mock up.
 
webdes03 said:
It's come along way, but you're a prime example of how people can be taken by the web development industry. Anyone can decide "I'm a web developer" and charge people, as your own website claims, $500-2000, for a service with which you have no experience in, and frankly aren't that great at. If it wasn't for the feedback given to you here, you would have stuck with those other design "instincts". Please don't take this as me smashing your dreams, it's an industry-wide issue, and it's the type of stuff my customers come to me all the time about. "I went to this company, and paid 2 grand, and my website doesn't look good, doesn't work, and isn't manageable". I really think you need more experience, either working with a company as an apprentice, or self-training and a lot more learning before you start to claim you're a designer and take people's money. Just my $0.02, and I'm sorry it's so negative, I do recognize how far you've come since your initial mock up.
Click to expand...
x2

Those were my EXACT thoughts.
 
webdes03 said:
It's come along way, but you're a prime example of how people can be taken by the web development industry. Anyone can decide "I'm a web developer" and charge people, as your own website claims, $500-2000, for a service with which you have no experience in, and frankly aren't that great at. If it wasn't for the feedback given to you here, you would have stuck with those other design "instincts". Please don't take this as me smashing your dreams, it's an industry-wide issue, and it's the type of stuff my customers come to me all the time about. "I went to this company, and paid 2 grand, and my website doesn't look good, doesn't work, and isn't manageable". I really think you need more experience, either working with a company as an apprentice, or self-training and a lot more learning before you start to claim you're a designer and take people's money. Just my $0.02, and I'm sorry it's so negative, I do recognize how far you've come since your initial mock up.
Click to expand...

While I agree with what you said 100%, the OP isn't selling web design service. The first post explains he draws murals.
 
riot8ap said:
While I agree with what you said 100%, the OP isn't selling web design service. The first post explains he draws murals.
Click to expand...

Correct.. and throughout this thread it's everyone giving him guidance on setting up his art business website. Then on the website he's listing web design services...
 
I work a design/development agency, we have no prices listed on our site. The sites will deal with are on a case-by-base basis and range anywhere from $5,000 to upwards of $40,000.

I know for many people that do it for a hobby or a little income a quick $500 site is easy and quick money, but to do a job properly and to the correct standards with the full process involved, $500 wouldn't cut it for anything I or the company I work for does.

But like I said, the OP is doing it by himself. He should invest some time perhaps reading up on marketing, web standards, user experience and the like before venturing into the world of web development. Clients tend to expect a lot from a website, especially business', you have to be very clear with what they're getting or you're going to spend a lot of your personal time doing things for free or little-to-nothing to keep them happy.
 
omg, lol AMDbuilder put that there to test different tables fonts, links, quotes etc.. he tried to put everything he could in the lorem ipsum to see how every element look. i dont offer web design,... i only do graphic design, and wall murals. :D
 
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