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Here at Web Hosting Geeks we like to talk an awful lot about web hosting. It is, after all our expertise. We consider it our duty and responsibility to keep you informed, well-educated, and well-versed when it comes to the various hosting providers floating around the Internet. In fact, we’d like to ensure that, whether it’s your first, second or even tenth web hosting purchase, you’ve made the right choice for your needs and for your budget. That’s our goal, and we take pride in sticking to it.
However, there’s so much more to hosting a website and maintaining its traffic than just selecting a web host. Life is sadly not as easy as signing the lease on a web server and instantly enjoying riches and fame. You see, there’s another side to the coin that we also take great pride in educating you about: Web design. The design, implementation, and execution of your website is every bit as important as the decision to host it. As such, we’re going to be taking the time now to give you the full rundown on exactly what web design is, how it operates, and what you can do to improve or benefit your own design projects.
We’ll be covering everything from the field itself to the various elements used to create a solid web design. We’ll be detailing the ways in which you can acquire a solid design, as well as pursue the construction of a design of your very own. We’ll even be listing out a few of the things you should be looking for in a web host that compliment solid web design. All in all, we want to leave you today with a firm background and bedrock where web design is concerned.
So whether you’re a newbie to the realm, or a seasoned veteran, stick around! We promise we have something to teach you (we are web designers in our own right, after all) and at the very least, we’ll be refreshing some topics that you might not have thought about in a long time. So without further ado, let’s go ahead and crack open this can to get to the meaty interior—the last of the terrible metaphors, we promise!
The history of web design follows very closely to the development of the Internet. If you can think back to remember a time when the Web was only just developing, you’ll remember how websites first looked. They were blocky, often disorganized, and at the very least, not nearly as intuitive as they are now.
However, the Internet has grown a lot since its birth, and the field of aesthetically pleasing, beneficial, and easy-to-use design has grown right along with. Gone are the days where a simple menu, a few pictures and some links sufficed as a website. Now, we have mammoth institutions like Facebook, Twitter, and Google setting a new frontier for what matters in the world of web design. But what, at the very core of things, is web design? How do we define it?
To give an academic definition, web design is the practice of constructing, coding, and implementing a website that’s aesthetically pleasing, easy to use, and informative. A web designer’s job is to precisely and effectively summarize all the various elements of the company, person, or thought that they’re representing in a physical form that can be accessed by a browser from anywhere in the world. Now, that’s a rather bookish way to describe the field, so we’re going to break out one of our patented metaphors now to give you a slightly easier to grasp definition. It goes something like this:
Here at Web Hosting Geeks we deal a lot with the web hosting side of website ownership. In our eyes, our aim to keep you educated about the various providers is like a real estate agent helping you to find the best plot of land on which to build a house. We show you the landscape, give you the price, and offer up the details. Then, you sign the paperwork and get your own portion of the terrain. This is, more or less, web hosting: a place on which to build something.
Web design is everything else that’s involved with creating and managing a website. To stick with the metaphor, web design is the contractor, the builder, the interior designer, the code enforcement officer, etc. Everything else that takes a plot of land (the hosting provider you’ve chose) and turns it into a physical house, office or building that others can use (this is the website itself, of course.) This is perhaps the best way we know to summarize web design, and if you couldn’t tell from the list of people involved with building an house, it’s a rather broad and sweeping field.
Now that we have a definition of web design, you may be asking yourself, “I get that, but what makes up web design?” As mentioned, that’s a broad question, but not one without an answer. To get to the matter, though, we’re going to have to crack open a new subheading, so jump on down below the break to find out exactly what elements are involved with designing a website!
Just as with building a house (we’ll be using that metaphor throughout this article, so keep it in mind) web design is typically comprised of a thousand different individual parts. Firstly, as with a house, a website must have some kind of foundation. In terms of web development, this would be the code that’s sitting just underneath the pretty exterior of every site you use on a daily basis. This code, as with a computer program, is what the browser uses to “render”—that is display—a website. A browser reads the code, and then transforms it into sites like Facebook.
The code itself can come in a million different forms. In the past, websites were designed entirely in HTML. This is one of the first coding languages to be aimed at web development, and it’s still incredibly powerful and popular. Since then, though, a lot of other more specialized languages have emerged. For instance, sites like Facebook are often built on a versatile and elegant coding system called PHP. Other times, another language called CSS (which is known for its easy-to-use cascading sheets) is employed. There are a few others (Perl, Ruby, Javascript, jQuery, etc.) but it’s mostly important to simply know that underneath a website, there’s a mixture of code going on. Often times a web designer will use a variety of these languages to produce an end result that runs as swiftly and as beautifully as possible.
If web design is a house, we now have a framework on which the house can be built. Code, however, is nothing without a direction. Just as one could throw concrete all over a plot of land but not lay down a pattern for building the rest of the house, so must code be ordered and constructed to conform to an ultimate design. This process of turning raw, computerized code into a website is most commonly what’s being referred to when a web master says “web design.”
A web designer, when building a website, will most often use some form of illustration software to create the physical elements that the user actually looks at and interacts with. These elements start out no different than a regular print advertisement—they are more or less just images on a page. As such, a designer will layout the pattern for an entire website (logos, headers, footers—more on that later) and then save it all as a simple collection of image files. Then, all of these images are “stretched out” over the code framework we talked about. Lines of code are written to make these designs behave as they should, creating sliding elements, sidebars, floating headers, and even simple stuff like links. In our metaphor, this is like putting up the walls, flooring and roof of a house. Once a design has been coded properly, what’s essentially left is a vacant home: Everything is there, the house is just empty.
Which brings us to the last element of web design: Content creation. A web designer, once he has lain out all the things we’ve talked about up to this point, will next start to create individual items for the pages. This could be something as simple as a blog post, or it may be as complex as a Flash game that players will spend hours at the wheel of. This is a much broader area of web design, and as such, we’re just going to sum it up with our metaphor: Once the house has been constructed, only then are items like the furniture and decorations added to the sum total. In other words, it’s taking a blank space and filling it with lots of attractive items that people will actually want to use and look at. Think about Facebook without any posts at all. It’s not much of a web design, is it?
Now, all of the stuff we’ve been talking about up until this point has been rather concrete and dry. We’ve talked about, more or less, what goes into making a solid web design, but not so much what a quality production actually is. You see, web design isn’t just a rigid process of coding, designing, and filling. No, it’s an art like any other, which is why people like web designers spend so much of their workday tweaking pixels, adding lines of code, and otherwise improving their work—all in the pursuit of a solid design.
Below you’ll find a few of the basic elements that determine whether or not a web design is in fact “good.” There isn’t really a good name for this group, so as the subheading suggest, we’ll simply be calling it the “artsy stuff.” If you’re new to the realm of web design, or are hiring someone to take care of the dirty work for you, reading this section can be crucial. It will help you discern if you’re getting your money’s worth, and at the very least you’ll come away with a greater appreciation for the field itself. So without further ado, may we present to you now the points that can be used to deem a web design excellent:
This is an easy one to get an angle on, and it conveniently fits right into our metaphor. Earlier we talked a lot about filling up the house we built with furniture and other items that people will enjoy looking at. When we talk about aesthetics within web design, this is precisely what we mean. A solid web design, no matter what its end purpose is, will always be pleasant to look at. After all, who would want to return again and again to something that makes them cringe at first glance? If you don’t believe us, just go take a look at the bloated whale that is the modern MySpace. We rest our case there.
Web design is a relatively new field, but where aesthetics are concerned it draws a lot from classic mediums like traditional art and layout design. In fact, most of the same rules apply to a website as to a book cover, a brochure, or an advertisement. When designing a website, a web designer takes all the same measures to ensure that the colors work, that the balance of negative and positive space is balanced, or even that the font size is right. We’ll talk more about this stuff in a second, but it’s important to know and accept that to be a solid design, a website must be visually appealing.
When we teach classes about web design, one of the first things we mention is that a website must have a purpose. Another way we like to put this is that a website must have some kind of “message.” This is the underlying reason behind using the website, without which no one would ever come near. To give some examples, Facebook’s purpose is to socialize with friends, family, and loved ones. Fox News’ site works to inform (so they say) their readers, as well as promote the various shows that run on the network. Google, to name a big one, used to be a way for users to find what they need on the Internet.
Google is a key example of purpose, and we’re going to elaborate a bit for your own understanding. You see, Google used to only be a single page with a search bar: It’s purpose could not have been simpler to use or to understand. However, over the years the Big-G has added so many features and options to its production that the web design is now somewhat bloated. It’s much harder for users now to get an handle on what Google is about, as there are so many avenues of purpose for the viewer to go down. In short, we’ll sum this up by saying that a web design—to be top-notch—must be clear and concise in its reason for existing.
The last marker of a quality website has to do with the ease-of-use factor. What we mean is, the website must be incredibly simple to navigate and to use. Think about the house that we concocted earlier. If you build a frame for the house that’s convoluted and hard to get around, the person living in the building won’t exactly want to be there. A fun home is great to pass through, but it’s not much fun to live inside. To take the metaphor one further, if you put all the rooms in the wrong places (the loo in the garage, the basement in the attic, etc.) you’re not exactly making visitors feel welcome. And lastly, if your furniture is cheap and uncomfortable, you can bet that you won’t be getting callers again after the first visit.
When we talk about this in a classroom setting, one of the examples we like to give are university websites. For whatever reason, university websites are somewhat non-intuitive, even though most users are after the same things: Tuition rates, degree programs, scheduling, etc. In short, if you know the target audience, know what they’re after, and don’t make it easy for them to find what they need, you’re faced with a website that features terrible navigation. Another term for this is “poor user experience,” which may shed a better light on the whole kit and caboodle.
Now we’re making some progress! So at this point we’ve defined what web design is, we’ve talked about what makes it great, but we have yet to talk about what is physically being designed. What we mean by that is, when you hire someone (we’re getting there, don’t worry) to handle your web design needs, what is it that they’re literally building? It’s an important element to understand, especially if you’re new to the realm of web design. When hiring someone to handle this stuff, you want to be sure that they’re working on things you’ll actually use. To that end, may we now present you with a list of the actual bricks used to build a web design wall. Starting with:
1. The Home Page: Above all else, every single website in existence needs an home page. This is by and far the chief goal a web designer should be focused on, and if you see one of your hires not producing a simple landing spread, you can be sure something is up. This is the focal point of the aesthetics we talked about earlier, as it’s the first introduction a user has to your website. As such, it’s usually got to be spot on. A competent and caring web designer will focus a lot on this specific brick, ensuring that it’s intuitive, easy to use, and above all else, great on the eyes.
2. The Contact Page: The second most important part of any web design project is the contact page. Why? Because without it your users will have no way to get an hold on you. Furthermore, if the contact page is hard to use, unbearable to look at, and incapable of sending you a message, it’s not likely to get much use, either. In essence, when you pay a web designer to design a website for you, you’re paying for an attractive face and an easy way for your viewers (or customers) to contact you.
3. Blog and Content: As stated earlier, another key element that a web designer will be constructing for you is the actual content of the website. Typically you’ll provide this yourself (information about the company, rates for services, etc.) but it’s the web designers job to turn all of this drab media into a visually explicit and beautifully coded experience. It’s a lumped category, but everything that’s not intended to get users to you, or to provide them with a quality first introduction, loosely fits here. This could be a blog about your business, or it could be a page explaining the evils of global warming. It might be a game you’ve developed, or it could be a single photo album of your most recent family vacation. No matter what the content physically is, this is the third crucial element of web design construction.
4. The Graphics: This is the final point, and the one we’d put last on a list of importance. Still, it’s very important, and without it, you’ll find yourself in a world of hurt. A web designer’s job is also to build you a graphical work of art. Remember the aesthetics we talked about earlier? Yeah, that’s all of that here. To understand this, look at sites like Tumblr and Twitter. Notice that matte-finished, depressed button look they both sport? This is typically called “Web 2.0 Aesthetics,” and its this sort of graphical touch that we’re talking about. Sure, a web designer must construct a fully functional website for you, but it’s also their job to include the finishing touches that make the project look modern, vibrant and world ready. In short, a designer will spend a lot of time building these small graphics-based elements.
Up until this point we’ve talked an awful lot about the specific elements of web design. We’ve talked about what web design is, how it works, and what’s involved with creating a design. However, we have yet to talk about where or how you can actually obtain a web design. After all, websites don’t just appear on trees! So where does one go to get a site designed? How is this accomplished?
These are all good questions, and thankfully, they’re questions with some very simple answers. In fact, there are quite a number of ways in which you can find a web designer or even create your own web design. We’ll be detailing these methods below, so if you’re curiosity has been piqued, head on to the next subsection and start soaking in the information, Soldier!
One of the primary ways in which one can obtain a web design is through, believe it or not, a web designer. These are people that have been trained of have previous experience in creating websites. They’ve got the knowledge that you need, an understanding of all the points we’ve already talked about: Most important among them a knowledge of how to make a website usable, beautiful, and friendly to the viewer. However, not all web designers are of the same ilk. If you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, you may find yourself in a terrible working partnership. With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of some of the more common types of web developer and designer.
Ah, yes, the freelancer! They’re a dime a dozen in today’s market. Even we’ve freelanced in the past. You see, most commonly a web designer will work from home under a self-employed set-up. This means they’re just waiting for you to call and give them your deepest web design dreams. Freelancers are a great way to establish a one-on-one relationship with a web designer, and thusly to obtain a design that accurately meets all of your various needs. You can do a quick Google search (that purpose is still there, after all) for “freelance web designers” in your area, and we guarantee you’ll find more than just a few options. When looking to hire a freelance web designer, we have just a few points we’d like for you to keep in mind. Firstly, understand the rates involved. Designing a website takes a lot of expenditure in both a time and fiscal sense. As such, be prepared to pay a web designer upwards of $30 an hour, and that’s just a starting point. A solid web design can cost several thousand dollars, and we hardly feel that’s an extreme price. A quality web design will be seen, used, and enjoyed by thousands—possibly millions—of people. And if your business or reputation is on the line, why wouldn’t you want that project to be the best it can possibly be? The other point we want you to consider is the reliability of the designer. Look for testimonials, reviews, and previous work experience. Have they done a good job in the past? Can you rely on them to meet deadlines? These are all important aspects to keep in mind.
One of the coolest methods of finding a web designer to appear in the last five years is a mechanic called “crowd sourcing.” The basic idea behind this technology goes something like this: A crowd sourcing website allows people like you, who need designs, to post the concept behind the project. Usually there’s a budget attached to this as well. Once that’s live, the community of web designers that use the site can see your project, and put in a bid to complete it. Depending on the site, they may actually need to fully finish the project before sending you the results. In other words, crowd sourcing is a way in which you can avoid missed deadlines, rising rates, and all the other mess that’s involved with hiring a web designer. Instead, you simply post what you need, and then receive results at the price you’ve indicated. It’s a brilliant way to go about conducting and obtaining designs. If you’re looking for names, one of our favorite sites is called DesignContest and can be found here. Overall, crowd sourcing is a convenient, friendly, and fair way to find a web design, and it still involves real human web designers. In fact, if you do not find a design that you like, you are not obligated to pay. Thus, you only pay for results that you can actually utilize, and this simply cannot be beat.
We’re going to get a bit Mad Men here, but another way to obtain simply the best designs around is to hire a respectable firm. Obviously the budget for doing so will be a bit higher, but the end results usually justify the means. You see, there are entire businesses who cater to the cream of the crop on the Internet. Their job is manage, produce, design, and otherwise improve the looks and efficiency of some of the largest sites on the Net. Hiring one of these businesses to handle your needs is much less of a security risk, and you can rest assured that you will in fact get results. Think of it this way: A lot of high-dollar companies hire web designers to work directly for them as a specific department. If you haven’t got the money to invest in this sort of setup, hiring a prestigious firm is like outsourcing that in-house department to get the same results. And as most of these firms compete yearly for awards and recognition, you can be safe in the fact that they’ll bring their A-game to the table. Again, though, be prepared to spend a lot to achieve this level of design success.
However, you don’t necessarily have to hire a web designer. You see, there are plenty of ways out there in which you yourself can design and operate your own website, completely without another human’s involvement. How is this possible? Through the ever-changing world of technology, comrades. It’s not the easiest way to go about things, especially if your new to the realm or haven’t got much tech experience. But it can be quite the empowering experience to know that you made the site your viewers use, or the site that powers your global enterprise.
So, without tallying about anymore, head on down to the list to get the whole picture on how you can design a website without using a firm or a freelancer Starting with:
One of the coolest technologies to emerge in the last five to ten years is without a doubt the content management system. When we talk about a content management system, what we’re referring to are software suites like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla. These are all available with most of the web hosting providers we deal with, and are incredibly quick and simple to install. We can’t remember the last time we had an error installing WordPress, which is one of the premier content management systems in the game. But, just what in the heck is a content management system? To answer that, we’ll need to dip back into that metaphor.
If a web designer’s job is to lay the framework, walls, roof and floors for your digital house, then a content management system is best described as a prefabricated home. It’s a ready-built software tool that provides you with an easy-to access, instantly assembled coded platform to add your content to. Imagine it as being a mobile home, though without the stigmatism. All of the code is sitting right there, and all you have to do is add your own images, text, logo, etc.
This is how WordPress works, more or less—the other content management systems we mentioned work in the same way, but we’ll be focusing on WordPress since it’s so commonly used. The platform allows you to pick a theme (the way the site will look) and then immediately start adding pages and posts. You can create a blog, a website, or an eCommerce location without understanding a single bit of code. This is because items like WordPress use a graphical editor to produce the pages your viewers will look at. It’s no different than using software like Microsoft Word to create a word document. In short, you have full control over the look of the site, the content that exists there, and even the way in which it behaves. The only difference is that you don’t need to code any of the framework, or get your hands dirty in any way.
However, content management systems are not for everyone. They’re typically free, but a nice theme can cost you upwards of a couple hundred dollars. Furthermore, having at least a basic understanding of computers is a must if you’re going to flesh out the site. In addition, you won’t have nearly as much control over the appearance of the site as if you’d hired a web designer. These are some pretty serious trade offs, but if you want to build your own web design, there’s really no better way to do it than with a content management system.
Another option open to you largely depends on what web host you choose: If you’re not sure who to go with, trust us—we can help you with that. Either way, a lot of web hosting providers these days offer up what we like to call “site construction tools.” These are similar to a content management system, only they typically offer much less stability and control over the end product. Essentially, these tools look something like this.
A site builder is a coded piece of software that presents the user with a drag-and-drop interface. The user arranges various elements onto the page, and then maps that off as a single entity. From there, the user then creates a bunch of other pages, and then links them all together. When that’s done, the whole site is exported into an HTML document and loaded directly into your web hosting account. In short, it’s a quick, simple, and marvelously direct way to construct a web design all on your very own. However, there are some fallbacks.
Firstly, designing your own website can be risky. You see, a web designer is typically trained in all the various points we talked about earlier. This means that they have a nearly intuitive grasp on what makes a quality website, as well as how your users will perceive the site they create. They’re professionals, is perhaps the best way to put it. And no matter how good you are at being crafty, unless you have direct experience with web design, you aren’t likely to produce the kind of project that will keep your readers coming back for more. Web design is a broad and tricky area, and just because you can shove some boxes together and add some text does not mean you have created a worthy design.
Furthermore, what if you should want more functionality from your site? The built-in site builder is great for an initial start, but it’s only a piece of coded software: It’s limitations are considerable, and if you want to add some drastic changes, you will eventually need to hire a web designer. As such, we tend to shy you away from this option.