Designing Layouts

[mbugbee]

What are the different ways you all go about desining your layouts? I am stuck in a rut and am looking for new techniques. I have heard on other boards people talking about using a grid, can anyone elaborate on that for me? Like how its done and all that good stuff!

Matt

[d-sine]

thats a fair enough point, but one of the main probs with the web (apart from a zillion "my pet hamster" sites!) is that most of the ppl who 'create' such items have no idea of design and this is their downfall. virtually anyone can learn to use a package and a lot can learn to code but design is something special, something inside, thats what i believe anyhow.

such packages should be thought of as making the lives of the knowledgable (spelling!) easier, rather than teaching the newbie how to produce a "masterpiece" in ten minutes flat. it's a tool, _not_ an answer.

just my bit, thats all. no offence intended to anyone.

p.s. i generally doodle a rough design and then work it through in photoshop, but my brain is working in tables anyhow coz i'm kinda odd like that [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[d-sine]

heheh, i couldn't agree more, but well.. guess we all have our faults.. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

(or as the great m$ calls them, "features"!)

[mbugbee]

My reason for not liking them isnt totally because I perfer hand coding, its because programs like those make it easier for people to make bad and I mean REALLY BAD sites. Just look at Geocities and Tripod, 90% of it has to be pages created with one of those programs.

The other thing that irritates me about programs like the ones you have mentioned, is that I have worked very hard to attain a level web development knowledge, to learn the ins and outs of building a page and to get to where I am now, so to go out on the Net and see people who just figured out how to use these brainless products calling themselves web developers and charging for their services is a slap in the face to me. I understand that alot people just use the programs to have fun, and that Im ok with, but when they cross that line and start thinking that just because they know how to work a software program that they can start a web development business, thats when I get pissed.

Matt
The above wasnt directed at anyone person.

[mbugbee]

I appreciate your very indepth reply, but I am already well aware of the inner workings of HTML and tables ans css and what not. My question was aimed towards the actual designing of the interface. I use Photoshop and Draw and all the others but there has to be some method to the madness when laying out an interface. People on the CoolHomepages.com board were talking about a grid system that is used in print design and is now making its way to web design. After numerous attempts to get someone to explain it, I finally gave up and came over to this board to seek help...so if anyone knows anything about the "grid system" please point me in the right direction.

Matt

[mbugbee]

What are the different ways you all go about desining your layouts? I am stuck in a rut and am looking for new techniques. I have heard on other boards people talking about using a grid, can anyone elaborate on that for me? Like how its done and all that good stuff!

Matt

[mbugbee]

I agree but there are still those who learn a sofware package and think thats it.

[dk_art]

"At some point, if you continue to design sites you will have to know HTML"

-----------------------------------------

I must disagree here ... I don't think one 'needs' to know a scrap of actual coding to make good webpages. I suppose it can't hurt but I have no desire or apparent need to learn how to code from scratch.

I work purely with software ( PhotoImpact6, XaraX , Namo Web Editor4, Swish and others ). With PI6 I can slice a design I make into a page with table data and image slices already set. I can make javascript rollovers with WE4. I can open exact sized windows with WE4 (etc...etc). I don't know any real html and couldn't make a page with notepad at all ... but why bother when there is software that does it so fast and easy.

Apart from some bizarre Netscape problems, my sites don't have any real problems (that I have found) and I'm learning what not to use that won't work right with Netscape.


David K
www.dkingdesign.com

[mbugbee]

Please do keep me informed on your progress with DW. It show great promise to become a designers best friend but because I started out as a coder I just hate it changing the formating of my code, as I have already bitched about in arlier posts. But I am very excited about this program and what it holds for designers in the future.

[mbugbee]

Thanks brutha man, I hope my last reply didnt come off as harsh I just didnt want to give people the idea that I have no clue what Im doing!

Matt