Do we have any professional website designers in here?

Messiah Khan · 02-11-2006, 22:17

Im in need of the assistance of a professional(or non professional, but very good) website designer or graphic designer with good website knowledge. Where I work have had a new website made for cheap by a freelance website designer, and to be honest its not very good. I have been given the task of trying to save it somewhat, but my graphic design skills arn't as good as I need them to be to do it myself. So im basically needing a consultant type person to have a quick look at the site and tell me what needs to be done and roughly how much it would cost to get a professional to do it.

Cheers,
Ali

Davey_Pitch · 02-11-2006, 22:22

I do some freelance web design, though admit to being a better developer than a designer. I'll happily take a look and see if there's anything obvious I can suggest for you

Matblack · 02-11-2006, 22:23

icraig knows the design side iirc

MB

Messiah Khan · 02-11-2006, 22:30

Thanks guys. If anyone wants a look and comment, then the site is;

http://www.qeliz.ac.uk/newsite/default/splash.asp

Please ignore the random test articles, sections and animated gifs etc, thats just me playing around and testing the backend and site management features as im bug testing at the moment. Which IMO is something the designer should have done, but never mind. What I want advice on is the overall look. Yes I know the purple is hideous, but its the 'corporate' colour and also the bosses favourite colour (see the link there?) So in any new design, there has to be a fair bit of that colour still in it. Also the swirly design thing in the top left corner has to be included somewhere as thats the design on the new prospectus, and the powers that be origionally wanted the website to look exactly like the paper prospectus. So any suggestions are greatly welcome.

Haly · 03-11-2006, 00:01

Tables

Beansprout · 03-11-2006, 01:05

Boo!

Looks like a 90s site

The overusage of the purple colour is henious, the amount of wasted space is absurd - on monitors of the type owned by most general people (so max 1280x1024, most likely less) they'll hardly be able to see the site properly - it's not concise, rendering it totally ineffective and inaccessible.

Talking of accessibility, it uses tables - not nice, clean, accessible (X)HTML/CSS - I doubt it complies with any of the accessibility standards which, for a school site, must be rather important

We've done a school's website before....I can PM you info if you like, and probably get a few design ideas done today/tomorrow

In terms of cost....'four figures' would be the kind of range....school sites end up a lot bigger and more complex than at first expected

Mark · 03-11-2006, 02:14

He's so right. It doesn't fit on my 1024x768, and if the Web were around then, I would say it was more 80s (or even 70s) going by the colour scheme at any rate.

Davey_Pitch · 03-11-2006, 12:23

Quick observations - far too much purple, and the use of tables. Steal the CSS books from the other thread in here and read up on using that to design the page properly.

Remember one thing, that while purple may be your boss' favourite colour, he needs to realise that it won't be the favourite colour of the majority of visitors. He needs to think beyond himself to get a site that will appear to all/the majority of visitors.

kaiowas · 03-11-2006, 12:25

Instead of using lots of purple use mostly neutral colours with a bit of purple here and there. You'll still be able to achieve the same overall colour theme but without it being quite so overwhelming.

Matblack · 03-11-2006, 16:56

You sure this isn't the new Lemon Party website

MB

02-11-2006, 22:17	#1
Messiah Khan Long Island Iced Tea Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 181	Do we have any professional website designers in here? Im in need of the assistance of a professional(or non professional, but very good) website designer or graphic designer with good website knowledge. Where I work have had a new website made for cheap by a freelance website designer, and to be honest its not very good. I have been given the task of trying to save it somewhat, but my graphic design skills arn't as good as I need them to be to do it myself. So im basically needing a consultant type person to have a quick look at the site and tell me what needs to be done and roughly how much it would cost to get a professional to do it. Cheers, Ali __________________

02-11-2006, 22:22	#2
Davey_Pitch I iz speshul Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Liverpool Posts: 6,296	I do some freelance web design, though admit to being a better developer than a designer. I'll happily take a look and see if there's anything obvious I can suggest for you __________________ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

02-11-2006, 22:23	#3
Matblack Baby Bore Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Svalbard Posts: 9,770	icraig knows the design side iirc MB __________________ "we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two"

02-11-2006, 22:30	#4
Messiah Khan Long Island Iced Tea Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 181	Thanks guys. If anyone wants a look and comment, then the site is; http://www.qeliz.ac.uk/newsite/default/splash.asp Please ignore the random test articles, sections and animated gifs etc, thats just me playing around and testing the backend and site management features as im bug testing at the moment. Which IMO is something the designer should have done, but never mind. What I want advice on is the overall look. Yes I know the purple is hideous, but its the 'corporate' colour and also the bosses favourite colour (see the link there?) So in any new design, there has to be a fair bit of that colour still in it. Also the swirly design thing in the top left corner has to be included somewhere as thats the design on the new prospectus, and the powers that be origionally wanted the website to look exactly like the paper prospectus. So any suggestions are greatly welcome. __________________

03-11-2006, 00:01	#5
Haly Do you want to hide in my box? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 14,941	Tables __________________ Halycopter

03-11-2006, 01:05	#6
Beansprout Long Island Iced Tea Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 488	Boo! Looks like a 90s site The overusage of the purple colour is henious, the amount of wasted space is absurd - on monitors of the type owned by most general people (so max 1280x1024, most likely less) they'll hardly be able to see the site properly - it's not concise, rendering it totally ineffective and inaccessible. Talking of accessibility, it uses tables - not nice, clean, accessible (X)HTML/CSS - I doubt it complies with any of the accessibility standards which, for a school site, must be rather important We've done a school's website before....I can PM you info if you like, and probably get a few design ideas done today/tomorrow In terms of cost....'four figures' would be the kind of range....school sites end up a lot bigger and more complex than at first expected __________________ Uploader Cartoons World Wind

03-11-2006, 02:14	#7
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	He's so right. It doesn't fit on my 1024x768, and if the Web were around then, I would say it was more 80s (or even 70s) going by the colour scheme at any rate.

03-11-2006, 12:23	#8
Davey_Pitch I iz speshul Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Liverpool Posts: 6,296	Quick observations - far too much purple, and the use of tables. Steal the CSS books from the other thread in here and read up on using that to design the page properly. Remember one thing, that while purple may be your boss' favourite colour, he needs to realise that it won't be the favourite colour of the majority of visitors. He needs to think beyond himself to get a site that will appear to all/the majority of visitors. __________________ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

03-11-2006, 12:25	#9
kaiowas The Stig Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fightertown USA Posts: 1,458	Instead of using lots of purple use mostly neutral colours with a bit of purple here and there. You'll still be able to achieve the same overall colour theme but without it being quite so overwhelming. __________________ Anal Fish Porn

03-11-2006, 16:56	#10
Matblack Baby Bore Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Svalbard Posts: 9,770	You sure this isn't the new Lemon Party website MB __________________ "we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two"