How to design my own website from scratch?

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sarahkaye

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sarah kaye
Edit My Images
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Hi

I want to design my own website from scratch. My two main reasons for this are cost and control. Adding more images will be something that I need to do on a regular basis and I would also like a blog. Because I know a bit about photoshop (currently using cs3) I am thinking that if I could design my website using this software as it would save me a lot of time learning new software. I also would like a slideshow of images showing a decent image resolution.

Keeping in mind I know 0 about webdesign(please use terminology fit for a 5 year old)...where do you start?

Sarah Kaye:help:
 
you could look at installing a CMS (content management system)
as some of those allow galleries, blogs etc.
check out mine - wordpress + NexGEN gallery.
http://itsjosh.co.uk

then there are others like zenphoto etc :)
 
Thanks. Just wondering if anyone knows of links for tutorial videos? I tend to learn quickest when learning visually(eg. I learned cs3 by listening to and watching a designer physically edit on the screen step by step)

Many thanks

Sarah Kaye:)
 
Josh, I like the size of images...shows good detail. I could possibly skip the slide show option and have them click on the images instead...?
 
It is advisable to sit down with a pen and paper first, and draw up a visual style you wish to achieve, and also how the website interacts with itself/the user.

This gives you a target to work towards instead of making up as you go along (as I admittedly did first time round!)
 
sarahkaye said:
Josh, I like the size of images...shows good detail. I could possibly skip the slide show option and have them click on the images instead...?
Click to expand...

There is a slideshow option if you click "view with piclens" :)
 
purpleclouds said:
It is advisable to sit down with a pen and paper first, and draw up a visual style you wish to achieve, and also how the website interacts with itself/the user.

This gives you a target to work towards instead of making up as you go along (as I admittedly did first time round!)
Click to expand...

That is very true...at this stage I'm deciding which software I'll need but I will definately sketch out a layout before I begin;)
 
any website I have ever seen 'designed' by someone with your level of experience looks dreadful and will do nothing to inform, educate or entertain visitors to the site. Invest in a good web designer or study the art for a year or so first. There are already far too many self made websites inflicted upon us.

Sorry to sound harsh - but if this is for business - I'm doing you a favour.
 
awp said:
any website I have ever seen 'designed' by someone with your level of experience looks dreadful and will do nothing to inform, educate or entertain visitors to the site. Invest in a good web designer or study the art for a year or so first. There are already far too many self made websites inflicted upon us.

Sorry to sound harsh - but if this is for business - I'm doing you a favour.
Click to expand...

I'm never offended by constructive criticism. I am currently looking into courses in my area and would not dream of "putting out" my website for all to see until I am 100% happy with it. I have a sound design and photographic background. Never the less I am aware of my inexperience when it comes to web design hence I am looking for advice from this forum. Everyone has to start somewhere as I'm sure the top web designers did at some stage:thinking:
 
I am trying to be positive but you should be aware that a poor website is probably worse than no website. Good luck with it and let's see the finished result. I would avoid CMS as they all have a 'look' to them - they are content (word) orientated and almost always lack any real 'design'. Visuals are important to a photographer.
 
sarahkaye said:
I'm never offended by constructive criticism. I am currently looking into courses in my area and would not dream of "putting out" my website for all to see until I am 100% happy with it. I have a sound design and photographic background. Never the less I am aware of my inexperience when it comes to web design hence I am looking for advice from this forum. Everyone has to start somewhere as I'm sure the top web designers did at some stage:thinking:
Click to expand...

indeed they did! positive attitude there, check out tutorials, website creation doesnt really have free video tutorials, however check out this link for written tutorials with pictures :) a site i have found helpful in the past.

http://www.pixel2life.com/tutorials/adobe_photoshop/

and heres a starting tutorial ;)

http://hv-designs.co.uk/2009/07/06/web-design-layout-10/
 
All free,
the CMS is what makes the website however without the right template it will look the same as all other wordpress websites :LOL: then the gallery is just an addon to wordpress
if that makes sense?
 
awp said:
any website I have ever seen 'designed' by someone with your level of experience looks dreadful and will do nothing to inform, educate or entertain visitors to the site. Invest in a good web designer or study the art for a year or so first. There are already far too many self made websites inflicted upon us.

Sorry to sound harsh - but if this is for business - I'm doing you a favour.
Click to expand...

He is, I would agree. (y)

However if you do want to learn from the roots up. I found a good way to start was by manipulating simple html templates Id found around the web...

I also used to make up my designs from single image of the page that I'd designed in PS and other software ..then I learnt how to re-design it (cut it up) so I could show it suspended on a web page in sections using the html code to suspend it ...along with words, links, buttons and the rest.

But even after all that you'll still be months away from making a professional looking site, and then even more months of study to make it efficient and faultless for the world to use.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
He is, I would agree. (y)

However if you do want to learn from the roots up. I found a good way to start was by manipulating simple html templates Id found around the web...

I also used to make up my designs from single image of the page that I'd designed in PS and other software ..then I learnt how to re-design it (cut it up) so I could show it suspended on a web page in sections using the html code to suspend it ...along with words, links, buttons and the rest.

But even after all that you'll still be months away from making a professional looking site, and then even more months of study to make it efficient and faultless for the world to use.
Click to expand...

I have months to get this knowledge under my belt;)
 
Hi Sarah, we all have to start somewhere, I used front page for a number of years, and it’s o.k. to get you started. Just finished two years with home learning college doing dreanweaver 8, web design and flash 8. It’s a very good course and it’s surprising how the time fly’s by doing each project, when finished each project it’s marked and graded. Also at the end is a full project to be passed & marked by independent body for marking, if passed full certification is awarded with IT Professional body, the down side it’s fifty pound a month for two years, all books cd’s plus more provided.

I never left my computer for all that time, had some problems and phoned them direct, in which they talk you through, all work passed via e-mail. I’m so glad I’ve done this course, I just find now, it’s hard to find the money to keep up with current software, that is always changing. If you require any more help, just ask.

My final project is still available to view, I only joined today to view aircraft pictures, I visit all air shows taking pic’s, still trying to learn CS3 myself, just about to buy Adobe book on soft to make good head way.

Project link http://www.landrovermaintenance.netfirms.com/
 
I'll echo all the Wordpress suggestions, it's easily the best blogging platform out there and can be easily modified for images too.

However Photoshop CS3 isn't really the software you'd want to be using for web design, the part of CS3 you'd need is Dreamweaver, which is nice and expensive. A basic text editor, a web browser (or 3 to check compatibility) and an FTP client are all you really need.

Don't forget to look at the sticky at the top of this forum ;)
 
Craikeybaby said:
I'll echo all the Wordpress suggestions, it's easily the best blogging platform out there and can be easily modified for images too.

However Photoshop CS3 isn't really the software you'd want to be using for web design, the part of CS3 you'd need is Dreamweaver, which is nice and expensive. A basic text editor, a web browser (or 3 to check compatibility) and an FTP client are all you really need.

Don't forget to look at the sticky at the top of this forum ;)
Click to expand...

I have Dreamweaver...never tried to use it. I'm designing my index page in CS3 at the moment using a tutorial posted on here for me. Have a feeling it will take me a while as I want the text to match my business cards and poster perfectly(I designed these myself and had never done so before)

I'm sure I'll be :bang: soon enough as I tend to when learning a new skill. Thanks for the support to everyone who has offered encouragment!!

Sarah Kaye:)
 
Start with the Dummys Guide to HTML

Dont build a house on sand. You either want to learn it or not. I am a website developer, and I can categorically say, you cant use Dreamweaver properly, without mastering:

HTML
CSS

You wont get far with a gallery/wordpress/CMS site (bar throwing on a template) without understanding:

PHP & HTML
Template structure & prety advanced CSS
___

Remember - "what it looks like" is a very small percentage of the job. How are you going to even know that bullet points in IE6 are indented diferently to FF3? let alone how to resolve this?

SEO is a topic all on its own
So is typography and design
 
i've suggested these books many many times to people:

Head First web design
head First HTML with XHTML & CSS

Very good books for beginners, written in a way to help you retain the information.

As for designing a website, you start with lots of pieces of paper and a pencil. You sketch out what you want, how it interlinks with everything else then how it will actually look.
 
I would echo what's been said. Start with notepad, w3schools and a web browser.

Once you've blatted through the w3schools HTML/CSS tutorials you'll have a basic grounding in the principles of it....and you'll be starting with best practice (standards compliant) coding.

http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp
 
I decided to use a webdesigner but using wordpress for my blog. He is going to train me in how to edit the blog.

Thank you for all advice:)
 
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