So You’re Looking for a Web Designer

So you’re looking for a web designer? Web designers can be found relatively easy. There are thousands and thousands of web designers and companies throughout the world.

Depending on your preference, your search for a web designer will vary from a simple web search, to asking your colleagues, to posting on a job board/freelance website.

If you’re a novice and don’t know where to even start, you may just do a simple web search for a designer/developer. This is often the most preferred choice in finding one. If you prefer a different method of finding a designer, it will still lead to the same question: What am I looking for?

What to look for in a designer?

There are several things to keep in mind when searching for a web designer. Sometimes you can be drawn to a company because of their fees, their work or first impression. Below are some of the things you should never overlook.

Location

You should pay attention to the location of the web designer or web design Company. Using a local designer over a non-local has its obvious advantages, including:

  • In-person meeting
  • Similar working hours/availability
  • Overall higher sense of assurance

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Creative Footer Designs for Inspiration

Footers can come in all different shapes, sizes and designs. Below are a list of several websites that feature creatively constructed footers. These footers are artistically creative, structurally creative or both. Enjoy!

Creativepayne

creativepayne.com

Link

Puneet Sakhuja

puneetsakhuja.com/

Link

Freelenz

freelenz.at

Link

AMT studios

amtstudios.nl

Link
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WordPress Basics 101: Creating Custom Pages

WordPress is based on the use of templates for specific purposes. There are templates for different types of situations, like a blog posting, a regular page, a 404 error or to display blog postings for a certain category. The default templates are “single.php”, “page.php”, “search.php”, “author.php”, “404.php”, “category.php”, “archive.php” and “index.php”. There is a hierarchy to all these template pages which follow an order depending on what the visitor wants to see.

Whenever you are in the WordPress admin and you’re creating or editing a page or blog post, you will see what template is currently being used:

Selecting WordPress Default Template

The “Default” will either use the “single.php” template page for posts or will use “page.php” for pages (WordPress 3.0+). You can add your own template relatively easy, below are the steps to creating a custom template.

  1. Create a template file
  2. Customize your template file
  3. Apply your template to the desired page

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What a Client Must Include in a Design Agreement

It doesn’t matter if you’re a person, small company or large company, when looking for a new logo design, print design or website there are items a designer must include in your design contract. You’re design project can vary from a small print design job to a large complex website. This list compiled will include items the designer must include in your agreement. If these items are not in your design agreement, make sure your designer includes them. The designer will always look to protect themselves, as they should, and so should you.

Displeasure With A Contract

 

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Items a Designer Must Include in a Contract

I’m sure as a freelancer we’ve all said to ourselves at one point, probably in the middle of a project, “why didn’t I include that in the contract?” As designers we know the importance of getting agreements in writing, for the benefit of both the designer and the client.

This is going to be a two part series, first, what the designer must include in a design contract and another write-up on what a client must include in a design contract.
Carefully Reviewing A Contract

Nothing can teach us what should be in a contract more than experience. Unfortunately some of us have had to learn the hard way what the “musts” are in a design agreement. Below are some of the items that are absolute musts for designers to protect themselves financially, legally and just a pain in the…well you get the idea. Continue reading

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Top 10 Links for CSS3 Resources

If you haven’t already, you soon will start using CSS3 and HTML5 in your web development. Below is a list I’ve compiled of the most popular postings, tips or tutorials on using CSS3.

CSS3info

CSS3 Info

“Everything you need to know about CSS3”
Link

 

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The designer’s guide to a great first impression

We’ve all heard the saying “you don’t get a second chance at a first impression”. When it comes to your design business and landing a deal, nothing could be more true. A great first impression is the first step to securing a client and forming an ongoing business relationship.

One of a designer’s main keys to developing a great first impression is trust. No matter what the circumstances of the first impression, if the person cannot trust you, they won’t want to move forward in a designer-client relationship.

For a designer, first impressions can come in several different ways. Most of our first impressions are visual: a website, advertisement or personal meeting. After an initial visual impression, phone calls and emails may follow which can also leave an impression. This article will discuss practical ways to impress your clients over and over again.

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7 Web Design Clients to Walk Away From

All designers have had that client where you wonder to yourself, after being knee deep in the project, “why did I take this client?”

Knowing how to spot potentially difficult clients comes with experience. The longer you’re in this business the more you’ll run into them and the easier you’ll be able to spot them.
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