Free web design resources for website design

To get designing using photoshop you will need some resources to help you. I will quickly run through some different resources which will help you:

Tutorials

Great for people new to designing to get the basics. Also good for some new tricks which people use. Websites I recommend are http://www.good-tutorials.com/ and http://www.pixel2life.com/.

Stock Photos/Images

Everyone needs good photos from time to time to use on their designs. Some good free ones which I use are: http://www.sxc.hu/ and http://www.deviantart.com/.

Free Photoshop Brushes/Shapes/Patterns

These really do come in use when you are designing. You can download a variety of patterns/ brushes and custom shapes for photoshop. The place which I use for this is deviantart.com. You must check the details about each that you download as they are designed by users of the websites and sometimes require link backs.

Free Renders

Renders are images which have been cut so they have no background. Often people use renders of celebrities or characters from computer games. They really do come in use if you know how to use them. A nice site for free renders is http://www.planetrenders.net/. There are also many more so just search around if you can’t find a render which you like from there.

Source : http://uniongraphite.com/web-newbies/free-webdesign-resources

Building Web Sites Using Web Templates

Gone are the days when you had to rely on a web-designer to design your websites. New technologies with innovative ideas have brought out a new variant to this trend in the form of ready to use website templates.

what are web templates ?

Well, to put it in a simple way, web templates are nothing but ready made web-pages that can be used to create websites in seconds! How you ask ? Web templates act as html coded dummy web pages that contain model content. Now these templates can be edited with ease (to add content, graphics, logo, pictures etc) to create professional web pages in less time.

How to edit web templates

Now the next possible question that arises is as how to edit the web templates; isn’t it? That’s simple! Most web templates are editable and can be edited using popular html editors like FrontPage, DreamWeaver, GoLive and Photoshop. These html editors are easy to use and have a friendly interface. You need not be a pro to use them. Anyway in case anyone finds the editing part difficult they can always go for template customization services that are provided by most web template providers.

Are web templates really that green ?

As a matter of fact, web templates can really help you save up lots of money and time and best of all help you do professional work. Just imagine hiring a web designer to design your website. As most of you must be aware, a web designer can charge you anything between $50 to $200 for designing a single web-page! And then there is the time factor. Usually web-designers take a minimum of 10 -15 days to complete a website. Here’s where web templates come to the rescue.

Using a web template to create a website would cost you anything around $20 - $40 and that’s not all; websites designed using web templates could be over within a day after editing and pasting graphics and will look professional too! So now it doesn’t take an extraordinary mind to figure out which is more lucrative.

What about Flash websites ?

Designing a flash website is a real pain and might take lots of time and money. But in case you believe in playing it smart your best bet would be to go for flash website templates. There are many template websites that offer flash website templates of high quality at low costs. All you need to do is insert content and you are ready to go!

Hey wait a minute I need to create a copyrighted website !

No problem ! Almost all website template providers offer an option of copyrighted to non-copyrighted templates. The major different between a copyrighted and a non copyrighted template is the fact that copyrighted templates are sold only once and the purchaser of the copyrighted template gets all user rights over it whereas in a non copyrighted template the rights of usage stays with the template ownership company and can be sold again and again. So in case you need to create a copyrighted website that is unique be sure to go for copyrighted website templates.

How do I find out a quality template from an inferior one ?

Quality web templates have the following features;

1. Web-templates should be editable
2. Web templates should be compatible with popular html editors
3. The coding should be such that there is no alteration in the structure of the template on content/graphic insertion
4. The web template should be easy to upload
5. A webpage generated by a web template should download with ease in any browser

So in case your templates don’t comply with the above, you can be sure they are of inferior quality. Website templates are a great and easy way to host your website. So in case you are game, go for good web template providers. Some good online website template provides are www.buytemplates.net, freewebtemplates.com, dreamweaver-templates.net and trendytemplates.com

Website Design tips to Plan your website

. Define the structure

Give the customer the information they will be looking for and help them find it easily and quickly. If you offer a large range of products, use a search facility, if your products carry a detailed specification, add a “click for specification” button. Keep the structure and progression as simple and logical as possible.

. Save your Credibility

Few things are more likely to cost you customers which are incorrect information or poorly written or misspelled text on your business website. It will destroy your credibility. Read through all your text carefully and double check all the facts, get someone else to proof read it and run the text through a spell checker after checking your language settings (English – US or UK for example). Then do it all again, twice!

. Check Facts, Spelling and Grammar

Use HTML correctly. Even if you use a WYSIWYG editor, a core knowledge will help you sort out the unexpected problems that will inevitably arise. Try to hand code your site in Notepad. If you can do this, you will be able to locate errors extremely quickly.

. Home Page

Provide a way back to your home page on every single page of your site, via a logo, icon or a simple text link.

. Consistentence

If you're planning a consistent look to your site, do yourself an enormous favour, and build a template. Add temporary 'blah blah' text to cover as many options as possible including, heading(s), paragraphs, text highlights, links etc. Build, then tune your style sheets to display these texts to your satisfaction (or HTML tags if you're not using style sheets). When it's all to your satisfaction, THEN add your content! This will save you a huge amount of time.

. Templated Site

You have built a templated site, added content to 100 pages, and now you want to make a major change. Doh! Don't go through each page finding and changing the offending bit by hand. Search for, and download a 'multifile find and replace utility' from the Net, than make all those changes in an instant.

. White Space
You don't have to fill the whole screen with text and graphics. Use 'white space' effectively, and allow elements to breathe.

Source : http://www.3fn.net/guide/Essential_Web_Site_Design_Tips.html