[lupinthe3rd1]

hey im just starting web and graphic design and well the only class im doing is intro to computers (BOOOOORING) i dont know much html and stuff so i thought about draw and coloring my themes on paper kind of like ideas of what i want the web page to look like. is that a good idea?


also will i be getting into drawing with a tablet and will i be able to make my own designs and what not with that?

[gregwhitworth]

Sure. I find myself often sketching out wireframes for layouts or design ideas. Then taking that into an actual layout.

--

Greg

[BetaWar]

I typically don't go about drawing them, I just use a graphics program like Gimp, Photoshop or Fireworks and get a general idea of how I want the page to look, then I follow that further until I get a final layout for a page (at which point I slice and code it). I just like to see what it will look like before it is done.

[Xioshin]

BetaWar, on 15 September 2010 - 10:20 AM, said:

I typically don't go about drawing them, I just use a graphics program like Gimp, Photoshop or Fireworks and get a general idea of how I want the page to look, then I follow that further until I get a final layout for a page (at which point I slice and code it). I just like to see what it will look like before it is done.

BetaWar, do people use html and css to start and build websites that way, or is the common thing to do designing and creating a website in a photo editor and then slicing it?

Also, can you explain the technique or link to a tutorial on this method of graphic design + slicing? Thanks

[Shado3225]

Well I for one get an idea in my head of how I want my site to look and then build it from there. I never bother with drawing it first cause as my idea always changes and moulds as I go on.

What I do do though - especially for big sites is map it with a program called FreeMind (freeware). This way I can integrate with my design and I also prepare myself for all the extra functions (search fields, mail scripts, calendars) I'll be implementing.

When it comes to web design it's pretty much each to his own - I suggest (seeing as you have not really started with the good stuff in class) is to download a basic website template from the web and start messing around with it and see what style suits you best.

FYI: there is no better teacher than "doing"

[neit]

I would tend to have an idea of what I want do mock-ups in image editor.
When happy with a design I would then decide how the best to proceed with
the html and css.
Some people will use a storyboard to layout the structure of the site

[Dannyboy997]

I usually like to see what the site will look like once it's complete before I start coding.

So I use Photoshop to create a mock-up. Sometimes I will draw some wire frames on a piece of paper, but that's only in some cases.

[gregwhitworth]

Personally, this is how I go about it:

1. Sketch out a wireframe or use an online Gliffy type layout tool
2. Then design based on wireframe ( you SHOULD learn to do this as clients won't be able to understand, "I have a great idea in my head" as they can't quantify it)
3. Then slice it and start your HTML/CSS development

[daekano]

An hour of planning is worth hours and hours of headache in the future.
It's so easy to just sketch something out onto paper... I don't do any planning without a big pad of it and a pencil.

[DragonMaster_Jay]

I do one of two things:

• Sketch on paper, both thumbnails and larger versions. Then, place them in a page layout program, and include EVERYTHING needed for that page: pics, text, etc. I quickly arrange them, then I go to work coding it afterward.
  
• I make a template with a bunch of dummy text, and work off of that.

[hockey97]

I would use gimp or a graphics tool and plan the design out that way. I think it's better because it's faster to make adjustments when needed.