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First I would say that using a template is a sure fire way to make your site look boilerplate and out of place, a designer doesn't really cost you that much. Fo

by javery 16y ago

First I would say that using a template is a sure fire way to make your site look boilerplate and out of place, a designer doesn't really cost you that much. For a couple thousand dollars you can get someone to put together PSDs for you and then pay someone a couple hundred to cut them up into HTML/CSS... then the rest you can handle. You probably only need them to do 3-5 pages to cover most of your app. That being said, I did find some admin specific ones back when I considered doing this (I didn't and paid for a designer) but here you go: http://www.admintasia.com/ http://www.admintasia.com/ http://www.adminizio.com/ http://www.adminizio.com/ http://themeforest.net/item/ninja-admin-/21190 http://themeforest.net/item/ninja-admin-/21190 http://themeforest.net/item/profi-admin-administration-for-the-professionals/49058 http://themeforest.net/item/profi-admin-administration-for-t... http://themeforest.net/item/boxie-admin/full_screen_preview/74076 http://themeforest.net/item/boxie-admin/full_screen_preview/...

antileet 16y ago
Hey, thanks for you advice. It seems more and more we have to consider paying for a designer (It isn't an idea we haven't thought of, it's just hard to justify that cost when we cut so many corners to keep costs low). I have been looking at the same options that you have put across. Right now, we are prototyping with a 960 grid system so it should be okay temporarily. Any suggestions for a good designer who is startup-friendly?
- mistermann 16y ago
  > Any suggestions for a good designer who is startup-friendly? +1 this...finding someone that is affordable and good is very very hard. I've tried various online sites (rentacoder, etc), at various different price points, and been disappointed every time. You know how when you're watching a movie and it is so bad that you "fall out" of it and can't stop thinking that it is a movie and these people are actors, acting? That's how my experience is with designers so far, when I look at their work, it doesn't pull me in, so many things stand out like sore thumbs and all I can think is someone designed this, and did a poor job. Does that make any sense?
ryanwaggoner 16y ago
First I would say that using a template is a sure fire way to make your site look boilerplate and out of place Depends on your audience. I bet 99% of people would never even notice.
- javery 16y ago
  I don't mean that they will recognize the template, I mean that you are going to be shoving your app into a template vs. designing something built for your app. You will haves spots to fill in a template and just put stuff in there, or if you leave it empty then it looks strange. It's the Lorem Ipsum curse, designers will put it everywhere and then you end up filling it with useless content to make things look right.

by javery 16y ago

antileet 16y ago

Hey, thanks for you advice. It seems more and more we have to consider paying for a designer (It isn't an idea we haven't thought of, it's just hard to justify that cost when we cut so many corners to keep costs low). I have been looking at the same options that you have put across. Right now, we are prototyping with a 960 grid system so it should be okay temporarily. Any suggestions for a good designer who is startup-friendly?

mistermann 16y ago
> Any suggestions for a good designer who is startup-friendly? +1 this...finding someone that is affordable and good is very very hard. I've tried various online sites (rentacoder, etc), at various different price points, and been disappointed every time. You know how when you're watching a movie and it is so bad that you "fall out" of it and can't stop thinking that it is a movie and these people are actors, acting? That's how my experience is with designers so far, when I look at their work, it doesn't pull me in, so many things stand out like sore thumbs and all I can think is someone designed this, and did a poor job. Does that make any sense?

ryanwaggoner 16y ago

First I would say that using a template is a sure fire way to make your site look boilerplate and out of place Depends on your audience. I bet 99% of people would never even notice.

javery 16y ago
I don't mean that they will recognize the template, I mean that you are going to be shoving your app into a template vs. designing something built for your app. You will haves spots to fill in a template and just put stuff in there, or if you leave it empty then it looks strange. It's the Lorem Ipsum curse, designers will put it everywhere and then you end up filling it with useless content to make things look right.