Web Design By Any Other Name
As you search for a career in Web design, it is helpful to know that professionals in this industry are also called:
? Web Directors
? Art Directors or Interface Directors
? Web Architects (if the position is an upper-level one)
Whatever the name, the job is very much the same. So feel free to apply to them all.
Negotiating Pay For Web Design Work
A freelance Web designer can expect to make anywhere from $30 to $150 an hour, depending upon his or her experience. Designers sometimes negotiate with clients for payment in both cash and trade.
Trade is payment in the form of a service rather than money. For example, trade can be a spot for advertising on a client's site or the opportunity to link one's portfolio to a page. Some designers may also choose to take less money up front with the agreement that more work will be forthcoming, either from the client or his or her associates.
How a Web Designer Can Increase Your Business
A capable Web site designer can help you refine the vision you have for your company's site. This professional can point out the ways in which copy and design can function together to send your message effectively.
A good knowledge of how to organize information and create a navigational structure that makes sense, all while remaining visually appealing, is a valuable asset.
Copyrights to Your Web Site
Find out ahead of time if the freelance web designer will want the copyright to the pages created for you. This could be a problem because it restricts you from making new pages by copying from existing pages. You could also be banned from using your Web site anytime you wish.
*If you have trouble getting the copyright, next time think about choosing a professional who gives you the rights.
Web Site Design: To HTML or Not to HTML?
A Web designer uses roughly the same software as an HTML coder. However, a Web site designer might use Photoshop, QuarkXPress, Illustrator, or FreeHand to develop a prototype of the site while leaving the coding aspect to the coders themselves.
It is still important for an upper-level Web designer to have knowledge of HTML language and editing so that he or she is able to understand its limitations and supervise coders effectively.
Preparing for Your Web Designer
Supply as much information as possible to minimize the involvement and cost of the Web site designer or multi media designer. Set your goals. What do you want your site to accomplish?
Organize your ideas into a few major topics and write them down for your designer. If you have ideas about what you want your site to look like, note them. If you have a Web site you admire, send your designer the URL so he or she can review it and get a better sense of what you'd like to see for your own site.
Web Designers, Do Your Homework!
A truly masterful Web page designer does a lot of practical research. This means going on the Web to investigate pages, figure out who is building them and understanding what tools are being used.
Learn what different clients prefer when it comes to the look and feel for a site. By researching these elements, you will be able to stay abreast of the trends. This will give you a decidedly competitive edge in the freelance market.
When Hiring a Freelance Web Designer
If you are considering hiring a freelance Web designer, be sure to see as many functional samples of his or her work as you can. That is, anyone you hire should have at least one properly functioning Web site up and running on the Internet. This way, you will be able to assess whether or not the potential hire can build a Web site from scratch that is a unified work of art.
Be on the lookout for designers who can combine content, navigational structure, and appearance into a powerful integrated experience. When you find a designer who can do this for others, you can be fairly certain that he or she will be able to do it for you!