Hello all, I am currently working with graphic designers in designing the layout and banners for our future website. I am not too familiar in what comes after this.

Usually you hire a website design freelancer or company to design the layout and write it all up in code right? please correct me if I am wrong.

So if our company has taken care of the design factor, do we only need someone to convert our website designs into html?? or should I be looking for a different type of computer specialist?

The website we have designed is pretty simple and is about 20 html pages total. For now it is only for a video blog/clothing store without the store/ ecommerce part yet.

You can approach any freelance web designer or company and tell them your requirements. Normally people leave the design aspect to the web designer. If your website only consists of simple HTML and does not need any database access (Eg. php, mysql), then a normal web designer is what you ever need.

Well the terminology is sometimes a little blurry. Basically a "web designer" usually is responsible for the icons, website layout, doing up a .PSD or .AI or whatever program you use and usually converting it to xhtml/html or CSS. Most use a WYSIWYG like Adobe Dreamweaver.

A "web developer" is more along the lines of a coder. They are most responsible for the overall functionality of the site using coding like I mentioned or PHP, AJAX or manipulating CMS platforms like Drupal, Wordpress, Joomla etc.

Some are a little bit of everything, but it is my experience that a jack-of-all-trades is a master of none. Most coders are not good designers and most designers are not good coders. It has to do with brain functionality. Logic and problem solving is more left-brained while design and art is more right-brained. It's also pretty much impossible to master everything. There are so many coding languages and there are so many different types of designing software and media.

I hope that makes it clear for you on which you should hire for the corresponding purpose.

Thank you RobK! Yes that cleared everything up for me, I need a web developer!

What do you mean by maniupulating cms platforms? I have a basic understanding of what a CMS platform does. They manage your information and allow you to more easily change things on your website.

You sound so wise, would you happen to be a web developer??

http://www.webmaster-talk.com/coding...developer.html

I do both, but my strength lies more towards designing. I am trying to develop both skills as best I can.

I found that CMS solutions simply create more work than help. I spend more time doing updates on a CMS site even though that is supposed to be the solution to updates. Just let me at the code instead of having to use a slow online interface.

Originally Posted by darrenfox

I found that CMS solutions simply create more work than help. I spend more time doing updates on a CMS site even though that is supposed to be the solution to updates. Just let me at the code instead of having to use a slow online interface.

A CMS is more for the client's benefit that the designer/developers.

Client's need a CMS interface so they can update content without kudgering up the whole code.

Originally Posted by TWD

A CMS is more for the client's benefit that the designer/developers.

Client's need a CMS interface so they can update content without kudgering up the whole code.

That is the reason you use CMS but in most cases you still end up doing the work, so I do not think it is worth it. You also spend more time providing support which is not a big money maker, nor does it project a better reputation for your company if the client feels they can not do it. Even if you make it as easy as possible, there will still be questions that arise.

Originally Posted by darrenfox

That is the reason you use CMS but in most cases you still end up doing the work, so I do not think it is worth it. You also spend more time providing support which is not a big money maker, nor does it project a better reputation for your company if the client feels they can not do it. Even if you make it as easy as possible, there will still be questions that arise.

Then your screwed?

If you give people tools to do it for themselves then surely this is better than not doing it?

Clients are still going to have a learning curve with a CMS but its more realistic than expecting them to learn HTML.

Just about every client I meet these days says they want to "update content by themselves". That's what web 2.0 is all about after all. User generated content.

Originally Posted by RobK

Well the terminology is sometimes a little blurry. Basically a "web designer" usually is responsible for the icons, website layout, doing up a .PSD or .AI or whatever program you use and usually converting it to xhtml/html or CSS. Most use a WYSIWYG like Adobe Dreamweaver.

A "web developer" is more along the lines of a coder. They are most responsible for the overall functionality of the site using coding like I mentioned or PHP, AJAX or manipulating CMS platforms like Drupal, Wordpress, Joomla etc.

Some are a little bit of everything, but it is my experience that a jack-of-all-trades is a master of none. Most coders are not good designers and most designers are not good coders. It has to do with brain functionality. Logic and problem solving is more left-brained while design and art is more right-brained. It's also pretty much impossible to master everything. There are so many coding languages and there are so many different types of designing software and media.

I hope that makes it clear for you on which you should hire for the corresponding purpose.

Clients will just told you what you will do.

Some freelancers will cross over into both, and can get by at it, but yes if you want top notch work getting specialists that focus on one area will likely produce better end results. But that can be more expensive and more of a hassle to deal with more people.