Tips for hiring good web designers?

Hey guys.

So I am design-challenged. I have a website that I want designed; but local outlets would charge at minimum $4,000. I have gone the route of hiring someone who english is not their first language; and I got burned a little bit (didn't bother me too much, it only cost a few hundred dollars). I am willing to invest several thousands dollars, but I want the website to be CREATIVE and to LOOK AWESOME. That is the key here. This is an artistic website. Local guys are not artistic. They create great business websites, but not good arty ones.

But how do you find a web designer like this, who speaks english as their first language (so that we don't have unbalanced expectations) ... that doesn't cost $4,000... and someone you can trust because they are working remotely? Freelancer.com and the like just doesn't seem to work out well for me, I pick someone based on their portfolio and the results are disappointing.

I figure going to a single person, perhaps a student, who is talented and needs a break would be good. Any ideas on where to find these?

When and if you find a good offshore designer, thank the gods and then hold on to him/her tight! They are hard to come by.

I'm the mean time, go to the local university and visit the graphic design department. Ask the dean's office about hiring interns and post a note on the bulletin board. Then walk across campus and do the same at the computer science department for your developer.

Don't ever look beyond the BHW BST!

The thing about a lot of design firms, is that they don't do the coding.

Recently I've had great success with designers from BHW.

I might be the one you are looking for

sent you a pm.

If they have a good portfolio, good communication, and good references. That's really all you can expect from a designer/developer.

JaredOnTop said:

When and if you find a good offshore designer, thank the gods and then hold on to him/her tight! They are hard to come by.

I'm the mean time, go to the local university and visit the graphic design department. Ask the dean's office about hiring interns and post a note on the bulletin board. Then walk across campus and do the same at the computer science department for your developer.

Click to expand...

Crap... I am so challenged when it comes to website development/design. So wait, someone else designs it for me, and then someone else codes it? How do you explain/design flashy effects (like menus that when you hover over them, they do interesting things) to a coder who has not designed the layout?

This is why I work with wordpress themes usually xD

Furious George said:

The thing about a lot of design firms, is that they don't do the coding.

Recently I've had great success with designers from BHW.

Click to expand...

Care to share your talent pool?

Just a quick suggestion.Get an HTML template called Novatorix, and get the matching theme. It is great for photography sites. (or find a template you like)

Build the site and add a blog using the matching theme.

There is also one called Newscast that is pretty good. for photography sites.

If you can find a template you can live with, most of the design work is done, and even if you need structural changes, there is no need to bring in a designer, only a coder to do the customizing.

If you insist on a original design, face the fact that it costs whatever the designer asks. Designing is gift, those who can do it effectively can ask what they want, and usually get it.

And for the record, (in Houston at least) $4000 for a custom designed site is cheap.

I am not a great designer and i been looking for one who is reliable and good at design haven't had no success in months

I got a team who are good at coding PSD to XHTML , wordpress mail templates etc if any one have any requirement they can contact me

Thanks

"Designing is gift, those who can do it effectively can ask what they want, and usually get it"


Well said op

Techxan said:

Just a quick suggestion.Get an HTML template called Novatorix, and get the matching theme. It is great for photography sites. (or find a template you like)

Build the site and add a blog using the matching theme.

There is also one called Newscast that is pretty good. for photography sites.

If you can find a template you can live with, most of the design work is done, and even if you need structural changes, there is no need to bring in a designer, only a coder to do the customizing.

If you insist on a original design, face the fact that it costs whatever the designer asks. Designing is gift, those who can do it effectively can ask what they want, and usually get it.

And for the record, (in Houston at least) $4000 for a custom designed site is cheap.

Click to expand...

Are you looking for JUST design (PSD) or the entire front end to be developed?

Designing is gift. I have a wordpress design to base it off; I need someone creative to come up with the design, and to then it get it coded into the wordpress theme :/ it'd be quite fantastic to be gifted with both, lol

mudbutt said:

Are you looking for JUST design (PSD) or the entire front end to be developed?

Click to expand...

Both the design (PSD) and for it to then be coded into a particular wordpress theme. I could probably code it if necessary, but I'm sure someone else would be much better at that than me.

EDIT: Double post

tips:

Portfolio must (but you need look is it from the scratch or just buy template and edit)

if you want good find a template designer get the psd and convert it to another provider.

I will say just test him once don,t hire him and let the clients to decide If he makes them happy and attract towr you website so hire him rather give him the money of that one design