Web templates, good or bad?

[webmidwife]

I love designing web sites and graphics, but sometimes I get "designers" block and just can't seem to jump-start my "vision". I've been looking at some template sites and am considering joining one to download templates to "make my own".

As a web designer, who does run a small web design business, is this considered cheating?

I'm not the type of designer who "hand codes" everything. I enjoy working with the html editors and such, and I enjoy taking graphics and templates and reworking them. Just wondering your thoughts on this.

TY!

[Rosalind]

If you check the template sites carefully, most will have clauses in their terms preventing you from taking the templates, tweaking a little and reselling them as your own or otherwise claiming a template as your own work. Your clients may not be too happy about it either, if they find out.

There's nothing wrong though with taking a look at what others are doing and being inspired. To be honest I don't think you will find a lot that is worth emulating on most template sites, there's a lot of sameness amongst them. The best cure for design block is to be found away from the monitor and the influences of other designers.

[php~pro]

Bad! Theres enough tacky sites out there without looking at the same one over and over. Everyone is under this dillusional idea to get on the web, download some freebies and try and make the million. Its not going to happen. Very few have come out a raging success. Freebie hunters will never make money. I must see over 500 posts per day asking does anyone know where theres a FREE .............

I hate freebie hunters and people who cany be bothered to learn. Does it show?

[MarcieZoob]

Hey, php~pro, I feel your rage! In this day and age of DIY web design, people think they can take a template and become a web designer overnight. If they own PrintMaster Gold, they are now a Graphic Artist. Oy...No respect for the time, education and training those of us in the industry have put into it.

As a designer, I like to read posts in the "Submit Your Site for Review" section of this forum. Many submitted are Monster templates designs, OSCommerce sites or FrontPage themes, which I don't critique. If someone has been creative and designed something unique from scratch, I'm more than happy to help...to a degree. :)

[php~pro]

Too true. It takes a lot of time to come up with something good and something new. As I have said for a long time now, due to open source and free webmaster content type sites offering useless tat, the web has become nothing more than a playground for thieving, scrounging layabouts, with vein ideas of millions. Its people like this who spoil what could be a far better place for the serious professional, coders, designers, artists, entrepeneurs and the like.

Many people wont even look at the web for shopping etc, for fear of hijackings, dialers, pop ups, and forced porn .exe's. I personally hate what the web has become. All I ever see is has anyone got a free ................ for my site, and Im sick of it. If people took the time to learn a little code the sense of achievement would be far greater, thus they may respect what they take for granted.

One thing is certain in life, you get what you work for.

[node-net]

i dont like purists
just use notepad eh php.
you can be creative with a template.
remember every website on the web is a potential template for your next site.
i do agree with your views on reviewing monstertemplate sites and frontpage themes.

[php~pro]

Im not a total purist. I keep favorite snippets, and make my own Dreamweaver extentions. There nothing wrong with using recyled code of any language at all. My dissagreement derives from the multitude of free offerings and open source, turning the entire web into a freebie state. As a result of these freebies, prices on design and coding are well down and possibly at an all time low. I am constantly asked for apps and site enhancments consisting of pages and pages of code yet the potential customer has a near nil budget. The whole web is full of people expecting 8-10 hours work for free.

Maybe you enjoy spending 6-8 years of your life learning multiple languages and apps to work for free, but I personally dont. I have 2 kids to feed and bills to pay and free just doesnt do it.

Personal circumstances apart, when surfing how many times have you seen different content in the same template whith a few minor changes. The result of lame freebie hunters with some serverspace, trying to get rich quick by thinking if they have a site people will just flock and spend. The web is a tacky place and I dont think I shall be sorry to leave it behind later this year.

[node-net]

I agree with your feelings to a degree. Maybe the next generation search engine will have a built in bullshit detecter.
Sorting the wheat from the chaff has always been a job.
The web will be a duller place without you for me - and i dont really know you.
I too have two kids and am selling web space, etc to newbies using frontpage who expect a level of support that students dont get from their tutors.

[jawn_tech]

I can identify with the designer's block. It rears its ugly head every so often even to the best of us.

Remember that creativity, like any other 'strength', is like a muscle that needs to be continously excercised to get stronger. While it doesn't hurt to 'look around' at templates, your best shot at a breakthrough is by thinking more as an artist than a programmer, until you visualize a design. This helps keep both left brain and right brain sharp. Best advice I've heard is start the concept away from the computer, such as drawing on a sketch pad. Then go back to the computer work area and put on the programmer hat to implement the design. It's worked for me.

Best wishes...

[gflaig]

if you go to the homes of families, you may find "kitschy" furniture, simulated classicals, modern lines, art deco, and high quality design. You even may find "selfmade" furniture, own self painted aquarelles.

If you visit an office, you expect to get a higher percentage of quality furniture, design, art etc.

So why not look web sites as areas, where living happens, appartments, offices, public and private areas.

Some people WILL need professional support, and hopefully also get it. Some others want to "draw their own pictures" aka do their own design, create "my site". Some will go to the shop and take standard bricks with them to do "selfmade".

No discussion, that most of the professional sites, taking care about usability, are easier to be dealt with, and better understandable than those with the 276th reusage of the same template. Nevertheless most of those is "privat area".

Homemade websites is like self made cupboards, of high value for the producer, and not very intersting for the most others. So - let them do (this includes myself), and give them advice as a professional - like a carpenter may do with a do-it-yourself , double left handed owner of an electric drill.
And check if you dont eventually find a genious among them, like there were painters, artists, who never have been educated.

[dr-tourist]

Let's not forget the most important thing here. What is the site supposed to accomplish?

Too often people try to impress colleagues rather than to do what is best for the client.

I do mainly video production and am far from being an artist or designer. Years ago, I had a debate/argument with a fellow video producer from the boston area. He was ranting online at how bad the commercial for the local car wash was. . . . .especially when sandwiched between national spots which is often the case with cable spots.

He complained about the guy's spot being cheesey, low budget, shot on video, and he had aired the same spot for 4 years.

Comparing a low budget spot to a national spot with a
budget surely 100 times the amount. Didn't seem fair. Could he do a better job on the spot? Sure! Could he do so with the cients budget or lack there of? Doubt it.

The fact that the guy was airing the spot for 4 years. . . proved one thing. . . .it WORKED. The goalof that spot was to get MORE customers to the car wash. . .. not to impress fellow video producers etc.

Templates certainly have their place. I am starting to do websites for hotels in teh Dominican Republic. Not the all inclusive, mega hotels with 500+ rooms, but family owned places with 12-50 rooms. Most of these people have never had a site, or had one that was ugly and not promoted at all. Their rooms rent for about 25 bucks per night. . . .so you can guess their budget for websites is almost nothing. . .

Should they not be allowed to have a website if it will not impress the most seasoned designers out there? Should I not even consider templates as that is "cheating". Or. . . .should I make a "decent" looking site and actually spend more of my time marketing the site and getting visitors/customers for them?

When the clients budget permits, I will do custom design or most likely farm the design part out to somenody with talent in that area.

For now, I will try and help these people increase their business which is the reason they want a site in the first place.

How many times have we seen a great . . . .whiz bang. . .site designed in flash. . . . very cool. . .extremeley modern. . . . but nobody could find it?