Lots of will but no skill
For a long while I’ve been wanting to re-do my site — the blog, more specifically. I try and sketch, find colour schemes, and start coming up with the basic structure. The problem is, I have no graphic design talent.
Finding nice colours is quite easy, there are lots of tools to make it even easier, too. I have collected hundreds of fonts through the years and there are the selected few that I really like. But after those are taken care of, I should start making my site pretty. That’s when I hit the wall.
I can’t draw (seriously), I possibly can doodle but doodling doesn’t make pretty. Of course, I could make my site with only coloured boxes, but that’s quite dull.
I took a look at my past designs and I may just resort to using one of the old ones (coded better, of course). However, I’d really really like to create something new. Maybe I’ll finally continue with the design which was in the “final polishings” stage two years ago(!!!) — if I can find the files, that is.
How do you do it? Are you one of the lucky ones who have an artistic bone in their body? Do you use some sort of resources to help with the design?
[Edit May 18] And where do you get an idea for the design?! I’ve only managed to think of the main colour so far. Argh! [/Edit]
I think tweaking open source templates is the easiest way. Building something from scratch is a lot harder -at least for those of us without artistic skills.
http://www.oswd.org/
http://www.openwebdesign.org/
Thanks for the links! Perhaps someone will find them helpful (and I might find an inspiration). My problem is that I could never resort to using someone else’s code — it’s like copying a course work from online! As you know I like CSS a lot and ready-made templates need only changing some colours and fonts (and perhaps images). PHP, (X)HTML, CSS… those I can handle. Pretty pictures… those I can’t.
Why don’t you start off with somebody’s theme and just modify it from there. Maybe find a fabulous colour scheme that’s already been done and then just personalize it. That’s what I did, and I drew even though I can’t draw. And whether anybody likes the design of my site or not, I have no idea, except to me it just reeks of idiot on a stick, so I can’t really change it all that much.
I’d say.. when it comes, it comes.. all about inspiration.. look around you and you never know.. maybe you’ll get hit with something :).. not literally lol.. remember a year ago I think? I said I will do a design for you for helping me so much with mine? Well, I don’t know what happened to that.. oh yes, I remember.. I went on vacation and after that..school started again O_O! Maybe I can help you this time.. before I leave again haha.. hopefully it gets done then.. you said you wanted purple??.. as for the design?.. flowers?? Hmm o_O!?
Thanks for the offer, Vera! I’m currently working on a layout in dark red and it’s coming along quite nicely. It’s going to have quite simple graphics but I hope you people will like it
Ooh! When you said that.. the first thing that popped into my mind was “GOTHIC” haha… =) good luck, I’m sure it’ll turn out really nice :D! If you need any help, ask ;)! I still owe you a favour.. and I feel bad lol..
Don’t worry, it’s not Gothic at all It’s light and bright.
lol..:) can’t wait to see it! I’m sure it’ll be amazing