Full web design

For me web design is a cycle consisting of several steps. After each stage of development I show you the progress for your confidence.

I start by making a sketch with a pencil on a piece of paper. Why? Because it's the easiest and fastest way to change something fundamentally with the design.

Next, I make the complete layout in a graphics program with a high-quality file format (24 or 32 bit PNG). This is how your site will look in your browser, complete with colors, graphics and dummy text. This is the time to make more detailed changes to your design, such as changes in colors, textures and spacing.

Finally, I code the site in HTML (or XHTML at your request) and CSS, after which I'll set up your site on your server for the world to see, free of charge.

I also do site maintenance, which includes updating page content, at a negotiated hourly rate. I use Wordpress as a CMS (content management system) to allow my clients (or anybody with the username and password) to update their sites through an easy to use and intuitive web interface. This comes at an additional price, but pays off if you plan to have the site updated frequently.

You can get a free quote or more information by contacting me here.

Technology

Depending on the type of site, I use 1 or more of the following technologies:

  • HTML is the basic language of the web; all websites are made of it. It's purpose is to logically structure web pages.
  • XHTML is an extended version of HTML. It's used in combination with other XML technologies, some of which include RSS feeds (data feeds from another site, e.g. news) and WAP (for mobile browsers). Unfortunately, the world's most popular browser, Internet Explorer, doesn't support it.
  • CSS was made for visually styling HTML. CSS is usually in a seperate file called a Style Sheet. Because of this, it's only downloaded once, and then stored in the browser's cache, saving download times.
  • PHP is a programming language that was created for manipulating HTML dynamically. With PHP it's possible to make user-managed sites such as (news) portals, forums, blogs, etc.
  • Javascript is a scripting language that is used to manipulate browser behavior. Javascript is a lightweight and flexible alternative to Flash. Its most popular implementation is to mimic desktop applications with transitional color and motion effects.