from print to web
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- jar
as a publisher we have a studio full of designers (for print - obviously), now we're venturing into web stuff the directors want to utilise the designers for website design.
the problem? getting them to understand design for print doesn't transfer to web "straight off photoshop or quark" and that i need to be able to transfer those designs to web. and there's only so much i seem to be able to explain!
the solution? does anyone know of any guides or books or web resources (or something or anything!) i can refer them to and show them that explains how to create good design for web? the creativity is there, but the knowledge of constraints isn't.
any help appreciated!
- MrD0
before you do that, you need someone to explain the fundamentals of web.
then decide how you are going to transfer it out
everything runs on 72dpi so keep that in mind
- mrdobolina0
talk to them about rgb versus cmyk also.
- MrD0
also read up on usability and file weight
and what technology to use.
html, css, js, flash. etc
- mrdobolina0
maybe show them "save for web & devices" in ps.
- MrD0
i think rather then hiring a web designer, it would more useful someone who is a web generalist who can guy you guys.
as a freelancer / consultant with a design / tech savvy
- MrD0
this is how i learned web stuff back in 1990s
- jar0
cool. thing is, i'm the html/css/js/flash etc guy, only i'm clearly not a teacher and haven't been able to explain it very well! was really just looking for a resource that could...
- MrD0
ah sorry..
web monkey is the way to go.
you can also search for school online curriculum and put that together..
a simple guide line
- 23kon0
theres a lot to learn likes!!!
i work for a company within a larger company. the larger is an esstablished print design company (over 30 years old). previously theyd commissioned out web work - their print designers would design for web. some results were nice but most were poor.
especially nowadays with so many things to do with accessibility/css/restrictions etc you really need to know.
so the mother company set up the baby company that i now work for and employed people who knew web stuff.
honestly, it would probably be worth your while to do something like that. even if you take on one person who knows their shit, take them on in a position so they can guide/teach the other designers web stuff and oversee everything.
- jar0
cheers 23, yeah, i'm pushing it that way - we now have a team of two - backend code dev and front end html stuff. but until there's cash in the budget we can't employ a web designer so for now i have to stick with the print guys - now if i could just train them....!
- 23kon0
jar
aye just get the whip out mate. ask the bosses for carte blanche to boss the hell out of them and whip them into shape.an idea you could do is ask them which out of them IS interested in designing for web (as some prob wont be).
then take the group that are keen and set them an extra curricular project to do. make up the brief yourself but treat it like a real job, get them to concept the work, do design development etc then you can point out where theyve went wrong etc.to be a good web designer youve got to keep on top of technology and trends, you should make that clear to them and thats why its a good idea just to take on the ones that are keen and WILL work hard.
last thing your company needs is for some print designers to be knocking out halfassed attempts at web design.
or worse! pitching crazy ideas to clients that'll NEVER work and isnt possible on so many levels then this is only discovered when it lands on your desk when its time to build it.
- joyride0
print people can do good web design, what I see mostly is that they don't get how the design needs to be developer friendly. They always seem to have these elaborate backgrounds behind the design, causing for very large page sizes (in kb). Getting a designer to understand how the page will be chopped up, coded, etc. is very valuable.
- canuck0
If they don't have to code the designs they are creating then it won't be so hard for them. They just need an understanding on web usability, and a crash course on what technical limitations there are. Also an overview about Type on the web.
- canuck0
or hire an intern and exploit them.
- adamm0
Make sure to tell them they only have about 6 fonts to choose from and one of them is Times Roman.
You will have an intern or new web designer in there in know time!
- maximillion_0
ask moth or paraselene - they were in yr position at one point
- AndyRoss0
You should hire me to come in for a day to explain it to them.
Seriously, I can explain some of the common pitfalls print designers stumble into working for the web, and give them a sound grounding in how to transfer their techniques and skills.
- tomkat0
dont tell them the 72dpi thing
it's not true.
make suer they understand that 400x400 px is always that on a screen, no matter what res you set it at
- BonSeff0
let em run wild on the interwebs
fukit
- pascii0
tell them: Content FIRST design SECOND! things have to be DYNAMIC and things look DIFFERENT on different computers