How do you guys go about developing great websites?

Hi guys,

How do you go about developing great looking websites? Do you just dive straight into the coding (IMO should never do)

Or do you create a Photoshop template, meticulously planning the colour theme, padding, layout images and typography and then converting to web using perhaps a pre bought template or bootstrap framework.

IMO the second is the preferred.

What do you do?

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The "greatness" shifted - from "visual design" towards "user experience"; from sites towards applications. Pages interact with a user with intense, it means a lot of front-end programming. This is what I would recommend:

1. Make your own CMS for starting project. Collect your permanent and tested solutions there.
2. Pick up a great CSS framework with tons of features, a big one, and really themeable. My personal choice is Semantic UI. It is practically impossible to make a complex responsive UI without adopting a prepared CSS framework.
3. Don't do everything alone, work together with a designer. It is not about the technical stuff that designers usually do, but for the sake of the artistic idea. For example, if I make a design, it becomes eventually, how to say, a "male" kind. This is why I design only the administration panels. But my designer which is female is capable to make front-end designs for any audience.

Good points I really like this semantic UI I hadn't saw this before, to be honest I've just been using bootstrap with a few custom js libraries.

Good point about getting other designers involved, did she help you design your site:
http://hop-mebeli.com/

It looks really good. I would share some of my ideas but I'd have to kill you.

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Yes, she did.
Edit: But this site is Bootstrap-based, before my migration.

I played around with Bootstrap for the first time this week:

suvovu dot com (I don't want any actual links to it, sorry).

I struggle with design, but it's functional (I think).

Brian's Web Design - Temecula, CA
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@skunkbad

If you prefer Bootstrap 3 for front-end, see https://github.com/dragdropsite/mPurpose It is not bad, only the slideshow is too old, but the Bootstrap's built-in slider could be used instead.

@skunkbad

If you prefer Bootstrap 3 for front-end, see https://github.com/dragdropsite/mPurpose It is not bad, only the slideshow is too old, but the Bootstrap's built-in slider could be used instead.

I've been using bootstrap 4

Brian's Web Design - Temecula, CA
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I have also been using that, love coding

I think the advice I'd give is always, always start of with a photoshop template. Honestly, the time save with a solid static design is invaluable.

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In addition to having a solid PS design the following site is great when it comes to marketing.

http://www.goodui.org/

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