Josh Kim dot Org

I haven’t had to design a website template from scratch in quite a while. I guess the last time I did it was in the summer, for the water quality data collection… but that was strictly an exercise in Academia, where I not only focused on the user interface, but also leaving behind documentation and rationale.

Why I bring this up is because I’m working on my newest client, and I’m stuck in the design process. I’m having a hard time really feeling for the company, and designing from it. I also feel like I have a set of rusted tools to work from. But I guess it’s about time to sharpen and shine them up…

From this company, I was basically given a navigational layout and a logo. I know what the company does, but I feel like these things are not enough. Graphics will be provided later, was what I was told.

I really tried to create something “useable” from what I was given. And I ended up creating two templates that basically gets across the logo and the navigational layout the client wanted. However, I still wasn’t feeling it.

Was it because of the skills I’m lacking in creating a design?

Hence, now I’m taking inventory of what I can do, just so I can look back to this entry, and see how much I’ve grown.

In the early days, what I could do was purely <TABLE> (yes… even in caps…) hacks. Attributes colspan and rowspan were my friends, and tables within tables within tables enabled me with the pixel perfect layout. Ah, those were the ignorant days of my youth.

Currently, as I’m rocking out to the tune of CSS, I feel like I’ve definitely grown to appreciate the separation between content and layout, the browser-OS intricacies, and the effort being put forth in managing all these ideal concepts.

Rounded corners are simple. You can use JavaScript through the Nifty Corner Cube (MUCH better than the old nifty corners… update NOW) or you can still get away without using JavaScript. I’ve basically changed my stance on compatibility: as long as the users can get to the info, I’ll be able to sleep at night.

Rounded corners basically leads itself to navigational design. Tabs for the main sections, check. Drop-down menus or scroll overs, check. These are all doable for me.

Two columns. Three columns. Columns within columns. ALL doable with CSS. It’s just that now, while it’s doable, it’s extremely annoying to create something from scratch. I’m still not as well versed in CSS as I should be.

These are all good for a CSS coder. But where are the gradients, the shapes, the abstract “stuff” that only comes from a true Photoshop/GIMP masta? So all I can do is mess around with colors and these design concepts I’ve honed over the past couple of months?