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As a web designer, I have a personal interest in a new trend which threatens
to put me and my kind out of business. That “threat” is Web Design
Templates. In short they are ready-made web design products which can be used
as a basis for a fast and high-quality website. You usually receive a Photoshop
file (.psd), Flash file (.fla), HTML files with your tables and initial scripting
already complete, fonts, sounds and anything else which may be part of the website
design.
A couple of years ago these templates were a small issue in the world of design.
Most of them were of minimal quality and there were not all that many out there.
Now some of the “big players” like BG Website Templates, The Discount
Directory and Plantillas De Website are supplying spectacular designs which
include 3D animated Flash, multimedia and dynamic programming for prices comparable
to dinner out. Many of these templates rival even the best custom designer's
work. So how can we (the humble designer) survive?
My first suggestion is to “aim high”. By that I mean start targeting
a “higher end” clientele. Most companies of any size will not want
to have a website design which may well be found on dozens of other websites
around the world.
These templates, while very impressive, are still templates. They still require
the knowledge and skills of a professional for them to function to their full
potential. So consider promoting your customization skills to those clients
who are looking for a low cost solution. You can still make a pretty profit
on the website and you'll get it done much faster. Another advantage to this
method is that the client has already chosen a design, so the process of “back
and forth” designing is removed.
Finally, you may choose to directly promote templates on your own website.
You may feel that you're cutting your own wrists, but as mentioned before, the
clients who wish to use a template most likely didn't want to spend the money
for your custom work anyway. Once you've saved them money on design work by
selling them a template, you have a much better chance of upgrading their order
with add-ons like chat rooms, help desks and newsletters. In the end you may
end up coming out ahead.
Whether or not our careers as designers will survive this competition remains
to be seen; but in the meantime it doesn't hurt to at least become familiar
with web templates. Knowing your competition is key to success.
About the Author:
Written by Gene Tewksbury
Webmaster/Lead Designer at Blue Gel Media
Exciting custom web and multimedia design and development.
Copyright © 2005 Blue Gel Media
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