how do i find a talented web designer to make a relatively simple site for my business on the cheap?

August 10, 2008 9:21 PM

I'm starting up a business that revolves around my artistic and digital editing skills, but I'm totally clueless about web design and programming. I want something that looks fairly professional but in that kind of haphazard, artsy way. A lot of artists' online portfolios have a lot of white space and are very stripped down, almost with this kind of collage look. That's what I'm going for. How do I find a designer? I can't spend more than a few hundred bucks because I'm still a poor student, but I want somebody talented who knows what they're doing.
posted by timsneezed to computers & internet (9 answers total)

Post to jobs.metafilter.com.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 9:45 PM on August 10, 2008

Post it to Jobs. Also, look for sites that you like and email the webmaster or designer.
posted by theora55 at 9:46 PM on August 10, 2008

I am in the exact same position (including the editing skills). I think the important thing is to have the website showcase some video (or videos) that really show off your work. I'd be interested if you posted some examples of the type of websites you would like to emulate.

For myself, when I finally do start working on my website, I have a friend that's a poor college student that is a very talented design/website type of guy. He'd love to do something like this for a few hundred bucks, especially if the job was "a lot of white space and very stripped down." sounds like a cake walk for any designer to me! Really, and ultimately, you want it to show of YOUR work, that's what will get you jobs. The person you find doesn't have to have amazing web design skillz, unless I'm reading your question wrong. I'll be watching the answers with interest. And DO post some of the sites you'd like it to look like.

Good luck!
posted by Spyder's Game at 10:20 PM on August 10, 2008

Spyder's Game -- are you saying your friend might possibly be interested in such a project?
posted by timsneezed at 10:28 PM on August 10, 2008

I like the look of this site aside from the animation:
http://www.imsmitten.com/stationery.html

but I was thinking of something even more stripped down. Hmm...need to find a better example.
posted by timsneezed at 10:35 PM on August 10, 2008

I sent you a MeMail with more info.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 11:06 PM on August 10, 2008

The one example you gave: http://www.imsmitten.com/stationery.html, is pretty stripped down as is. Animation or not, I could probably put together something like that in an hour or two. Even more stripped down, easy.

Feel free to contact me if you'd like to talk more about going forward - as luck would have it, I'm actually looking for a few small jobs at the moment to fill some time. So let me know.
posted by razorfrog at 11:44 PM on August 10, 2008

Beyond the design, you need to spec out what else you want in a site. One thing is that most people want to be able to update their own sites these days. If you do, you need to make this part of the spec. I'd also specify a CSS layout, no evil tables.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:36 AM on August 11, 2008

I was thinking that ideally I'd like an art school student or somebody who went to an art school to design the site because I think they'd be more likely to have the kind of aesthetic I'm looking for.
posted by timsneezed at 5:58 AM on August 11, 2008