How to find a website designer for a unique project?
September 21, 2017 1:22 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for someone to make a website for a cool project I have in mind. In particular, I'm looking for someone who would be able to impart a unique aesthetic consistent with the content. The content consists of many hours of audio recordings of "Over the Edge" radio shows I did with the now-deceased Don Joyce from the noise collective Negativland. Ideally, the designer would be someone familiar with Negativland and/or Over the Edge, but not necessarily. How do I find this person?
I have all the audio files put together in FLAC. If you're familiar with the content, you probably have some idea of the general aesthetic I'm shooting for. The different shows were each based on a different theme. The website would have about a dozen different pages, one page for each theme, in addition to a front page. I have some ideas about various ways to present the content.
I'm NOT looking for someone to do this for free; I'm happy to pay for it, but I have no idea what something like this would cost. So that's an adjunct question, I suppose -- what's a fair price to pay for this service? I don't really have a good sense of how many hours of work it would take, but I don't think it would be terribly complicated to program. It's mainly the unique aesthetic that I'm interested in.
Thanks for any advice, tips, or leads.
I have all the audio files put together in FLAC. If you're familiar with the content, you probably have some idea of the general aesthetic I'm shooting for. The different shows were each based on a different theme. The website would have about a dozen different pages, one page for each theme, in addition to a front page. I have some ideas about various ways to present the content.
I'm NOT looking for someone to do this for free; I'm happy to pay for it, but I have no idea what something like this would cost. So that's an adjunct question, I suppose -- what's a fair price to pay for this service? I don't really have a good sense of how many hours of work it would take, but I don't think it would be terribly complicated to program. It's mainly the unique aesthetic that I'm interested in.
Thanks for any advice, tips, or leads.
Upwork.com is typically where I direct people for this type of thing. Seconding Craigslist.
I don't think it would be terribly complicated to program
Please don't say that to your prospective developer.
posted by ananci at 1:58 PM on September 21, 2017 [4 favorites]
I don't think it would be terribly complicated to program
Please don't say that to your prospective developer.
posted by ananci at 1:58 PM on September 21, 2017 [4 favorites]
fiverr.com also has a large number of website designers available for hire.
posted by cgg at 3:08 PM on September 21, 2017
posted by cgg at 3:08 PM on September 21, 2017
Hi, mikeand1!
Visual designer / UX project manager / Co-founder of small creative studio here.
I love the show concept! Next time I'm awake at 3am on a Thursday, (which does happen,) I'll tune in.
I just sent you a MeMail to see if I might be able to help directly.
But if the contents of that message aren't of interest, here are some other places to post inquiries:
- AIGA (formerly American Institute for Graphic Artists — the most well-established professional organization for designers)
- NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts)
- General Assembly
- I've just come upon Authentic Jobs, which seems legit. Its advisory board are known design professionals.
Craigslist is a crapshoot. I don't know many designers worth hiring who look there for jobs. But you never know, and it can't hurt to cast a wide net.
Anyone you're going to hire should be happy to talk you through their working process, and explain why they're charging what they're charging. Their going rate should be informed by their level of experience and the local market conditions. They should be able to tell you what you'll get from them for your money, as well as give you an idea of what you'd get from someone else above or below their price point. And you should feel good, on a gut level, about working with them.
In terms of scope and budget, several factors (should) come into play when creating an estimate:
- How many different page templates will be needed?
- How much time and back & forth will be spent developing the visual style & UX language?
- Do you already have, or will you need, visual brand guidelines?
- Do you need help writing / editing copy?
- Do you need help sourcing or producing images?
- Do you need original artwork / illustrations??
- Do you need help with SEO?
- Do you need e-commerce integration?
- Do you need any other types of integrations — a media player pulling from a database of sound files, for example? :)
- Will you need help setting up hosting, transferring domains, setting up email?
- What platform will the site be running on? (Do you need help figuring that out?)
- Do you need CMS customization?
- (One that people often overlook:) How much time do you expect to spend discussing, reviewing, and revising the work? It's never one and done; always iterative. And it's best if it's a collaboration.
- What kind of support will you need post-launch?
- [probably other things that I'm forgetting at the moment]
If a fully-custom, from-the-ground-up site is looking outside of your budget, you could consider a template-based DIY solution such as Squarespace, Wix, Fabrik, or Semplice. It's possible to build a pretty-good-to-great site with one of them, if you have patience for trial-and-error and a willingness to ask questions and/or Google things. If you can take care of the building yourself, then you're left with the visual design part of the puzzle which typically costs less than the programming part.
I hope all of that is helpful.
Now if y'all will allow me a < mini rant >...
A quick note about Fiverr and Upwork and other things of their ilk:
Patronizing such work-for-cheap schemes undermines designers (and writers, and editors, and etc.) who are trying to make a living using our training and experience. They perpetuate two ridiculous notions: (1) that so-called “creative” work is supposed to be relegated to hobby or side-hustle status. And (2) that design is crucial to your business but somehow undeserving of a real budget.
Also, while we're here, design (and writing and etc.) competitions (where people are asked to do work in advance in hopes of getting paid) are bullshit. These things are bad, and the people who do them should feel bad.
#SayNoToSpec
< /mini rant >
Anyone thinking of hiring a designer (or who is a designer) should absolutely read Mike Monteiro's books You're My Favorite Client and Design Is A Job. Super useful intel couched in super accessible language and some funny anecdotes.
posted by D.Billy at 9:53 PM on September 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
Visual designer / UX project manager / Co-founder of small creative studio here.
I love the show concept! Next time I'm awake at 3am on a Thursday, (which does happen,) I'll tune in.
I just sent you a MeMail to see if I might be able to help directly.
But if the contents of that message aren't of interest, here are some other places to post inquiries:
- AIGA (formerly American Institute for Graphic Artists — the most well-established professional organization for designers)
- NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts)
- General Assembly
- I've just come upon Authentic Jobs, which seems legit. Its advisory board are known design professionals.
Craigslist is a crapshoot. I don't know many designers worth hiring who look there for jobs. But you never know, and it can't hurt to cast a wide net.
Anyone you're going to hire should be happy to talk you through their working process, and explain why they're charging what they're charging. Their going rate should be informed by their level of experience and the local market conditions. They should be able to tell you what you'll get from them for your money, as well as give you an idea of what you'd get from someone else above or below their price point. And you should feel good, on a gut level, about working with them.
In terms of scope and budget, several factors (should) come into play when creating an estimate:
- How many different page templates will be needed?
- How much time and back & forth will be spent developing the visual style & UX language?
- Do you already have, or will you need, visual brand guidelines?
- Do you need help writing / editing copy?
- Do you need help sourcing or producing images?
- Do you need original artwork / illustrations??
- Do you need help with SEO?
- Do you need e-commerce integration?
- Do you need any other types of integrations — a media player pulling from a database of sound files, for example? :)
- Will you need help setting up hosting, transferring domains, setting up email?
- What platform will the site be running on? (Do you need help figuring that out?)
- Do you need CMS customization?
- (One that people often overlook:) How much time do you expect to spend discussing, reviewing, and revising the work? It's never one and done; always iterative. And it's best if it's a collaboration.
- What kind of support will you need post-launch?
- [probably other things that I'm forgetting at the moment]
If a fully-custom, from-the-ground-up site is looking outside of your budget, you could consider a template-based DIY solution such as Squarespace, Wix, Fabrik, or Semplice. It's possible to build a pretty-good-to-great site with one of them, if you have patience for trial-and-error and a willingness to ask questions and/or Google things. If you can take care of the building yourself, then you're left with the visual design part of the puzzle which typically costs less than the programming part.
I hope all of that is helpful.
Now if y'all will allow me a < mini rant >...
A quick note about Fiverr and Upwork and other things of their ilk:
Patronizing such work-for-cheap schemes undermines designers (and writers, and editors, and etc.) who are trying to make a living using our training and experience. They perpetuate two ridiculous notions: (1) that so-called “creative” work is supposed to be relegated to hobby or side-hustle status. And (2) that design is crucial to your business but somehow undeserving of a real budget.
Also, while we're here, design (and writing and etc.) competitions (where people are asked to do work in advance in hopes of getting paid) are bullshit. These things are bad, and the people who do them should feel bad.
#SayNoToSpec
< /mini rant >
Anyone thinking of hiring a designer (or who is a designer) should absolutely read Mike Monteiro's books You're My Favorite Client and Design Is A Job. Super useful intel couched in super accessible language and some funny anecdotes.
posted by D.Billy at 9:53 PM on September 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
D.Billy's answer is excellent advice all the way around. I myself have a career's worth of experience with web development, and particular interest in music oriented sites (I have a small record label site, for instance, which I redesign when the urge strikes me or I see some tech I want to try). I don't freelance as often now that I have a full-time gig, but I can certainly make time for a very cool project such as this. If you don't end up working with D. Billy, feel free to MeMail me.
meanwhile I'll take a listen to some of the shows!
posted by There Go the Warm Jets at 10:03 PM on September 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
meanwhile I'll take a listen to some of the shows!
posted by There Go the Warm Jets at 10:03 PM on September 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Post to local Craigslist if you live in a bustling metro area, could also do regional or topical subreddits, local paper want ads (those do still exist sometimes), community center bulletin boards, etc.
If you're willing to pay a small fee and don't mind where the contractor is located, there are any number of popular job search sites out there that gets lots of qualified views, but I can't recommend any one in particular.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:34 PM on September 21, 2017