Site Layout Needed!

ThePsyion

New Member
I am a software developer and the project i am working on is coming to an end, the systems is all in place but my employer now needs a decent looking front end. I require a mobile and full version css layout that works in Freifox and Internet Explorer. I will need everything from the logo to the finished CSS stylesheet. The sites find name is still unclear so i would require PSD files and any fonts that had been used.

There is a decent budget for this if the work is of high quality! the website can be found here Browse Tipoffs - freeTipoff.co.uk if you are interested please post here and i will be on contact. Ideally somebody in the UK would be best but i am open to any and all offers!

pSYION
 
You might as well post your budget and timeframe here if you want anyone professional interested.

I am currently taking on new projects, will be happy to help you with yours.
 
There is a decent budget for this if the work is of high quality

£300 for all that isn't a decent budget unfortunately, you would probably pay most of that just on the logo let alone anything else, if you are looking for a professional that is.
 
Ok Guys no need to jump on me here... I have not bought any graphics in many years! The fact that you jumped on my like hyenas instead of trying to politely help me realise that was a low budget shows that maybe this forum is not the place to find a friendly professional designer.

Also i found it very strange to ask what my budget is right away... when somebody asks you how much your willing to pay do you ever tell them the absolute reach of your wallet? Especially when your knowledge of the value of what your buying is less than brilliant...

I have however had several PM's from very friendly forums users who know how to act with respect. I thank those who have contacted me!

If my budget is very low could somebody help me breakdown what i should expect to pay? Say for just branding what would be the going rate?

@Ian Bonner
Is it usual to have to pay to see a designers portfolio? I thought the idea of a portfolio was to attract business? Not be a form of product itself? am i wrong? Thanks :)

Regards

Psyion

:)
 
Hey Psyion

The replies are as a result of a lot of recent posts where people have requested design work, yet expect to pay peanuts for this service. Some of our members are quite rightly angry about this but in your instance it seems you are genuine in what you are asking and just not 100% sure as to what this should all cost...so no hard feelings as we are a friendly bunch.

I am sure you can get the lot done for £300, even from members on here but anyone charging that sort of money I suspect isn't experienced in any of the fields you need.

Also, finding someone that specialises in both logo design and coding may be difficult (jack of all trades, master of none!), personally I would look to a graphic designer for the logo/branding/site design first, then once this has been done look for someone who specialises in coding.

I have paid in the region of £300 for logo design in the past, same again to design a website supplied as a .psd file and then the coding on top of that dependant on what is needed exactly. Although not sure how that fairs compared to what professionals are charging at the moment...
 
Sorry if I seemed condescending. But to add to what I previously said and to give you my opinion.

You want, to clarify:
A logo designed which will requires a brief, at least some research and potentially several rounds of amends which would require some communication between both parties. A logo would probably take at least a week to complete. As mentioned by someone your whole budget could go on this alone (and also all your time).

You also want the front end designed both both desktop AND mobile. A lot of things to consider here assuming your after a bespoke solution. Another week work or more would be needed for this.

Then everything else needs to be developed and tested which is more time.

A lot of work, I think you need to revisit your schedule and budget in my opinion. No offence but you should have allowed more time for something as important as the design and branding for this project as you already mentioned it is nearing completion, so this should have been planned from the start. If somebody if prepared to do all this work for you for your current budget then it then fair play, post back or (PM me) with the result as I would be keen to see the outcome.

Personally I think this project would need about 3-4+ weeks at least and the budget multiplied by about x3 or x4 at least depending on the exact around of work required, could be more.
 
@Ian Bonner
Is it usual to have to pay to see a designers portfolio? I thought the idea of a portfolio was to attract business? Not be a form of product itself? am i wrong? Thanks :)

Not everyone does it but it is becoming more and more common for designers to charge for pitching these days. I can only speak for myself and I would think you'll have other replies now that say otherwise, but I charge for consultation as well, if it takes me away from the business. With charging for consultation, I am still losing out on my hourly rate.

Showing a portfolio is showing your ideas to others that are looking for work to be done on their behalf, and that fact that they have come to you also means that designer and yourself should be operating on the same wavelength. Its about protecting your own interests.

If you find someone who will be willing to work with you on your project they will probably want up to 50% up front to do the work as well. That in part or whole could be used as a severance fee and non-refundable.

Again, I can only speak for myself but I will charge anywhere between £20 - 30.00 p.h. I personally do not work on websites but I do work on branding and that would be what I charge. For your £300.00 you wont have much left over after one day of work for the rest of the project. For a professional brand logo you will probably be looking at at least double that for the brand logo alone and thats for 2 - 3 days work. I would quote for AT LEAST a week if you wanted an identity.

Everyone that says we are expensive as designers are comparing us to a high street design shop. You can go into one of them in the morning and have a logo by the afternoon for £20.00. If you want a professional design service you will be getting a lot more in return but you pay for it. We are good at what we do, they aren't.

Hope this helps a bit.
 
Sorry if I seemed condescending. But to add to what I previously said and to give you my opinion.

You want, to clarify:
A logo designed which will requires a brief, at least some research and potentially several rounds of amends which would require some communication between both parties. A logo would probably take at least a week to complete. As mentioned by someone your whole budget could go on this alone (and also all your time).

You also want the front end designed both both desktop AND mobile. A lot of things to consider here assuming your after a bespoke solution. Another week work or more would be needed for this.

Then everything else needs to be developed and tested which is more time.

A lot of work, I think you need to revisit your schedule and budget in my opinion. No offence but you should have allowed more time for something as important as the design and branding for this project as you already mentioned it is nearing completion, so this should have been planned from the start. If somebody if prepared to do all this work for you for your current budget then it then fair play, post back or (PM me) with the result as I would be keen to see the outcome.

Personally I think this project would need about 3-4+ weeks at least and the budget multiplied by about x3 or x4 at least depending on the exact around of work required, could be more.

Great minds think alike. Just said exactly the same thing. lol
 
Thanks for the more positive replies guys, i feel much better about what needs to happen moving forward. I do understand that the timescales are very slim, my initial plan was to have this work done alongside my server side development but unfortunately this has not been the case. I am not the owner of this project and i am simply fact finding in regards to prices at the moment..

I have to clear funds via my boss and as i seem to have shown clearly this is not my field... I am in talk with a couple of people who very honestly have let me know my initial budget size was very low! Although after reading the forum rules i can see it was not correct for me to post such info on here.. I am sorry!

After reading though your comments i feel that getting a logo/branding first would be my best bet, i can build a relationship with the designer and will know if want to continue to use them for the rest of the project. I am open to any new offers at present as nothing is set in stone but please try and ignore the initial budget size and let me know a rough idea of what your services would cost me. Portfolios would be good, as it gives me something i can show my boss!

Thanks again everyone! :)
 
Credit to you for such a measured response. Good luck with your project.

Dave is right. If half the people that came on here looking for designers had the attitude and listened like you did there wouldn't be half the problems.

:icon_notworthy:
 
Thanks for the more positive replies guys, i feel much better about what needs to happen moving forward. I do understand that the timescales are very slim, my initial plan was to have this work done alongside my server side development but unfortunately this has not been the case. I am not the owner of this project and i am simply fact finding in regards to prices at the moment..

I have to clear funds via my boss and as i seem to have shown clearly this is not my field... I am in talk with a couple of people who very honestly have let me know my initial budget size was very low! Although after reading the forum rules i can see it was not correct for me to post such info on here.. I am sorry!

After reading though your comments i feel that getting a logo/branding first would be my best bet, i can build a relationship with the designer and will know if want to continue to use them for the rest of the project. I am open to any new offers at present as nothing is set in stone but please try and ignore the initial budget size and let me know a rough idea of what your services would cost me. Portfolios would be good, as it gives me something i can show my boss!

Thanks again everyone! :)

Fair play for the clarification. PM sent.
 
Slightly off topic, but hey, this quote from Ian made me howl. 'We're good, they're not' Haha :D

Everyone that says we are expensive as designers are comparing us to a high street design shop. You can go into one of them in the morning and have a logo by the afternoon for £20.00. If you want a professional design service you will be getting a lot more in return but you pay for it. We are good at what we do, they aren't.
 
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