i always find it hard to start creating a web site too...not just with design but with content as well (if your like me and just wake up and decide to make a site but dont know what to put in it so you run around asking people what you should put in it....then finally figuring out you want something different so you change your whole site template to fit what you want...then changing it later because people didnt like it, thinking it was hard to read. Then realizing they were wrong and starting all over again...trying to find what you had before to save time, but you deleted it off of your computer and you are pissed. now having to go find some data recovery software to get the damn thing back...and finally have about two months getting the damn thing up online) but usually to get a good site template i just simply search the web, just go to google and do a search on what you want in your web site and see what other people did for their templates and kinda "steal" their idea, but changing it...making it yours. you know...like usuing their color scheme or w/e because it looked cool. or using their background because its pretty. you can just combine everything from all the sites you found and put together a nice lookin site that you can call yours (kinda). if you dont like doin that than i suppose you could go to some of those nice little online template creators (or just use one of the templates from frontpage or w/e app you are using, but thats stupid those suck...but i do "borrow" some of their buttons once in a while cause i think they are cool and cant make up my mind on sumtin else)

heres a link to a few template sites i know...but if you dont want to just use a template and make your own...idk...i suggest searching google for images and stuff you like then making your own in jasc photoshop pro 9 - very good program for web design i use it all the time

Hover Web Templates
10 min flash templates
layout galaxy

i hope i was some help if not...well...im srry

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I appreciate very much the contribution realized up to the moment of all you, each one have focused the website design from his own perspective and personal experience and certainly it reflects the style that each one has been reaching in his process of formation.

Since I don’t have major experience in the matter, let allow me to contribute with a reference that has helped me in the little that I have done on web design (“This information is most valuable for novice and intermediate level Web designers”):
http://www-3.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/publish/572

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Well usually i have an idea before i start on the project. Then I get out my sketchpad and just sketch the basic design and get a feel of the layout. Then I start the designing process in Photoshop, once i get the basic design, i then add the details to it. Then i usually show my friends and get some comments and critisism on it and change it (which i always seem to do) but don't change it to much. Then i add content. Test everything myself and make sure it's working and then get my friends to check it out. Once i think it's good and is working i then advertise it on forums for people to comment on it.

Well thats my basic thoughts on how to design a webpage

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Ok maybe I am strange then

First thing I do is grab a piece of paper, and do a brainstorm... I write whatever pops into my head, it can be doodling, written, colour, anything. I overthink the idea I have to base a site on (this is the key for me personally), for example I want to make a site about my poetry, which is usually dark and deadish. So obviously I won't be using cheerful colours, we want the content theme and graphic theme to at least match

I may not have a set idea for navigation yet, but it's my next step. I once again take paper at hand. I write down WHAT will be on the site. Building on the previous example of poetry, I would "theme" the poems together. Perhaps "death", "hurt", "tears",... those words will become submenu items So that's how I end up with a "site-outline". Since I am a fan of Flash driven menu's, I'll type the nav-outline in xml.

Since I then already have a menu and a theme, time comes to take care of the graphics. I am one of those people who doesn't like sites with an abundance of graphics (unless of course the site is about graphics LOL) so I will stick to the basics. Now this is the odd part about this step, but for me it is essential. I choose my music. Yes, I work with music at ALL times (ok, so I am a little bit psychotic at times -no joke- thus music helps my focus by silencing voices). For a dark theme, I'll end up with gothic stuff, usually HIM, Voltaire, Cruxshadows, My Dying Bride, etc. Then I freestyle in PhotoShop

If I decide against Flash (has happened LOL) I will most likely use PS and ImageReady for the navigation as well. Oh, yeah, for colourschemes, I look at pictures on the web. For example an ice/water landscape. I use my dropper to select the hex colours and then I also have my colourscheme. Right now, we have a colour scheme, navigation, banner and a rough idea of content.

Then the coding, writing actual content begins. I tend to also made "filler" text and show the preview to some friends to see what they think of it. I end up adjusting some and in the end I got a pretty site

Mind you, I am NOT a fast builder, my goal is to have a decent site, not a quickie.

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lol, fun fun fun. I love web designing. More specifically, I like the actual graphic part of designing. Coding is a bore. Thus, you can probably see thay most of my steps are based upon the artistic aspect of designing ^_^

1. First off, I'd take a blank sheet of paper, and start playing around with ideas. This includes, but isn't limited to, the shape of the design, the general color scheme, the placement, etc.
2. Next I set up quick/rough proportions. I keep playing around with the numbers till I get something that seems to fit a 800x600 resolution moniter perfectly.
3. I pull out graphing paper, and start sketching a more precise rendering with how I want the site to look like. Usually, i have every five boxes equal to 100px
4. I finally turn on the computer and go straight to photoshop. Again, sketch it out with straight lines to see about how large each part will be.
5. If all is well, I start drawing the graphics/banners or what have you for the site. This usually takes the longest for me cause I end up spending a lot of time coloring and "perfecting+ the design to my tastes.
6. I have slice up the .psd file and have imageready set up the generaly html.
7. Next I open up notepad (enhanced with ConTEXT) and start editing the imageready code with css, php, and javascript.
8. I look at my design on different computers/resolutions/color contrasts. And finally, I change it as needed ^_^

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