Who are the super saavy graphic artists and web/flash/php de

[Captain Insano]

signers on this board?


I have come to a crossroads with my business where I really am going to be focusing a lot of effort on the design and look of my two existing website projects.

I am not at the point where I want to pay to have all the graphics and web and coding done by outside professionals. Instead, I would like to get a decent working knowledge of these technologies and be able to apply them to a degree.

I tend to believe that as owner/CEO I should have some practical knowledge about every aspect of my business.

First off... I need to design some new logos and they need to look damn good.

What programs do people use for graphics creation? What is THE industry standard?

For example this kickass apple logo...Any thoughts on how that was created:

<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ab/Apple-logo.png">


Also what is the future of e-commerce web design? From what I know basic HTML/java is the past... A combination of Flash and PHP is where everyone is going.

Any thoughts on how to best merge graphic design/web/e-commerce to produce a kickass computer website?

What programs and technologies should I be learning? Lastly what is the path of least resistance and can you recommend some websites?


Thanks for the help. As I build the site I will continue to get input and see what you all think.

Ralf

[Tikker]

fuck flash up the goat ass


I really hate going to a fucking website to buy something and have to fuck around for 10 minutes figuring out how to get past all the "pretty" bullshit that some marketing fucktard thought looked good


for me, I like sites like http://www.tigerdirect.ca

splash page with the sales of the day and then easy to navigate menus' to get me to the product I want to buy



shit like http://www.rca.com is what I hate
everything is animated and retarded

[dammuzis]

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/designmistakes.html

[Jimmy Durante]

For example this kickass apple logo...Any thoughts on how that was created:

There is a series of books entitled "Photoshop wow" which goes through all of those effects step by step, IIRC.

[KILL]

for web and print, adobe photoshop and illustrator are the industry standard.



great apps to learn, but do yourself a favor and spend your time doing what you do best. hire pros for your web and design needs.

[Captain Insano]

Pro's are definitely on the horizon... but I need to do it myself for a little while longer.


Hmm... I think flash could be a fantastic base for ecommerce websites but it is highly over done.

Flash and shockwave are extremely small files and if not overdone can produce dynamic easy to use pages, that load FAST. I will check it out a bit before I give up on it all together.

[Captain Insano]

That design mistakes was a good read.


What can you guys tell me about the technology behind TigerDirect's website?

Specifically any ideas on what design tools they are using? What types of database might they be attaching too to manage orders, provide checkout interfaces etc etc?

I think Tigerdirect's site is the closest thing to what I am going for.

[Tikker]

it's all just javascript and xml, no?

ps, tigerdirect is just 6 or 7 guys in a house~

[Gargamellow]

i have a video game idea and it would make tons of money...anyone have an easy way for me to make fat tons of cash while you and your team do all the work without me actually having to have money to invest???

thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks

p.s. i am half-serious...good luck with your shit

[Captain Insano]

it's all just javascript and xml, no?

ps, tigerdirect is just 6 or 7 guys in a house~

are you serious?

[Gidan]

Tigerdirect is written in ASP

[Captain Insano]

Here is a Web Developer position open at Tigerdirect ripped directly from their website...

Demonstrated proficiency in ASP, XML/XSL, COM and SQL, strong problem solving and communication skills are required.

BS degree in Computer Science or related discipline is preferred. You must be willing to attack problems and make progress even while the solution is still being defined.


· 3 plus years in a business systems environment.
· Development and debugging skills.
· May require specialized knowledge in multiple technical areas.
· Able to communicate technical and business issues to technical and non-technical audiences.
· Solid written and oral communication skills.
· Strong understanding of MS products.
· Software lifecycle methodology information systems development and networking.
· Strong analysis, leadership and customer service skills.
· Sound problem resolution, judgment and decision making skills.
· Extended coverage outside of normal work hours is required

Miami based E-Commerce and Catalog Company is seeking a full-time, salaried programmer/developer with extensive coding knowledge. A minimum of four (4) years working experience required. Working knowledge and broad experience with the following programs/languages is required: HTML, XSL/XML, Visual Basic6, ADO, COM+, VBA and ASP. Must be able to perform maintenance and optimization of SQL Server 2000, and Windows 2000 Advanced Server (IIS 5). Extensive knowledge of SQL including stored procedures, triggers, and views is a must.

Candidate must have general knowledge of and oversee Systems Administrator duties, assuming key responsibility for ensuring continual up time of Web operations. Assumes ultimate responsibility for managing and enforcement of security procedures: customer database, servers, firewall and software. Assist in the implementation and tracking of various e-commerce marketing initiatives. Must be creative and able to lead project development initiatives.

Must have:

Candidate must have a strong aptitude to design and/or code web based computer applications; demonstrated ability to understand business requirements and develop applications to support them; project management skills; ability to adapt to changing work environments, and to quickly acquire new skills and the ability to maintain confidentiality. This person needs to formulate creative technical solutions to address business issues, and recommend web infrastructure improvements. Work independently leading and managing, complex projects that promote the Company’s overall e-commerce presence.


Can someone break down those technologies they are asking for and tell me in a nutshell what each piece's primary function is and how they mesh?

[Tikker]

HTML, XSL/XML - basic webpage coding



Visual Basic6 - I bet you $100 this is to write excel macros =P

ADO, COM+, VBA and ASP. nore web based coding stuff (ado is meaningless to me)


Must be able to perform maintenance and optimization of SQL Server 2000, and Windows 2000 Advanced Server (IIS 5). Extensive knowledge of SQL including stored procedures, triggers, and views is a must.

SQL is obviously what they're using for their backend database, whether it's oracle, or mysql i dunno (i'd suspect mysql tho)

[Gidan]

I would guess they are using MSSQL; they seem to be very MS based in their development.

ADO stands for ActiveX Data Objects, its more or less a bridge between your programming language (ASP in this case) and you data storage (usually a database though it doesn't have to be). In most cases, its an easier way to get data from your data source without requiring that you understand how to work wit your data source. For example, it allows you to retrieve data from a SQL database without actually knowing SQL.


When it comes to actual coding, I prefer PHP but that’s just me. Personally, I can’t stand java, never liked it from day 1. Part of your decision would be based on what OS your web server will be running. ASP can run on a Linux server, but it runs better on a windows server. If you plan to run a Windows server, ASP is a strong language to work in. Basic HTML is a must, though it’s really easy. XML is also a big plus. PHP and Flash work well also. I am not a huge fan of flash because most people go way overboard with it, if used in moderation; it can defiantly make a great addition to a website. PHP though it has been limited for a time has taken a huge step in PHP5.

You are certainly going to want to work with a database. While I have a lot of experience with this, I think Lyion is probably in a better position to give you more details. My experience lies primarily in MySQL and PostgreSQL. Both IMO are powerful enough for web use, though when it comes to large corporate databases something like oracle is probably better. In your situation I would think MSSQL, MySQL or PostgreSQL would be your best bet. In any case, general SQL knowledge will help you a lot.

I would suggest trying to have at least a basic understanding of ASP, XML, PHP and Flash. At any given time you may not be using them all, but it can’t hurt to see your options. You may find that you have a great idea that just works better in 1 then in another. Another that you may want to consider is Ruby (rubyonrails.org).

Personal preference and style make it really difficult to say you should go 1 way or another. In the end, it really comes down to what your most comfortable working with. PHP being very similar to C++ is where I have always felt comfortable so it was the direction I went, you may find ASP just works for you, if that’s the case, your sites will look and perform far better for using it.

[Captain Insano]

Lets say I decided not to build the site completely from scratch...

Keeping in mind this website is strictly about ecommerce what possible packages or software might I want to use to build it?

What I have found is that a lot of pay-for monthly-fee type of ecommerce design packages force you to work around shitty templates that look like ass and the back end is usually not customizable.

Currently I'm using Channel Advisor (http://www.channeladvisor.com) and not that happy with them. Since I'm integrated into a ton of marketing channels they work well in that aspect, but I want to get the store away from them and try something else.

[Gidan]

Couple things, when you say from scratch, can you be more specific? Are you looking to truely build the entire package from the ground up or do you want to use pieces and put them together with something of your own design?

If you are talking about a from the ground up package, then you have a significant project ahead of you. My opinion (keep in mind my knowledge of asp is limited) would be PHP on the backend and a mixture of PHP, XML and Flash for the front-end. The backend is by far the most complex part of this. The front-end, while being the look and feel of the site, is a very small portion of whets going to need to be done. You’re also going to need some sort of DB; MySQL is probably the easiest to use.

IMO from the ground up is most defiantly the best way to do it, simply because you have complete control over the design of the entire system not just how it looks. For a single person though, this would be a significant project and would require more then just a basic understanding of the design aspect as well as implementation

[Adivina]

Most of my input that I would give has already been given here.

For designing logos you definetly want to use photoshop and/or illustrator. A lot of people on the board, including myself are very familiar with those programs and would be glad to answer any questions. In fact you might be able to even get a logo designed between all of us.

Coding - XML and CSS is the way to go for the actual page, CSS especially because you will have TONS of pages on a commerce site and CSS allows you to write one style sheet for the whole site and apply it to each page instead of setting it up over and over again on every page.

The functional part of the site (commerce section) is most definetly going to use ASP (Active Server Pages), you could use a multitude of coding languages for this ranging from any variation of C to java to Visual Basic. VB is more forgiving to a novice programmer due to the case sensativites of the other languages.

The backend is a database, SQL is the most likely option.

[Naethyn]

Visual studio can create some amazingly functional webpages. ADO.Net is very very different from just ADO. Then webpages can be hosted over IIS. It is also very very easy to use SQL database as it can view, create, and modify databases right in the program.

vb.net ftw

[Adivina]

Yeah I forgot to recommend Visual Studio.NET for the coding. :P Using it right now for some ASP work.