Suggestion on website templates? create in photoshop?

Random thoughts:
– Piano harps
– Tree identification
– Fountain pens

Why Photoshop and not CS4 suite – GoLive etc?

Photoshop is for photo manipulation, not web design.

You have the CS4 suite? Dreamweaver would be great for creating home pages, but for ideas in utilizing Photoshop I always return to www.worth1000.com .Join up & ask them. That’s just about all they do, lol.

Thanks.
@grumpyfish what is tree identification?
@DarkScribe @Axemusica :I’m learning photoshop and have to design a web page in photoshop to show my skills. So, I have to only make desings, logos, backgrounds, buttons, etc. in photoshop and leave how it works – part.

@prasad

Ok, you are designing elements of a web page, not a web page. I would still prefer Illustrator, but if you have, it can be done. It is why Adobe CS4 is a suite – each one adds something to the mix.

I’m working on CS 3 (institute recommends CS 3) and can get CS 4 too.
I’m thinking of un-common topics. Since, I graduated from mechanical engineering and doing post graduation in industrial engineering that could throw up some topics. Also, during my one year masters project, I worked in Excel, so such sites can do. But, still I think I’m limiting myself, so I’m open to your suggestions.

If you can use CS4 you might consider using its 3D functionality. That is still new enough to be regarded as different.

I agree with @DarkScribe, illustrator would the way to go as in desiging & logos in my opinion, or initially speaking. Then after you have a general layout, you could then improve upon using photoshop. Let’s say, for like animated things & such. I say you should sign up with that site, go to the forum area & ask the samething there. I garantee they will be able to give you great answers.

I’m new to photoshop as well as illustrator and flash. I’m trying tools in photoshop, don’t know nothing about illustrator and flash. These three require a project/work in each to submit. So, as a project in photoshop, I have to make something in photoshop. But, institute has it for website or webpage or website template.

@prasad – am I correct in that your saying this is a class in Photoshop and as such you are to use Photoshop, and Photoshop alone, in your efforts for the web site assignment?

“Tree identification” is identifying trees from various elements—e.g., leaves, bark, shape

@DarkScribe: when you have a distinction between web designer and web developer roles on a team, often the designer will design the website in Photoshop and then hand it over to a developer who slices the Photoshop document up and codes the HTML and CSS to support it.

This approach has its advantages, in that the designer is the only one who has to go back and forth with the client, and the developer doesn’t get involved until the design is largely finalized. Also, it’s easier to find competent designers who know Photoshop than it is to find competent designers who know how to code.

Here is my normal workflow.
1. Rough mock-up in Photoshop. Like the whole page.
2. Do the logos/buttons in Illustrator.
3. Drop the stuff from Illustrator in Photoshop
4. Use Photoshop for page layout and typography.
5. Get approval from the client.
6. Start writing code in TextMate.

So Photoshop really does play a big part in things. And I am pretty sure I do what most people do.

@cwilbur the designer will design the website in Photoshop and then hand it over to a developer who slices the Photoshop document up and codes the HTML and CSS to support it.

I have no idea what happens in your world, but it doesn’t happen in any professional studio that I have ever seen. If I turn my head a little to the left I am looking at one of the top studios in this part of the country – we win numerous design awards every year, mostly Gold and Silver, and have done for a little over seventeen years.

Why do you think that Adobe developed an integrated design suite? All Art Directors in any studio that I have ever been involved in would find that approach amusing – for a moment or two. Why use the wrong tool? Dreamweaver with simple CSS, Fireworks and Liveview is for WEB development, Illustrator is for artwork and Photoshop is for image manipulation, nothing more.

I am more concerned with print media and use Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign daily but as more than a third of our print publications are seconded to the web we have a full studio for that single purpose. None of our graphic artists and designers use Photoshop for anything other than its intended purpose – why would they?

Possibly if someone only had Photoshop and not the full suite I could see them trying to use it in the way that you suggest – but not in a professional environment.

I’m learning photoshop in an institute. I’ve been told to look for a good example of website template. By end of photoshop, I have to design and complete a project that consists of a web page (preferably a home page) in photoshop. I actually have to make a couple of web pages in photoshop.

It reads to me like this guy is in a Photoshop class where the assignment was a website. That wasn’t his choice. He is asking for ideas on topics.

@Bri_L I should have told what you told, thanks! I have no choice right now. Whatever I have to do, it be in photoshop.
And I can’t use illustrator and dreamweaver anyway.

@cwilbur I have to take the role of the designer to make web pages in photoshop (oh, I learned slice tool very today).

@johnpowell Thanks for your guidelines. I’m on step number one now. Can you tell some of the web pages you made, or you’ll make, or you’ll like to or you can suggest me?
I’m thinking of astronomy for one of many choices.

@Axemusica Your link has pretty nice photoshop stuff. I can look it after few days when I get enough confidence in it.

@prasad – No worries. It seemed pretty clear to me in your question.

I think I should reframe my question. What I want from you is what are topics that I may take for a web site(s)/web page(s) and/or any such desings made in photoshop?

@DarkScribe: That approach has been common in every web design company that I have ever worked in. To be sure, we were actual software development houses (thus my presence in them) and not just print design studios with a web wing—the fact that we were doing web software development meant that Dreamweaver was worse than useless.

Further, I think it’s fairly asinine for you to insinuate that no environment I have worked in is “professional,” simply because your experience doesn’t extend that far.

@cwilbur I think it’s fairly asinine for you to insinuate that no environment I have worked in is “professional,” simply because your experience doesn’t extend that far.

Take it up with Adobe then, as their experience doesn’t seem to have extended that far either. They seem to think that using the modules they produce for the purpose they produced them for to be a good idea. They might be quite grateful to have you point out that they no longer need to make individual modules as you feel that Photoshop can do it all. (Then again, maybe they wouldn’t…)

Any “insinuation” is all yours – I tend to say quite bluntly what I feel – haven’t you noticed? I work with a professional studio, have done for years and that is where my experience and subsequent opinions are created. If you want to insist that a studio operating the way that you suggested is professional, then (no insinuation here) you are deluding yourself.

Do you see the difference? No insinuation at all.

@prasad Yea, no problem. You don’t have to be an expert to let that site help you. If you’re in a class for photoshop I’m sure they’re teaching what tools are and what they do. That’s the first big step in learning how to use it. After that Worth1000 has tutorials from how to remove a body from clothing to making a chocolate covered skull to glass fruit. The lighting one with the elephant is a fantastic one too. Plus if you’re looking for something specific as this, the forum is what questions are for. I know when you first visit it, it looks like some sort of contest site which it is, but you don’t have to enter one if you don’t want to. I’ve only entered 2 and that was in the beginner section. Some of those people are disgustingly good with photoshop, well the advanced users anyway. Some food for thought.

@DarkScribe I’m joining your fluther, lol. It sounds like you’re very familiar with the adobe suites. So, I’m always looking for more tips and tricks when using such. :) I thought I posted before saying I was going to, but I don’t see it or understand where it went, but ehh. It probably notified you that I joined anyway, lol.

@DarkScribe: I’ve worked with people who have been paid a great deal for their design work and have gotten repeat business from satisfied clients. That counts as “professional” to me—much more so than self-contratulatory design awards from other people with similarly narrow and constrained views of the world.

And yes, I have noticed that you say quite bluntly what you feel. I have also noticed that when you are called on the carpet for either being overly blunt or simply wrong, you make every effort to shift the blame to the person who objects. I also say quite bluntly what I feel, and I think that your view of the world is extremely narrow, which no doubt is a contributing factor to your dubious relationship with truth.

[mod says] Flame off people. Let’s get back to helping @prasad, please.

@Axemusica It took me some time to get acquainted with www.worth1000.com. I liked it (lighting effect on the elephant is gr8); I’ve registered. Are you there? Is there anything that I can add you in my friends’ list. My username is “PrasadGokhale” if you try searching there. Thanks again!

Well, I’ll choose something from astronomy and detectives. I’ll get back when I have specific topics selected.

I found these on net. I’m giving you links if anyone’s interested.
web design dot org, 27 best layouts, Entheos

Edit: I have to make a web layout in photoshop.
Sorry, I got to know this late

Ju8st mess around and neventually you will see that something looks cool.

@pizzaman thanks, I’m doing the same thing.

Sorry, I typed “just” with an 8 in it. Sorry.

I usually get my template here http://themeforest.net
they are nice, not expensive, and I can upload as they are into my template engine,
only work I do is change title with {$title} and other stuff like that…