RDUonline designers

RDUonline works with a number of excellent independent design groups in the area to bring you a variety of talent for site development.
Each designer has their forte and focus.

What to look for in a designer:

Like everyone else, designers have individual personalities and a unique perspective on the world. This often translates into their design style. You want to find a designer who is can listen to your needs and can translate that into images and page layout (how things are presented either on the screen or in print). While they certainly don't have to be "just like you", you will find working with a designer who makes you feel comfortable will make the process of developing a website more enjoyable and effecient. Find a designer who:

Is easy to contact

Is prompt in making changes

Has the resources or access to the resources to do the job

Communication is key

(either by telephone, email or in person -- if you cannot contact them immediately, you should have some mechanism by which you can leave messages. The reverse is just as important: you should make yourself just as easy to contact.)

Returns your contact requests in a timely fashion. (If you have ideas or change requirements, you and your designer need to discuss those needs.

Give your designer a vision for your site. One of the best ways to do this is to sketch out your site. Before you meet with your designer, sit down with a pad of paper and sketch out a rough idea of how you want the main pages to look. This need not be a work of art -- just an idea to start with. You may or may not even keep any of your ideas, but you must start somewhere. Also, develop the copy that you might want on the site. This is the text you may use in other marketing materials, or something unique which describes your company, services or personal information.

Style and Presentation

We opened this topic describing designer personality and how this often is reflected in their design style. However, your website is about YOU, and you should be able to describe to your designer what you need to say within the website, both in artistic layout and content, and with written content. To communicate these facets of your business or yourself, consider doing some "homework" before you discuss your site with your designer. Often, there is no better way to communicate the project than to outline how the site needs to function. The more homework you do ahead of time, the less time (and money) a site is likely to cost you. Designers need direction to be able to meet your needs.

Cost and Policies

Design costs and a designer's project policy are quite variable. Designers may charge by the project or by the hour. Hourly rates range from $25 to well over $100/hr. Designers have a wide range of educational and professional experience. You should ask what their background is, or a sample of their work (part of their portfolio). But do not make the mistake of assuming higher cost or degrees makes for a better designer. One's education and experience certainly count of a lot, but there are plenty of talented designers without paper credentials. And sometimes a lack of extensive experience is offset by enthusiasm and an eagerness to tackle a project.

Do certainly establish what the initial project is estimated to cost. This doesn't have to be a government-sized bid proposal -- often, a single sheet writeup of what you need and what the designer will do to provide your needs is plenty. This agreement should state how much the project will cost, how much time it will realistically require, who owns the artwork at the completion of the project, and what each party's responsibility is in this agreement.

Ask about cost overruns and accountability (if a project runs over the established budget, have a written agreement describing how you both will handle this situation). Describe

Both of you should sign the agreement, and both should have a copy of the signed paperwork.