Serveral options are available when creating a web site, one can choose to create a site from scratch which means u will be responsible for creating every element that such a project may include. Creativity is actually needed.

But yet another easy approach is available i.e creating a site with a predesigned templates which leave one with the option of customisng to suite need.

I will like to know your mind on this,

creating from scratch or using templates which do u thinks is the best for you, which would u adapt to?

I am still very new in the website design world so to say but most of the times, I use templates or web professionals to design my practise website but what I have come to noticeis, it is somehow better to develop a site from scratch rather than using the predesigned one cos
predesigned are not really flexible
it doesnt give room for much creativitymost templates, u will need to edit a lot of things or else almost every webdesigner will know u used template

But I still use templates and predesigned ones though

From my experience, designing from scratch is better. See it more like a tailor designing a particular clothing to suit the owner and to suit the occasion he wants to wear the cloth for. With time you start to have custom templates to handle repetitive task like navigation menus, image gallery e.t.c.

Deisgning from scratch has the advantage of you understanding your codes and finding it easier to debug.

I design mostly from scratch, its faster.

askphantom:

I design mostly from scratch, its faster.

Do u really think designing from scratch is faster when compared to using templates?

Designing from the scratch give me flexibility and uniqueness

Remember that changing the color and image is not just a enough.

As for me, I all my client site to be unique so as for now, I prefer designing from the scratch.

That doesn't mean that I won't use pre-designed template. I will used template for cheap project because I won't waste time design for project that does not pay.

have never used pre-design and i will never use it. i design from scratch and basically that's where they know if really you a web designer or not.

What happens if u are been called to put up a website around 2am and u will get 100k for it but u got no internet what will you do?? All those boiler template or what do they call it self has limitations. So prefer scratch to pre-design.

- I have been in this field since 2007, using template has been my favourite way of designing website, its fast for me compare to scratch design! Maybe cuz i'm not good in coding but i understand html very well.
- , idontalk.com

Pre-designed templates can be confusing but could be tempting to use at times. I prefer building my website from scratch.

Building your own sites from scratch = more control on your part

Building via template, though not a bad thing necessarily, means you first have to understand the code then you more than likely have to modify it. If you make a mistake without having an understanding, you then come to NL and ask for help and then get angry when no one can help you.

Building from scratch also implies being unique. How many times have you talked to a non-developer and you hear, "this looks like a template"? Do you wonder how they are able to know?

As I tell people over and over, Camry builds cars a dime a dozen. If that is what you want, go for it. I on the other hand build ferraris - to your taste. The latter of course may take more time but it is what you want and of course will cost a little bit more.

Back then when i entered into the world of web programming Html/css/ Javascript i like every of my web design to be from scratch. But as time goes on and i moved into PHP/MYSQL hmmmmm i get bored trying to code some Html trash. I just use a template to get a website done. Because i enjoy coding to designing. But truly speaking i will advice you building from scratch. TEMPLATES wont really give you what you want. But it makes work faster.

Well there comes a stage in a scratch coder's life where most tasks are achieved by copy-paste. Reusable libraries that were coded from scratch just once.

Template Template Template Template Template all the way!

I ve enjoy best of both worlds(template and from scratch). Most times I combine upto three to four templates to get one unique design, but from my experience, those that can really tweak a template to their taste are people who can design it in d first place, it's just to make d job faster.

Imagine your client says he need another column or an extra space somewhere in your template. (tori go begin LOLz  ).

- SAFE

EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT BUILDING FROM SCRATCH, either way, i think using any of these is about instinct and knowledge of skill. Knowing when to design from scratch if u are really good at layout design and graphics is kool

From my observation here guys i have seen we love to design from scratch and tend to bypass templates in which i suspect most of us do.

well i will love to know how good u guys are at designing from scratch and how good u are at customizing template.

If u have any in ur portfolio kindly submit and indicate which process u used in developing a site of urs (Template or from scratch)

OK! i think i read something here about template limitation, well don't u think bringing the best out of a template is base on ur technical skill as well?. I mean how good u are at designing and implementing web graphic and layout as well as unpromising graphics can tell

quadrillio:

Imagine your client says he need another column or an extra space somewhere in your template. (tori go begin LOLz  ).

Friend i think it is how good u are u customising that really counts man

I WANT TO SEE MORE ISSUE RAISED HERE[center][/center]

@Quadri. You don speak my mind.

On saturday, i had a seminar i spoke in. I started developing from scratch, the site i go show them, as sample and practical at the event.

Men, i was amazed at how easy it was to develop something from scratch! Cause i beat the time. Though did not sleep till late! And woke up very early that Saturday to finish the work!

Had to beg PC GURU to assist with the graphics for a site i got(Paid job) while i did some graphics for that of the seminar.

Bottomline is: Template help one bettter understand how site looks are, cause you get to study various patterns and placements.

Left, right, center, footer, header, by just using the great asset DIV

friendehis:


Friend i think it is how good u are u customising that really counts man

I WANT TO SEE MORE ISSUE RAISED HERE[center][/center]

Exactly my point, IF U NO GOOD, YOU NO GOOD.

Using a template won't help solve the problem. SIMPLE!

@donpuzo
I ve learnt many tricks from predefined template. tricks that I don't even know how to go about it b4 seeing the template.

A SECRET: I had to study many predefined templates before I could get the full understanding of table-less website layout.

- SAFE

Below is the one i did from scratch using HTMl/CSS for the Saturday tutorial.

Kept it simple, as much as i could, so the steps would not be too tiresome and they would be able to do it on their own at home!

Donpuzo:

Template Template Template Template Template all the way!

- Lolz, dude pls don't kill us with laff abeg, u just say my mind,as u can see, i edit, eat, sleep, work, dwell in template.
- 99% of web designers in here work base on template, still some ppl can be bold to speak the truth, Scratch card, Oop! Scratch my foot,

Donpuzo:

Template Template Template Template Template all the way!

- Lolz, dude pls don't kill us with laff abeg, u just say my mind,as u can see, i edit, eat, sleep, work, dwell in template.
- 99% of web designers in here work base on template, still some ppl can be bold to speak the truth, Scratch card, Oop! Scratch my foot,

Donpuzo:

Template Template Template Template Template all the way!

- Lolz, dude pls don't kill us with laff abeg, u just say my mind,as u can see, i edit, eat, sleep, work, dwell in template.
- 99% of web designers in here work base on template, still some ppl can be bold to speak the truth, Scratch card, Oop! Scratch my foot,

I have kept quiet all along but i don provoke!

3RNEST:

- 99% of web designers in here work base on template, still some ppl can be bold to speak the truth, Scratch card, Oop! Scratch my foot,

Did you just say scratch my foot? Please dont expose your lack of knowledge.

Without people like us who do scratch , you will be out of market long ago. Presently, im designing some template themes from scratch; at the end of the day you will download one of them and open your mouth or rather you have the guts to type this: 'Scratch my foot'.

I am really angry with you, cos u are writing against the people that feed you with templates daily. You should rather be thankful and say things like: ' Cos i cannot do from scratch, i use templates, and i thank people that scratch code and make these templates available for use'

Show some gratitude. show some respect, accept your weaknesses and everybody is happy.

@Ogzille.

Sorry, no vex for us. I meant Ernest.

You know i can build from scratch. But why would i when i can get it done easier!

ogzille:

im designing some template themes from scratch;

Why havnt I thought of us creating a commercial/free boilerplate template thingy?
You know how we work already, spill the layout in PSD/PNG and I CSS'ify and HTML'ize it.

We should talk about this when you finish that thing you working on.

@Dual.

Would the template be free

I go slap you o. You no ask whether we go give you vip price.

Donpuzo:

@Ogzille.

You know i can build from scratch. But why would i when i can get it done easier!

@ DunPuzo its entirely choice, but dont say things against people that make the template available for use ; cos if everybody becomes Ernest, one day we will run out of templates

@DC,  no kwalms we will talk about it

Donpuzo:

@Dual.

Would the template be free  

@ Dunpuzo, you will launch it na!

Ernest was just saying that Nland developers tend to wanna deny the fact!

All the copyright notice are intact in sites i develop that use template.

Although i will soon remove them, cause my CSS i added to it, is more than the original, and i think that makes it now mine! 

Alright no wahala, just that the scratch my foot, just got me angry, template my bum bum

I never saw Oga DC's comment.

I know as e dey go na. Una VIP fit shorten my gain from the money i collect from client to 5,000!

I go buy template 100,000

No be me and una! If open source dey, then my bandwidth go finish, downloading all!

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                     *  Download  *
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                       Download all *  I choose to click this
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OK! EVERYBODY STOP AND LISTEN NOW, wetin we dey talk about here sef. Template and scratch card and one of my broda talk am abi.

How about we talk our own for the now. I mean which do u use? if u use both what percentage would u rate each?

@Donpuzo u just spoke ur mind from the onset, what about the others here.

Which one u dey use. Yes i mean u. No talk lie here o because God dey look u

See what your case will be like:

Dunpuzo while browsing sees a template designed by DC

He is presented with two options Free and Shareware ( DC defintely prefers the latter)

Dunpuzo, clicks on free (since he is an ardent fan of Free United Football Club)

Dunpuzo waits for 5 mins for download to start (since DC has intentionally increased download wait time)

Download starts, after 3 mins download completes

Dunpuzo is happy, smiling,

Dunpuzo's system automatically blanks out, and restarts , only one sentence showing on your screen

'Your laptop has been templated, please purchase another'