How often do you change a project?

I've been working on a project for a couple of months. I've done all the market research, budgeted, planned and now I'm doing the sites.

Since it's a non adult project I thought make it easy and buy some cheap templates that I would manipulate. Lee and I found them and I've been trying to fix the freaking code for a while. Nothing really bad but I've been doing this on and off for about three weeks - pulling out images and resetting tables. I like them because the layout is something I like.

Then last night I realized I've been dragging my heels for one reason... I didn't want to use these templates. With out thinking on it, I came to the conclusion they just don't fit the idea of the product I have in my head now.

So I scrapped EVERYTHING, and started from scratch doing it myself. And finaly feel like I'm moving in the right direction. I did more in the past two hours than I did in 3 weeks.

I've changed ideas before but trudging on something for this long is new to me. Weird!

Does this happen to you? You get so far and realize you didn't like what it was from the start? Does it happen often?

My best,
Gary-Alan

I launched Universal Bear in April 2003, I've redesigned it three times.

I launched Eurodisiac in November, and just overhauled it last week, totally changing the design and file naming structure.

I find the longer I'm at this, the more I learn; the more I learn, the more I change my projects.

I'm hoping that now that I'm satisfied with my sites I can just get on with running them and producing content for them. I'm going to resist all urges to change them in a major way.

And Gary, I experience what you did a lot, but I think it's my creative process. When I start designing a new site, I scour the inspiration sites, I find some that I like, I start designing and copying them, then I change them a bit to make them my own, then I get and idea and change them more, then I get a new idea and scrap them and start over. I think what we're experiencing is doodling until we get our idea.

Don't sweat it, don't beat yourself up for it, just accept it as the way you work creatively.

Cheers
Dzinerbear

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Originally posted by Dzinerbear


Don't sweat it, don't beat yourself up for it, just accept it as the way you work creatively.

Cheers
Dzinerbear

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LOL That's the problem... I don't work this way for this long LMAOPIP I'm the tye that does it puts it online and then I'll redesign it later. I think that's what surprised me the most with this.

Thanks, Michael. At least i know I'm not totally freaking hehehehe

GA

Dzinerbear:
I have always admired the elegant, masculine, simplicity of your UniversalBear.com site design. You offer rich image content plus lots of seductive descriptive text that helps make your site stand out in search engines. Search engine spiders obviously find your text and rank you higher as a result.

I am surprised a little though by your ranking in Alexa.com. I would expect your site to achieve a stronger traffic ranking with them. I suggest you take a look at that but do not obsess with it too much.

As for site design updates, in my opinion, there needs to be a balance between maintaining a familiar look and feel for repeat customers while occasionally updating it to keep it fresh and interesting. When effective designs inspire intuitive navigation through the sites, customer experiences will tend to be more natural and pleasing. Ok, so that is my touchy-feely comment for the day.

By the way, I could tell at first glance that you created it in DW because of the fine graphic and CSS layout attributes. Your colourful and seductive content is the prominent attraction and not some complicated distracting background or nav bar. I have never tried to download your pages with a dial-up connection, but I speculate your site loads relatively fast compared to some of the more complicated site designs.

Can I be like you when I grow up someday?

Gary-Alan:

Yes, I have found myself drastically changing site designs in mid-stream for one reason or another. I tend to dismiss it as part of the creative process although it can be frustrating and time consuming. So hang in there.

I am the volunteer webmaster for a couple of very simple community (non-adult) oriented sites. I was intimidated at first but just dove in and learned along the journey. I am still learning and changing the way I view and build sites. It is part of the process for me anyway. Those experiences pay off for me down the road when I to transfer my curiosity and knowledge to my revenue generating projects.

Gary-Alan:

Oh one more thing…
Trust your instincts! Ask for some feedback along the way too. Test out your project ideas and designs with a trusted and credible friend. If the site theme or templates do not look or feel right for the respective project then they probably are not an appropriate fit. At least that is my two cents in response to your original question.

Will,

"Can I be like you when I grow up someday?"

Ah schucks, thanks for the compliments. I appreciate them. I'll check out Alexa. I tend not to obsess too much about the search engine stuff (it'll drive you nuts). Galleries that have number one in Google are number 15 in Yahoo for the same word. Who knows. It all evens out.

I've just rebuilt my site and re-done the file naming structure, fixing a big blunder I made a few months back, so we'll see if that helps.

And BTW, it's not hard to write hot content when I have such inspiring men like you to push me along. I always enjoy working on your picture sets.

Cheers
Dzinerbear

So, Gary are those site finished yet?:cop:

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Originally posted by Chris Alan
So, Gary are those site finished yet?:cop:

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lol. asshole. haha