As a web designer, I have a personal interest in a new trend which threatens to put me and my kind out of business. That threat is Web Design Templates. In short they are ready-made web design products which can be used as a basis for a fast and high-quality website. You usually receive a Photoshop file (.psd), Flash file (.fla), HTML files with your tables and initial scripting already complete, fonts, sounds and anything else which may be part of the website design. A couple of years ago these templates were a small issue in the world of design. Most of them were of minimal quality and there were not all that many out there. Now some of the big players like BG Website Templates ( http://www.bg-website-templates.com ), are supplying spectacular designs which include 3D animated Flash, multimedia and dynamic programming for prices comparable to dinner out. Many of these templates rival even the best custom designer’s work.
So how can we (the humble designer) survive?My first suggestion is to aim high. By that I mean start targeting a higher end clientele. Most companies of any size will not want to have a website design which may well be found on dozens of other...