Hi,
Is there such a thing as web design block? I run a few websites mainly interest based, I also run my own business.

Today we have been in business one year and I had hoped to get the online shop running alongside. This hasn't worked out for one reason or another and now I am desperate to get it going.

Trouble is I am loosing hair. I have uploaded OS commerce to the server. Have even customised a few things. But I cannot seem to get the image right. I cannot sort out my logos, my brain just isn't working and it is doing my head in.

Anyone got any top tips for me? Cattle prod??

Moon

Leave it, go to the pub and try again tomorrow.

I'm on a computing degree, and often get to the stage where I've got so many things going round my head that I can't concentrate. It always helps me to leave it for a bit, then come back to it with a fresh head.

that would be great except I have been working on this for months.

People would think I had a drinking problem :P ;)

Moon

when I am feeling blocked (creatively) I find going somewhere like an art gallery or flicking through an art book helps, just seeing other people's creativity can often set your mind off.

Also, I find swimming helpful - something about having all that oxygen flowing through your brain, the repetitiveness of swimming up and down, and something about the water helps sort things out. Its a good place to think too.

Even just going for a walk helps.

Whatever you do, DON'T just mindlessly surf the web looking for inspiration, or posting to local forums. :rolleyes:

Got a URL for the site? Why not let Sheffield Forumers have a gander and perhaps offer you some constructive critisism?

However, if it is graphic inspiration you are looking for how about going to an art gallery or maybe going to Forbidden Planet and browsing some of the books there?

Nomme

http://coolhomepages.com/ is always worth a look too, despite the cheesy url....

Mine's the simplest of the simple, yet I'm having problems with it as it doesn't let me re-size the pictures.. :loopy:

The Shades (http://www.theshadesshop.com)

That is what I have started with - a basic rather tacky looking html.
So I opted for the OS Commerce - which has resulted in This (http://www.theshadesshop.com/catalog/index.php)
Obviously I need to edit the main page but I just cannot for ht elife of me manipulate it.

I am thinking I should just go with some basic and clean cut html.

posting to local forums helps - see I have responses!! I have had a break. I read the fortean times whilst eating chocolate. Chocolate helps or at least it should. Perhaps i am too hormonal?

Moon Maiden

Hi Moon,

Is the problem that you cant decide how you want the site to look, or that you can't implement the changes you want in the php code?

If its the latter then all the HTML is in the file index.php (with interspersed PHP code that 'serves up' the HTML dynamically at load time), the majority of the layout/look and feel etc is contained in the stylesheet (stylesheet.css in this case). The tags defined in the css file are used by the HTML tags to format the screen.

If you want to see what it looks like without the CSS simply remove the line:

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet.css">

from the .php file, save and reload. This will result in pure HTML all included in the php file which you can mess with to your hearts content.

I've not used osCommerce so I'm not sure how much freedom it gives you to customise/add your own code.
If you need a hand this is my kinda hobby/profession so gimme a shout.

If on the other hand your just lacking inspiration.... to the boozer with you!

O

OSC seems a bit more restrictive. I use postnuke on a coupld of sites and that is fairly customisable.

Perhaps this is all too much for a blonde ot handle.

Images are a no go at the moment. Paintshop isn't playing and photoshop is scary.

*toddles off to cellar for a bottle of wine*

Moon

I have managed to work out my problem.

It is the look the artistic aspects of the sites. The other sites I have done I have had the look of the site in my head before I hit the programming and had no problems.

Perhaps a trip to an art gallery is in order.

I wish I could say this was from a good nights sleeps but I feel like [insert expletive here]

Moon Maiden

Ah... cart before the donkey time eh?

Happens to us all MM.. but like you say the way OSC does things can be very restrictive at times.

aparently there are link ups between postnuke and OSC, but until I can see clearly how this damn thing will look I am unlikely to get my head round the intergration of it.

Moon