Have you ever used a theme or a template on one of your freelance web design projects?
I have.
And I’m (in my humble opinion) a good designer and coder.
I’ve built tons of web sites both for myself and for my clients–and I built them from scratch.Designed; Coded; Tested; the works. I know HTML, CSS, Javascript and Jquery, PHP, and a little bit of other languages.
But…
But recently, GDB got a huge makeover. We were hacked pretty hard at the end of last year and so early this year, we rolled out a brand new look, hired a new writer (April Greer), and made a resolve to publish some epic and super-helpful content this year.
But in my blog post announcing all the changes that we’d be going through in 2012, I got an interesting comment that I didn’t expect. One reader named Andy asked:
“How come you bought a ready-made wordpress theme if you’re a designer?”
You can read my quick response to Andy’s question here, but today I wanted to first pose a question:
Is it okay to use templates and themes as a freelance designer?
I’m sure we all have a different opinion on this topic, so I’d like to hear your opinion on the whole issue. Before I continue, leave a comment on this post and let me know what you think.
If you’re a freelance designer, do you use templates and themes, or do you always build from scratch no matter what?
Why I chose to use a theme this time
For a long time, I have been a pretty strong advocate of the “if you’re a designer, design it yourself” mentality. But recently, when my site was hacked, I learned that sometimes other priorities take precedence.
For example, GDB had been down for almost a month, so:
- I was anxious to get GDB back online (both for my audience – you guys – and for my revenue stream). Designing my own custom theme would have taken me another month or so.
- I needed an updated look. So I searched around at MojoThemes.com (which I highly recommend, by the way) and found one that I really liked.
- I wanted the cleanest, least hackable code I could find. I didn’t want to be hacked again, so I needed something that I knew would be as secure as possible.
So at that point, I decided it was a good decision to use a pre-designed wordpress theme.
Your design business HAS to be profitable
Another reason I went with a premade theme is because my design business HAS to stay profitable. And so does yours.
I had a choice to make: take time to design a theme for GDB, or spend time working on pending client projects.
While GDB helps bring in a little passive income each month, the bulk of my freelance income comes from clients-which I imagine is the same for you.
Using a template on certain projects can save you time and money, making your design business more profitable.
The flip side
The other side of the coin, of course, includes a few very understandable arguments. Designers shouldn’t use themes because:
- They are harder to customize.
- They are less original.
- They are less tailored to your client’s specific needs.
- They can be hard to understand quickly.
- They make you look like a less-capable designer to some people.
My compromise
I get it.
I understand why some designers like using templates and others hate it.
So I compromised.
I decided (before buying my theme) what kind of look I wanted for my site.
Then I went searching for it. I found something REALLY close and then I made a few minor adjustments (that I will keep changing over the life of the theme) to meet my needs.
Over to you
So what do you think? Is it okay to use templates and themes as a freelance designer? Why or why not? Leave a comment on this post and tell me what you think about the whole thing.
This post was written exclusively for GDB by Preston D Lee .
To contribute a guest post to GDB, click here.
I have been creating WordPress websites for the past year (websites for like 15 years). My first sites used free themes, for which I modified the CSS and graphics. They look completely different than the original and I was very pleased. The addition of plug-ins also make all of my sites look and operate very differently.
A few months into working with WordPress, I bought Genesis theme and one of their child themes. It worked so well in terms of functionality that I bought all of their child themes. The Genesis engine is amazing. The child themes all look different already. I still change them to look even more different.
What do I like about child themes? Well, they add design without breaking the functionality. Essentially Genesis could get an update and it shouldn’t effect my design. I’d love to learn more about making child themes as a designer, because I feel that would really give people a unique website, but for now I’m still content to update some of the CSS and graphics.
I have tried two different tools that are supposed to work with Photoshop to slice and convert a design into a theme, but I find that either they don’t work, or are much too complicated.
Bottom line, using templates is OK, especially if they are well tested and assist with security and functionality. You will have to charge less for a completely non-custom theme, but clients often want to spend less. I’d rather do two sites a month with themes than one site while suffering through learning how to do it.
Can anyone offer advice on learning to develop my own child themes for Genesis?
Jason,
Some great advice here. I’ve never built a child theme for Genesis, but if end up researching it, I’d love to hear what you find – maybe you could even write a guest post here at GDB. I’ve heard only good things about the Genesis framework, so I think it’s worth looking into for sure!
As professional designers and builders of websites, our job is to communicate ideas for businesses and organizations. As business owners or employees, our role is to do that as efficiently as possible. I wholeheartedly believe that using existing resources is “okay” and that it actually should be encouraged.
There are some things that need custom work to deliver a message, but many of the nuances of websites have affordances and design patterns that should be followed. The good themes have these baked in, so you can begin with one and then customize to meet the message.
Some people want to be sure that every piece of a design is custom and that’s fine for them if it is necessary and they are efficient at it.
Anyone that says that using templates as a base is wrong needs to be sure that they don’t ever use any shared resources. So no social icon sets, ribbons, UI elements, etc. If you use those but say that templates are wrong, you’re drawing an arbitrary line in the sand.
Dan,
Great avatar. And great comment. I totally agree with what you’ve said. I’ll never stop designing custom work, but I also will never completely rule out templates, themes or frameworks just to satisfy my own pride.
Point well made about using pre-made icons and other elements. Why can you use those, but not templates. Taking it a step further, you probably ought to program your own retweet buttons, like buttons, and +1 buttons while your at it.
Wouldn’t want to use something someone else built.
Thanks for the great comment. Hope to see you back around at GDB.
I think as a freelancer, to be profitable, it is almost stupid not to utilize ready built themes as a starting point for a website design. Why reinvent the wheel so to speak. I usually design a website (graphics first) and map out the required functionality and user experience, then find a theme or template that closely matches the requirements (similar to what Jason said). Then I customize the graphics, css and the code as needed.
Being a freelancer, I work alone. I have no coders/developers on staff. Its just me. So if I can knock hours of work off of my time per site and still produce a site that the client is happy with (some more custom then others) then I don’t see a problem with it. Using themes also helps me keep my costs down making me more attractive to clients than my design firm competition.
In short, I see it as outsourcing the development portion of process. I focus on design and functionality while allowing someone else to lay the ground work (code) for a secure and reliable website.
Jon, Exactly.
Freelancing isn’t just about designing anymore. It’s about profitability too. And a million other things.
As long as you’re achieving your goals, I say use whatever resources you can!
The purpose of a website is to deliver what the client wants, bottom line is a working website that brings in business for the client. Time restriction, cost and other factors dictate what the client can afford to have. It is necessary to discuss all options with the client before designing a site and that means their budget. A custom made site is time consuming and might be the choice for a medium to large size companies, but most smaller size businesses will settle for a template. It is important to let them know that their website is not original in design. Communication is the key. I usually provide two prices, one for a custom made site and the other for a template base.
Sean,
I agree. I’ve been able to create much better sites for a few low budget clients all because I started with a framework. I agree:
Communication is the key. Sometimes we designers forget that.
I used to feel the same way in regards to using templates or any sort of pre-created content in any of my design work, but when you get into the professional arena and you have clients/deadlines hanging over your head, you need to do everything that you can to make sure you deliver properly and on-time.
Being a designer isn’t about creating everything from scratch. It’s about presenting a solution to a problem quickly, creatively, and effectively.
Think of it this way, when Michaelangelo carved the statue of David, did he create his own hammer and chisel first? No he did not. But would you call him any less of a Renaissance Master for not doing so?
“Being a designer isn’t about creating everything from scratch. It’s about presenting a solution to a problem quickly, creatively, and effectively. ”
I love that. I also love your analogy. Not only did he not create his hammer and chisel first, he also didn’t go carve the stone out of the mountain. He had a framework to start with (a giant slab of rock).
Thanks for the comment!
It’s all I know… WordPress and GoDaddy themes & templates are all I’ve ever used since I’ve never had any formal training or college. I’ve learned the basics by reading books, online seminars and cheat sheets to better my knowledge of writing/editing HTML and CSS. Over the last 2yrs I have published 36 websites in that time.
Am I a designer… if you can say manipulating a template CSS code, editing photo collections and moving creative pieces around to look and function properly; then yes, I am.
I have been harrassed beyond belief by other designers by my methods, using a $49 logo program, using free photo editing tools and never having used any Adobe products and I sub out anything that has to be vectorized. I love doing design so much I could really care less what anyone thinks of my techniques/shortcuts as some like to call em’… all but one client was not satisfied w/ the end result, and that was a promotional giveaway anywho, pretty good results so far if I say so myself for a wanna be
RJ,
I’m glad you’ve found a method that works for you and makes you feel satisfied as a freelancer. Keep up the good work and thanks for the comment!
I use them for my portfolio and blog websites. I’m not a coder and am not really interested in becoming one. For client work, I do all of the web design and my fiance programs the sites (he’s the nerdier one!), but he hates PHP and doesn’t like WordPress. I *do* like WordPress and prefer using them on my own websites, so I purchase themes and then totally customize them to suit my needs.
You know. A long time ago, I received some very good advice from a professor at BYU.
He told me that sometimes you just have to do what it takes to get the job done.
If it fulfills the project stipulations and you are not doing anything illegal then do it.
I don’t normally like some template designs myself but it is understandable in this economy and in this business. Sometimes you just have to do what it takes to get the job done!!!
Hey RixDesignStudio,
What’s your name. You’re speaking with a BYUI alumnus here. Good to know the blog has made it to good ol’ Provo too.
I love the advice your professor gave you. GET THE JOB DONE!
Time is money and therefore, I agree, using templates is okay when you know you have a deadline to meet. However, even if I am using a template, I am sure to find one that matches the criteria of the client as best as possible and always include my personal touches to make it unique. My thought is, why reinvent the wheel. Yes, I’m a designer, but I find it perfectly okay to use someone else’s foundation to build upon.
Bree,
I totally agree. I’d never want to use a template just for using template’s sake. I always choose a template or theme when it fulfills my needs or my client’s needs as best as possible. Thanks for the comment!
My mentor told me, “why reinvent the wheel with every site?” My business is to deliver to my customers a site that meets their needs at an affordable price. None of them care if I start with a template to achieve that.
When you shop for a car, do you expect Ford to custom make the car for you, or just customize an existing model the way you want. We must not allow the “designer” side of our brains to get in the way of our “business” side.
Michael,
I love that analogy. Sounds like you have a smart mentor!
Thanks for commenting.
We customize premium WordPress themes for clients on a limited budget or in a rush. Many of our clients are nonprofits and they sometimes don’t have large budgets compared to mid-sized businesses and agencies. For clients looking for more visual customization and functionality, we hire WordPress developers to build a custom backend for a site. It’s a decision relative to your client’s needs and goals but ultimately, your company’s ROI.
Chuck,
Couldn’t have said it any better myself! It’s all about ROI. Will the decision to build from scratch break the bank and put the project in the red? Then it’s not a good choice.
It really depends on how you work with a pre-fab theme or template. Just slapping a template/theme up and going “There, done!” — that’s not being a designer. Same as throwing up WordPress with no alterations isn’t being a developer.
I use a lot of themes as a base for the websites that I build for clients, and they have no problem with that. If you know what you’re doing (CMS design/dev since 2002, building websites since 1997) and you invest the time in modifying, enhancing, building upon, and testing your changes then it will look /nothing/ like the demo. That’s good work. I would never call it a ‘custom design”, rather a “customized design”, but it keeps the price point down for the client and still gives them a top notch final product.
I also do custom design for clients that want a custom design, but those clients understand that Custom Design for a CMS-based website is going to mean five to ten times the cost simply because of all the extra work needed. If I can keep the price down and /not bankrupt/ some small business wanting a snazzy looking website then using a template as a launchpad to start from is great. You need to put the time and expertise into making it look one of a kind though. That’s the sign of a good designer/dev.
Saffron,
I totally agree. I would never claim that I ‘designed’ this blog. But I did ‘customize’ the design. And sometimes that all the client really needs. I agree that there’s always a place for custom theme design and development as long as it makes sense financially for your business. Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
Personally, I try to create all my client’s sites from scratch, but its really up to the client and their needs, and what they want. Some clients like using specific themes they are familiar with, and I come in and help them customize/change specific parts of the theme to match their business needs. I have clients who pick their own themes for sites, so it all comes down to doing what the client wants.
-but-
I think as a freelancer, if you start with an off the shelf theme and sell that to someone else for the cost of doing their site as if you created it, then you are a fraud. Its not entirely unheard of to use premade themes, just don’t pass them off as your own original works as if you did something special for the client. Everyone reuses code, but saying you will build them a custom website but end up just installing someone else’s work is just poor ethics in general.
DigiP,
I completely agree with you. If you do choose to use a premade theme or template as building blocks, don’t you DARE charge your client for a custom wordpress theme or custom-built web site.
But, like you said, at the end of the day, it comes down to what the client wants – as long as you’re honest, you’re golden.
Thanks for the great comment!
I echo much of the sentiment above: “Why reinvent the wheel?” Personally, the “fun” part isn’t in rewriting the fluid layout and the drop down menus yet a 100th time…I can do it but it’s exhausting and boring and tedious. I’d much rather find a theme to start with and customize the look and feel.
Having said that, I built this site – http://www.crmontessori.org – from scratch, and I love it. (They have since taken over the site maintenance.) I saw this and ran with it, and we were both thrilled with the outcome.
I think you analyze the client’s needs (with them) and discuss their budget. A custom site is going to cost more, but if that’s what they want/need, go for it. A template site works well for a lower budget business or a non-profit, and sometimes it’s more effective for them so that they can update it easily – often they can’t afford someone who knows how to update their website.
Ultimately, BE HONEST. If you’re going to use a template without minor or no modification, don’t pass it off as your own creation to your client or in your portfolio. If you highly customize a template or build from scratch, let the world know.
As long as you have determined what the best solution is for the problem at hand, use your best judgment and be able to explain your reasoning!
April,
Great point! I never thought of it before, but even when I do “code it from scratch” I’m always taking elements I’ve coded before and putting it in the “new” design. So I even copy myself sometimes when building “from scratch.”
I love your ultimatum: BE HONEST. That should solve most of the problem for you!
Preston,
In my bag of tricks (or in this millennium, on my NAS), I keep generalized bits of code so that I don’t have to rewrite over and over. A neat Javascript slideshow, a multi-column fluid layout, little PHP snippets that have proven useful.
I have one of my CS professors at Willamette University, Jim Levenick, to thank for this practice. Whenever we coded anything, he’d make us generalize it so that we could change the major variables without changing the core engine. Brilliant!
A brilliant way to save time while still building “from scratch.” Does that make any sort of good content for a blog post?
Small world April. I took one CS class when I was at WU and it was Prof. Levenick. His passion for computers is what sparked my interest in it, albeit some 20 years later.
i’m a freelance web designer and i often ask myself this. nowadays when i get a website request, i tend to find a wordpress theme that offers much of the functionality i require and then i give it a makeover. i give it a new design, get rid of what i don’t want, move around elements, tweak the php and add any extra functionality i need. it never ends up looking like the original theme but i’m interested to hear how others feel about this.
shane,
If you read through the comments, you’ll notice you’re not alone. It seems like a perfectly reasonable way to build a web site for most freelance designers.
Heya!
I’ve been reading your newsletter post and would like to ask something:
You’re writing that you were looking for a theme/code which is least hackable so con can’t get hacked again.
How can you say a code is hackable or not?
Would be great if you could write something about that!
Thanks
karo
Karo,
Thanks for the support! Glad to have you join us here at GDB!! I will have to look into your question a little bit and get back to you with a post here on the blog, ok?
Thanks!
I would love to know more about this too. I’m about to start a website for the company I work for. All their websites so far have been designed from the scratch, I’m thinking about customizing a theme since we won’t have much time and budget to start from scratch. Letting them know that themes are less hackable would be one more great reason to persuade them into using a theme. I’m going to research this info too.
Awesome post Preston! Thanks a lot.
The bulk of my web design business involves customizing the Thesis theme for WordPress to meet my clients’ needs. But themes like Thesis and Genesis are designed more to be a framework than a finished theme to present to clients as is. Every Thesis site I’ve ever designed has been completed different. I simply use Thesis for the back end, and I am completely up front with my clients about this. I always tell them, “I am a designer first, and a developer only by necessity.” However, once they have seen what I can accomplish with Thesis, I don’t have to do much to convince them that I can make the theme work for them too.
So to reiterate what everyone else has said, I think that as long as you’re honest with your clients, and they are happy with what is delivered, I don’t see a problem with using templates — as long as they are customized to fit your clients’ needs. Work smarter, not harder.
I love that! “Work smarter, not harder.” I need to do that more often.
Jennae, I checked out your website and I’m curious as to how you learned to customize Thesis to that extent for each of your sites? Im also a “designer first, and developer only by necessity.” I develop static HTML & CSS sites but know nothing about WordPress. I think Thesis may be perfect for me if it’s as great of a framework as it sounds. Their website doesn’t offer many tutorials though, so if you have any resources to share it would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
To me, it depends on the clients needs, time constraints and what I am capable of. There are times when I build from scratch and there are times when I have bought a template and customized it to my needs. For example a portfolio site I can build from scratch, no problem, an ecommerce site can be a little more complicated and time consuming so in that case I would buy a template for the heavy database lifting but customize the design. (Woothemes is great for that)
That’s a great point, Heather. I also take it case by case depending on my needs and the needs of the client. Thanks for sharing!
Heather,
I agree – a simple site with content pages and maybe a portfolio or pictures page isn’t hard to code from scratch…but an ecommerce site requires a lot more functionality and back-end work, especially when it comes to secure payments, order details, etc. I’d rather leave that to those who have marketed a solution.
I have to admit that I’m feeling relieved reading the comments! I found myself making sites from scratch all the time and while it gives a gratifying feeling, it was such a time killer…using a XHTML to WordPress or PSD to WordPress conversion site felt like a cop out to me (not to mention money wasting!) so the last few smaller, personal sites I’ve made I found themes that served my layout needs and removed any functionality that I didn’t need, added my own and created its own style so that it was no longer recognizable as a pre-made template.
Larger projects I will create from scratch – because I feel those need more love and care than rearranging the PHP…nice to know I no longer have to wonder if I’m “cheating”! lol – great post! (=^_^=)
Cat,
I totally agree. There’s always a place and time for custom, hand-crafted site design. But, sometimes a template gets you just what you need in time and money. Thanks for sharing.
If someone was paying you to create something new for them, they should get an original design. Otherwise they should be TOLD about the design you selected for them, and tell them where to buy it, at the price you would pay for it.
Selling someone else’s packaged design to them as your own is fraud.
me3,
I completely agree. But billing a client for wordpress installation, theme purchase and customization is totally legit!
It really depends entirely on the project and budget. The first question I always ask my client is what their budget is, then I go from that. If their budget can afford them a template website, I let them know and then show them the options. Otherwise, if they have a budget large enough for a custom site they are given that option.
Sometimes people have a budget large enough for a custom website, but their needs are so simple that they don’t need to spend what’s required. So we always recommend what’s in the best interest of the client.
Absolutely templates and frameworks should always be used wherever they fit best into the needs of a project.
I’ve also heard of some designers taking time to make their own templates and then offering that to clients. Thanks for the comment, Andre!
I agree with you Preston…no matter what the ‘crusaders’ say, templates do help a lot in many ways than one. Sometimes its the clients who initiate they don’t mind using a template as long as it works. Design principals aside, if it’s the service that matters in the end, who cares whether you use a template or not, as long as the client is happy and pays you.
“who cares whether you use a template or not, as long as the client is happy and pays you”
- I agree. AND as long as you’re still happy with the outcome of the project. If I ever use a template or theme, I always ALWAYS use a purchased one since they tend to be higher quality.
I have to agree with Andre on this point – as well as various other comments. It all comes down to the client’s budget in the end.
I’m more than happy to do a “Quick WordPress Install” – setting up WP and Throwing Down a basic theme for a client with a smaller budget, but when it’s called for, I’ll also handle custom themes or customizing an existing theme.
It all comes down to the budget.
Josh,
I agree. At the end of the day you and your client both need to be profitable.
Glad you posted this. We’ve been struggling with the thought of using templates since were old school. My developer did not want to start supporting wordpress but that junk is everywhere and it’s what our clients want. So we’ve become flexible and decided to use our mad developer skills to customize everything we can within budget. It almost feels like a sell out but it isn’t…it’s more of an ego thing. We finally broke down a few weeks ago and bought headway plus a few other themes to use and it made our lives easier.
I believe it’s ol if you make it defrent emnof too make ur own.
I’ve made html sites for about ten years and designed some wordpress sites that I had a developer make according to my specs. The developer sites added a significant cost to the projects. So, to offer affordable sites, I used free themes about a year ago and then discovered Elegant Themes and Theme Forest. For a nominal fee you can get a gorgeous site.
My own site lacked the functionality that the themed sites had. I wanted that. I found a simple minimalist theme that is a blank canvas for all the other sites in my portfolio. I don’t potential clients looking at my site and getting turned off by its personality.
I’m 21 and am trying to break into freelance at the moment and have always coded everything from scratch but found that I didn’t have the time to be learning new things unless I was implementing them into the clients site … which can waste a lot of the clients time when you’re trialing and erroring.
I’m so glad I read this as recently themes have been something I’ve become really intrigued by to save time but felt like I would be cheating as a designer to use to .. instead I’ve been using them to get a better idea of the possibilities of how things can be structured.
While coding my first wordpress theme the other day, I decided to use their default theme as a starting point. People who argue that premade themes are a no-no … surely things like wordpress themes all started from people altering the already existing wp template?