I am a purest. Yes, I admit it. Well as much of a purest as you can get in web design anyway. By that I mean I like to create websites from scratch or at least not from a template. But that works for me, because I like art. I love being creative, so web design for me is about my creative expression. That being said if I used a website template I would feel like a fraud, an imposter. BUT just because somebody uses a template does not mean they are an imposter or fraud.
Let's be honest. Most websites are created from templates.
Most websites you see are created from templates which means that someone created a sample website and someone else used it and changed the text and pictures to work for their purposes.
Why Use A Website Template
1. They are easy and convenient - Website templates are literally plug and play. Just plug in the pictures and text that resonate with you and publish your site. You don't have to create any design elements.
2. They are professional, real websites - Website templates are created by real web designers who, like me, appreciate a good esthetic and understand how to give a website a nice cohesive flow.
3.They are usually very esthetically pleasing- Website templates aim to please, so they often are very nice to look at.
When Not To Use A Template
When you want to be able to say, "I created this" or someone wants you to create a website for them and they expect that you are going to be making them something "custom".
I know I said I wouldn't be able to use a website template without feeling like a fraud or imposter, and that is true, but sometimes I do use templates to create websites.
When I use website templates
1. When I am creating a site for a client at a very, very low price- Creating a website design from scratch is a lot of work so if I give a client a very low price, sometimes I use a template.
2. When I have run out of ideas- This isn't what it sounds like. If I use a template because I am having a creative block, I adapt the crap out of it so that it looks very different from the original.
