January 22, 2004
Creating an Online Gallery
Almost every quilting email list seems to have a regular stream of questions about how to set up a web site and how to sell art online. My advice (rather prejudiced - I do design web sites for a living, so I am opinionated on this) is that you should hire someone whose web design work you admire.
An amateur-looking web site can make any art look bad. A great website will make the art shine. A well designed web site should be minimal in design and let the viewer focus on your artwork. I know that many folks cannot afford a web designer or they just want to do it themselves.
Carolyn Vehslage's article, How to Open an Online Gallery has some basic information for those of you who feel ready to take the plunge. Using her own site, clv quilts Vehslage examines the ways that a web site can strengthen an artist's public exposure. She also addresses the need to keep your site current and allotting time for regular maintenance.
If you read her article and find that you are still of a mind to design your own web site, the next step would be to learn seriously about web site design issues. For this there is nothing better than the Yale Web Style Guide, which is free online or inexpensive at your local bookstore. It is not a quick read, but it covers many design issues that are applicable far beyond the web. Read it - it's good for you! And it's doubly good for anyone who may use your future web site.
Posted by sfenton at January 22, 2004 03:52 PM