Skinning is an area that I've really learnt on level that not many others have at this stage of the DotNetNuke maturation level... We have an education process and the link between the client, graphic designer and skinning person (moi) needs some tightening up. Therefore, I've looked at some of the jobs I've done and are in the process of doing and will be making radical changes on how I accept jobs in the future because there are several clients who make life extremely difficult to say the least, expecting us to be mind readers...

Just last week I received the best design brief I could imagine and that in turn will allow me to turn out a very complex site - about 10 skins with up to 12 panes of management in place, to work with a step by step module that renders different information on a customised page. Initially I wasn't aware on how many pages there were, but the specifications have been so detailed, I know what I'm doing.

This is in vast contrast to the many many jobs that I get requests for, that are hard to do because I get nothing to work with. I mean nothing except complaints - of where is my skin, why isn't it finished, what is there to look at.. when we have no content, maybe one logo if lucky, no images, no idea on what a client wants and the end result can be less than satisfactory in my opinion.  We do initial concepts, and that's where it comes to a grinding halt.. there is something missing  - the next step - where do we go, is that it?  I can now count on two hands, frustrating projects where we have no idea what the next step is waiting for feedback from clients - are we going to get any idea on colours or images to be used, even though we've asked a dozen times... telling me.. just come up with something doesn't cut it. I can't read minds..(I've tried, and that gets me into more trouble than I care to write about!!)

It's really making me assess do I want to do custom skins - or just push foward with the great range of templates that I've got lined up, and not do custom work, unless people are better prepared.. The only way I can see they can be prepared is if I ask enough questions and simply not do any work until I get the answers... I dont' think people are aware that  sometimes it takes a full day of research and browsing to find images to use on a site - I invest alot of money in image stock resources, but they do require time to browse and select before being comfortable with images that can be used.  So asking us to throw in some images, I'm afraid that's going to be part of the cost which some people have been horrified that I'd charge for. I'm sometimes at a loss to know how to deal with this. Either the client provides the images or pays me to do it.. it's not a free service.. (My initial enquiry request will now ask for this information prior to quoting a job)

And what about content - I can't fathom how someone would expect me to magically create some fantstic design, with no information, no idea on how many pages a site will be to help establish the best type of menu... or, modules, or other surprises I'm finding when I see a site that has been designed by me and then installed and it just goes to shite... because they didn't tell me their boss wanted some huge piece of flash stuck right in the middle, making the sides fall apart..  or the fact they have modules that push thorugh the *fixed* skin they so badly wanted, rendering the page a mess.. DotNetNuke is RIGID - you need to think in squares and rectangles when applying elements of design becuse that's how the information is put on the page.
Some people have passed comment that I'm being harsh in commenting that skinning is hard yakka.. There is alot to learn, but not just creating the skin, it's applying the module elements and content in site that I can see where changes need to be made.. and I need to see that early - not when the skin is applied and the problems start.. It's SKINHOGDAY otherwise...

I'm hoping in 2005, the rewards are there, I'm hoping to make it work for me in the coming year.. goodness knows I've been chipping away at this for more hours than my scales would care to let me know... I'd be really happy if I could get my templates done - my website finished, my ecom store running and my documentation and desgin brief finished, so I can get excited again about doing skinning work for people because to be honest, it's wearing me down at the moment..

So I designed a list of questions that I will ask people before giving them a quote so I'm clear on what I'll get, and they are clear on what I expect so a job can be finished in a timely manner.  And the big word for me is CONTENT or a detailed design brief with every detail outlined, so when I deliver the project there is no element of surprise.

Gosh I sound like a whinger these last couple of weeks, but hey, it's my blogs, I can do it.. it's one of the very few places I can put my opinions forward and if people don't like it, well they sure don't have to read it.. And I said I'd write every day so that's what I'm doing.. for better or worse.. and you know what - I do get some therapy out of this, saves me emailing some people who have email addresses that bounce, don't reply for days, and some don't reply at all..

I think like any creative element, or learning element, or overcoming problems element we have in the process of evolving information, it's like being on the razors edge. .and that razor is just taking some little slices out of me while I get back on track and in balance.

Another day another drama!  But we're still here.. Crazy isn't it!

Nina Meiers