Designtastic

Posted in General 6 years, 3 months ago.

So the other day, I am sitting at my computer just doing the typical daily routine, watching movie trailers. posting on message boards, messing with the site, etc… Meanwhile, Louie Mantia instant messages me with some questions about web design and authoring. Lou and I tend to talk online pretty regularly if only for a few minutes. He’s definitely a cool, kid with some serious graphical talent.

Lou tells me he wants to create his own site. Long story short, he decides to use MovableType, the blogging system I use to publish SpyderFCS.com . After deciding what system to use, Lou then tries to figure out what he wants the site to look like. I’m pretty flattered by the fact that he likes my layout (one which was solely inspired by Dan Cederholm). After throwing some comments back and forth, I offer my services to help Lou out with the CSS and design aspect of the site (I had already installed MovableType on his server for him).

To start the design aspect of the site I told Lou to whip up a nice layout for his site in Photoshop and send it to me. Soon after, I wonder to myself if I am in over my head: I still consider myself a bottom of the ladder web novice. But after receiving the layout it gives me some hope. Sure there are a few things that will need work but it surely won’t take me more than a week, week and a half, to get it all up and running. Well, Lou contacted me on Wednesday, April 14th, and I went to work on it.

As I’m slicing and dicing the layout Lou gave me I’m still wondering if this is a smart idea. I don’t have tons of extra time on my hands with final approaching and other things. Nevertheless, I try it out and after looking into a few resources such as Rad-E8.com and A List Apart I get things going. First starting with the all important CSS and working to the templates in MovableType. After a few hiccups and some revamping, the site is 95% complete (on the design side) on Friday, April 16th.

I was shocked. Did I just create a web design in only a few days. I don’t know what do to with myself. But seriously, Lou is working really hard on doing the content side of his site now so please visit LouieMantia.com and check it often.