Designing within a website template - ugh!

What could be more frustrating than to start off a design solution - with borders, with only a specified number of content boxes, to name just a few of the restrictions one must deal with in designing for today’s websites.

OK, it’s not a dead end.

First and foremost one needs to recognize that the solution will come down to 4 specific areas - copy, type, colour, and visuals. Yes this is what all design considers but within template design, these 4 are much restricted. That’s the twist!

If you take a look at the majority of websites today, they generally look a like because they are predominantly created with template based software.

The latest statistics reveal that WP accounts for about 39.5% of the entire Web and 62% of CMS-built websites, with Squarespace chiming in at 3.8% and Six at 3.4%. (tech jury - Oct. 16/2022, What Percentage of Websites are WordPress in 2022?)

Therefore, approximately 46%+ websites are created using templated based software, that’s hugh! So now what?

design by - Julius Friedman

I recall seeing for the first time, this poster above when I was a student of design, WOW. It was one of my first examples which showed me how to think differently. I realized that since then, I could use this exercise - to think differently, outside the ‘egg’, to help solve problems such as within the confines of obstacles like website design but utilizing template software.

Well, it’s not all bad. You do have options.

You do have type choices, visual choices, colour choices and specific content choices. Get started.

My tip - have your design directions reviewed by a competent design expert and you will learn how to think outside the box so that you can think inside the box.