Meticulously Hand-Crafted
DreamStar Studios is a web design and development studio that focuses on delivering innovative and creative ideas while working closely with your company and listening carefully. Our goal is to translate your passion into a breathtaking reality.
As a design studio, we are very, very interested in very, very small details. Because the web is a crowded place and it’s getting more crowded by the day, there is a need more than ever to stand out. It’s important that each element of a successful website be designed with pixel-precision. A major part of a users reaction to your website is determined by details that are so small most people don’t even notice them. The good news is we know just what those details are, we love to focus on them, and we’re here for you.
In our relationship with clients, we listen. First, we get a feel for your company, then we help you establish clear goals for your website. The potential of the web to launch your company to new levels is light-years ahead of traditional print marketing. Web professionals must come alongside to teach and educate companies about that potential. We love to get our clients involved in the process and help them understand.
Without any background knowledge, getting on the web for the first time can be overwhelming. With so many factors to consider, we would love to chat with you, but if you want a quick way to find out if a web designer knows what they’re doing, ask them “Hey, are your websites developed according to W3C web-standards?” If they say “No” or have no idea what you’re talking about, stay clear.
The Magic
From the start, the web has been defined by an ever-growing array of technologies. DreamStar Studios dabbles in many, though our primary expertise is in front-end design. We design cutting-edge table-less websites employing CSS/ xHTML along with a splash of jQuery to enhance user experience. Most of our work is done through semantic xHTML markup and Adobe Photoshop.
Let’s talk about what this means. Ten years ago, the web was in chaos; originally developed for use by the military to access government archives and files from long distances. At that time , no one would have guessed that the files ultimately being shared would be anything other than text files. Years later, images, sounds, and videos were introduced, but the web had a poor foundation for interacting with these non-text files. Different web browsers would display the same website differently (and they still do today).
Web-standards was (and is) a movement that encouraged and challenged web designers to adhere to certain guidelines that would make the web a friendlier and more beautiful place for users.
Web-standards brought order to the web where there had been chaos. CSS, xHTML, Javascript, and PHP emerged as powerful tools to create websites while adhering to these standards. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are sets of graphic rules that allow web designers to control the design and visual aspects of a website without changing the structural code (xHTML). Websites designed with CSS/xHTML are more flexible and capable of changing and expanding with your business, even if the website is eventually re-designed.
Let’s Talk About Money
Every day we receive e-mails from curious clients. Most of these e-mails culminate in one question “How much is this going to cost?” It’s a fair question, but more complicated than one might think. Here is an idea of what an average project entails:
- Information Gathering and Strategic Planning – Where we learn about your vision, goals, mission, and so on (~20 hours)
- Information Architecture - Organizing and structuring the content of your website, analysis, competitive analysis, visual wireframes etc. (~20 hours)
- Photoshop Mockups – Visual representation of the finished website (~30 hours per design concept / theme)
- Coding – Translating visual elements from the Photoshop Mockup into CSS & xHTML (~30 hours)
- Training and Education – Teaching a representative from your company how to interact with dynamic elements of your website (We often use Content Management Systems like WordPress, Magento, and others for this) (~10 hours)
That’s a total of 110 hours spread over the term of your project (usually 1 – 3 months), though there are a fair number of factors that can change this number in either direction. The best estimate we could give you without discussing your project specifically would be somewhere between $1,000 – $8,000. Bearing all of this in mind, we would love to chat in greater detail about your project. Drop us a line and we’ll be happy to listen to your ideas, get to know your project better, and work up a more specific quote.
Credits & Thanks
From the time I first got involved in the web industry, one thing that has always given me great joy is the enthusiasm with which people share. Most (if not all) of the leaders in the web design community are happy to share their knowledge and teach others. Not only that, they are faithful to give credit where credit is due. Below is a list of people, companies, etc. that have inspired me in my quest for internet geek mastery.
- God - This whole thing started when God spoke to me. I think it was “technology coming out of your hands”. When this company was founded, I knew essentially nothing about web design, and had no kind of education or background in it. The road from there to here has been a joyous adventure that only someone as fun and creative as God could have set me on. I am eternally grateful.
- Rogie King – This guy never ceases to amaze me. He is among most creative and brilliant people I know. Over time, he has become far more than just a peer, but a beloved friend whom I appreciate and respect in a way that goes far beyond words. Social Media Icon and Twitter Search WordPress Plugin credits go to this guy too.
- Ed DeCoste – Another friend in the web industry who has taught me a lot and been a great encouragement and supporter.
- Jeffrey Zeldman – Zeldman is a pioneer in web-standards. His passion to move the web industry forward and away from outdated and antiquated technologies is one I share and I’m grateful for the sacrifices he must have made to make web-standards happen.
- WordPress Plugins - Tweet This, Recent Comments, fmTuner, and WP Super Cache.
