Ask HN: How do you design websites for bootstrapping?
How do you design websites easily for bootstrapping your startups ? I'm comfortable with html/css/javascript but I find it difficult to design elegant UI. Any suggestions ?
Published in 2010, this chronicle by @yr details the mechanics of building a profitable, self-funded business without venture backing.
Core Principles for Independent Builders:
Charging customers from day one acts as the ultimate filter for building software that solves genuine, high-urgency problems.
Keeping fixed overhead low and leveraging lean infrastructure allows founders to stay alive until market tailwinds kick in.
Small, repetitive improvements in customer retention and conversion rates yield massive returns over multi-year horizons.
Community Debate Themes:
The community focused on B2B customer acquisition channels, cold email vs SEO distribution, and balancing full-time employment with side-project development.
CATEGORY Bootstrapping & MRR →
HISTORICAL ERA Web 2.0 Genesis (2007–2013)
COMMUNITY SCORE ★ 12 points
TOTAL DISCUSSIONS 7 comments
I think if I were in your shoes, I would purchase some decent looking themes from themeforest or similar, get an icon set (if you need one), and pay for someone to do a logo. Do what you can in CSS/HTML to get something cohesive together. Maybe pay a designer for a couple of hours just to review what you have done or give some pointers. This will be quite a bit cheaper than hiring someone to do the whole UI.
Learning to design isn't something that happens quick and some people just can't design, period. It isn't something that happens overnight or in a few weeks. It may be worth taking some design classes and getting into some design forums to get feedback etc, on what you have done, if you have an interest at getting better.
1. get a book about design.
2. Analyse sites you like and measure the proportions, relative sizes and shapes and font sizes etc.
3. Create your site. Ask for feedback from designers.
4. Once you've gone through that process, you'll start to get an idea of how time consuming UI and front end design is.
5. if it's not for you - get some one else to do it.
One word: simplify.
Once you've got that in mind I recommend using Fireworks for mockup. It has easy to use vector tools for creating layouts, trying different colors, manipulating fonts, etc.
Bootstrapping is where you can compromise. Like skipping the nigh touts.
Skipping a good UI for whatever reason (for a web-startup) is a bad idea.
Bootstrap so you can save money for good UI.
YR- send me a msg, I'd be happy to help guide you, or possibly invest in your startup in-kind.
max@maxhenderson.com