Logo & Flyer Design - Which computer software to use?

Hi im in the printing trade,and the gf is a graphic designer..she uses Quark express to design stuff in and Adobe illustrator for drawing illustrations etc
Think they are the main few the trade uses..as well as Adobe photoshop.

I'd second gkf9.

QuarkXpress/ Adobe Indesign for layout.
Illustrator / Freehand (though now obsolete, but still useable) for illustration / logo design.
Adobe Photoshop for image manipulation.

A good idea of trying to save some money, though it needs to remain professional if you're wanting to represent yourself (not meaning to sound rude there - or like you're not capable). I'd recommend shopping around for other designers if your chap is too pricey. Did he do your logo? In that time you could get to grips more so with the software. Phase yourself into doing the work.

Rob

DPM said:

Yeah he's done all the work for us. I am worried about losing the proffesional look if i do decide to do it myself and for that reason i may just try and come to some deal with him or as you say start to shop around.

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Alot of these designers have been to College for X amount of years and then onto University and earned degrees etc...Plus you have got to have alot of
imagination and flare,this is what seperates a good designer from a mediocre
designer..and then have the skill to put whats in your head onto screen using the software. Im not saying in anyway your not capable but its a steep learning curve if your not sure!

Maybe I'm sounding rude here, though I'm not a lover of your identity. That being said there is definitely room for improvement on the logo and layout of the site.

I'd compare the current person(s) rate to some other designers. As many would say "you get what you pay for"...though sometimes not necessarily so.

To be really honest im with Recomdos on this one...tho i dont think your logo
is that bad.

But i do think your website needs alot of improving,its abit bland looking imo
Think you need to get your self a good web designer..like Recomdos says you
get what you pay for?

Its only my opinion tho.

I notice you are using the open source ( and therefore free) Zen Cart for the store.
Did you design and build the store yourself? or was it done for you professionally? while Zen Cart doesn't allow the amount of customization you would get from a bespoke site, it heavily uses CSS so you can be quite creative with the design without changing the current feel of the site.
You should definitely move away from centering everything as this feels very old fashioned and sometime (in product listings) looks very odd particularly as your site is a liquid design and therefore expands to fill the browser window as any resolution. (try viewing it on a high res wide screen monitor)

I would say the navigation of the site is fine but the design is very lacking. I mean no offense here but it appears very amateurish and does not portray the level of service you are obviously capable of as a Company. People on here know you and your company but stranger will not and I feel that some may be put off by the website. I also notice that the site has practically no meta data and therefore will not be highly ranked by google etc. Search engine optimisation is as important as the site design its self.

If you compare your site to someone like Awesome GTi then I'm sure you will agree, you are way behind. Good website design doesn't have to cost a fortune but it is an area where you either have design flair or not.

I know many web programmers who are very competent at programming but hopeless when it comes to design. eCommerce websites for the motor trade is something I have been doing for a number of years and I would agree when you say you site is simple and easy to use but maybe it is a little too simple and this comes across as homemade.

Please do not take any of this personally but I agree that the site would greatly benefit from an overhaul to make it more modern and project a more professional image to your potential clients. Remember, first impressions count.

DPM said:

Yeah i totally agree. It's just the designs i've had from designers in my area just don't really look any better then what the site looks at the moment.

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Out of interest, who have you approached?

My gf is a good designer,but cant do web design...she has been designing(on the side..in her own time)
for a bloke who runs a holiday company online ...she gives him designs of
pages and ideas,then the bloke gives the design to his web people (because they are not good at design) and they take it from there and make it functional...think they might just use some kind of template on the webpage?

Maybe you could do it that way?