Ask HN: Design work for bootstrapped side project?
I have a side project I'm working to launch in the next month or so. I'm a developer, code is my thing. And if you ask my daughter she will tell you, I can't even draw a stick figure... So my question is, what is the best solution to the lack of design skill and getting a nice yet cheap design for a side project?
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1. Consider exchanging services with a designer. Costs some development time, but might be worth it for good design work.
2. Ask a designer friend for a favor. You don't want to impose too much, but you might be able to get a discount off the normal design rate.
3. Depending on the type of project, you may be able to find prebuilt templates/themes that you could adapt. Themeforest is a good place to look.
4. Consider using a grid-based CSS framework like Blueprint. It already has all the basic building blocks in place. It won't be beautiful, but should be at least reasonably usable.
If it's something small with benefits to social causes, I know many designers (myself included) would be willing to do it for free or at least, take a loss on it.
Otherwise, you can look on Craigslist/elance or post on designer sites like QBN.