Design Pro is a platform that allows designers to implement their own designs without any coding. It's completely web-based so there is no software to download or install. The built-in visual editors provide instant feedback on any changes you make with a real-time preview of the actual site.
Start from scratch or choose from a library of designs
You can create your own, completely custom design from scratch, having a complete control over the appearance of all elements on the site - from header to footer. Or if you have a client on a tight budget - start from any design in our library and quickly customize to create unique look and feel matching your client's identify and style.
Instantly client-editable
When implemented the design is instantly client-editable so you can delegate content loading and updates to your clients, avoiding extended periods of support. Your clients can leverage the power of the award winning Design content management system with access to a robust Text & Image Editor (with option to add media like Flash and video, HTML snippet control, etc), Image Galleries, Forms, Forums, Blogs, and many more.
So how does it work?
It's very easy actually. You just start with your site (from a blank one or from an existing design), create your page layout - this defines the positions and dimensions of elements on the site, you set their appearance (using background color, images, spacings). Then you just create the styles of elements on the page - things like fonts to be used in the Text & Image Editor, the appearance of the navigation menus and so on. And that's it! Just give access to your client and they can start loading their content. Once you are proficient with the tool, simple to medium designs can be created in just a couple of hours.
Perhaps the most powerful platform
The many features of Design make it perhaps the most powerful design creation / CMS combination platform on the market.
Here are some of the highlights
1. There are 4 navigation panels available for you to use in a design, with the main one having 2 levels - sub-navigations for each button
2. As many layouts as you wish. Layouts can be described as different types of pages, for instance Splash can have just the logo and large content area where you can add a Flash navigation. Home page layouts can have the standard set of items with a large page header image. Inside pages can have a smaller page header image and so on
3. Create as many color themes as you need. Color themes can be defined for any element, so you can have one page of the site use red links, headings, content boxes, etc, and then have another page in blue. This is great for creating color-coded web site sections, like Services = red, Case Studies = blue, etc.
4. Cross-browser compatibility. The Design Pro editors are compatible with the major browsers. What's more important however, is that the designs created are compatible too. Internet Explorer 7, Safari 3, Firefox 3 will display your sites in the same manner.
5. Design award-winning UI. Not only do you have the advantage of quickly implementing your designs visually, without coding, but your created sites will be instantly client-editable. We feel that the Design admin interface for users is the best in the online-CMS systems. Just try it out to see what we mean.
6. Switch between designs freely and seamlessly. The content is always preserved. making it easy to switch between custom built, customized or Design stock designs!
7. Custom or stock image library. The designs you create can leverage the already existing Design stock photo library with hundreds of images in different proportions. Or create your own library for your prominent clients.
Collaborate
Work with fellow designers in a collaborative environment. At any stage of the design creation process you can show your client the real content applied directly on the site. Discuss design and content options with your client, and apply instantly.
The future
The editors for visually constructing the site layout and styles are available and many designers are using them right now. Our next step is to implement a visual editor for the image libraries. We have in the pipeline a feature that will allow you to use any font in your site navigations, sections, tabs and so on. You will have the option to have the custom font captions rendered as images or Flash. Right now we are working to make Flash menu integration (already available on some designs) more powerful and accesible. We are looking to create the best designer tool for design implementation and creation, where you can concentrate on the tasks you like and enjoy - coming up with concepts, creating new appearances, and leaving the tedious work of content management for your clients. We would love to get your suggestions on how to improve, so you are welcome to leave a note at our suggestions box. Thanks!