When developing a web site, an identity is important too.  Some of the sites
listed as examples in previous posts were designed well, but what good is a
name like:

http:\\thisdomain.com\thisdir\newdir\anothername\index.html

Not only will that not fit on your business card, but no-one, including
yourself will be able to remember it.  It's like having an unlisted phone
number.  Not meaning to pick on anyone, but wouldn't the Glyph been more
memorable as:
 www.theglyph.com
rather than:
http://www.web-sculptors.com/glyph/open.html

Also, while you're at it, why not have a couple of POP3 mailboxes which are
also memorable:

[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], etc.

Web site hosting services are very competitive.  Pick up a copy of Wired
magazine and look at the back.  If you don't want to support an online
database, or transactions, you can get away pretty cheap.  You can register
a domain name for about $50.00  Many sites use Front Page extensions, so you
can buy a copy of Front Page 98, and put together a pretty nice web site
yourself without learning how to program HTML.

As for using student labor.  My personal experience is that you get what you
pay for.  I may be a bit cynical, but one institution I worked at had a grad
student "design" the facility web site for free (she was getting college
credit).  It was a mess.  She _did_ get her credit for it, though.  I guess
she did enough work to satisfy the course requirements.  If you are paying
someone to do something, you can say "I don't like that, I'm paying you for
this, do it over."  It's a little tougher to say that to someone who is
donating their time.  And what about the future... a viable web site
changes.  Why bookmark a site that is always the same?  If you approach your
web site as a one time deal, so will everyone else.

So you need a site that can be maintained by in-house staff, or someone with
a more permanent commitment (professional commitment) to web site
design/hosting/management.  Someone who you can call when your admission
rates change, or you open a new exhibit.... etc.

In closing... a design tip:  If you do design your own site... pick up a
couple books on web site design:

Creating Killer Web Sites, David Siegel  and oddly, good old-fashioned print
publishing guidelines also can be applied to web sites (and computer
software).  Using Design Basics to Get Creative Results, Bryan L. Peterson,
is also recommended reading.  Stay away from "Dummies" books... you are a
Dummy if you pay for one... they usually just re-hash most of the stuff you
will find in your online help file.

Good design, planning and management are _important_ to the success of your
site.  Which is why some people actually charge for this service!

Mark C. Vang
Freya Ventures
www.freyaventures.com
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