Intro to Web Design

I took Intro to Web Design two semesters ago with great excitement. Once the semester ended, I decided that maybe coding was not for me. Not that it was necessarily hard, but very time consuming. I contemplated that I'd just be a designer and not a coder. In the spring during words and images, we were given the task of designing a website for our chosen call to action. No need for coding? Oh I can do this! Well…that was a struggle too.

At this point I just gave up on web design all together. With a much needed break over the summer, the task of designing a website has once again become my reality with Project 1. So guess what, self? It's time to tackle this challenge head on!

Deciding to step back and start from the beginning, I've been exploring types of websites.
Web Design - The Complete Reference: Chapter 1 breaks down the types of sites into two main categories: Information focused and Task focused
So I'm thinking I should just pic one of these types and then look for similar websites, though I'm sure I should break it down even further. Is it a non profit? start-up? well established?

I also looked into the trends. The obvious choice for me was a parallox site. Complex magazine does an amazing article on Pharell Williams using this style.

A designer has to be careful with this and other trends. While very visually stimulating, this probably would not be the best approach for getting people to sign up for health care online.

Next, I'd consider a layout and possible typography and here is where things get muddy.

So I ask...


How do you get started with designing a website?
What factors do you consider before designing a website?
Where do you look for layouts and type?
Anything else important to consider?