Re: (I think rodders is right anybody wanting to make a web site should first play with the building blocks HTML).....
Sorry I have to disagree with that one... that is only a very small part..... And not at all how i learned.... Being able to code does not make you a web designer... Any one can make a page. There are several sites out there that will allow you to get a site up and running if you only want to create a basic home page or ecommerce site....why learn to code if that is your only need for web design.... However, if you have a serious interest in design and you keep coming back to it?
? again and again ??..no matter how frustrating ???then I have this advice.....
1. Learning to be a good web designer is not done in a linear progression... it is a messy business...the first thing you must accept....... is that you will never master web design......as soon as you learn something.... a new technology...new technique. etc....... there will be something new and improved you need to know. It is the nature of the beast..... So if you don?t plan on being a life long learner..... Give it up now!..
2. There are several learning areas to attack ....graphics, code, software, design elements, usability, and client services.
3. Web design can be fun... and it can be like pulling teeth..... and it depends on what type of person you are... some people absolutely live to code.... others are more geared to design and graphics...Since you have to learn all the areas to become a good designer...pick whatever area you feel most drawn too.... start any where you like.....tackle one or two at a time or all at once.....It will all come together somewhere down the road....when ever your mind makes the connections....unfortunately some web people think that knowing front-page makes you a web designer....and never touch the basics of graphic design.....and others play in graphics but never realize that a 2 minute load time is not acceptable??.lol?.that would have been me a few years back??there needs to be a balance.
4. You need to look at great web sites and not feel defeated?? let them energize you and know that you will be at that level in a few years? lots of great sites....Enjoy them?.Download the pages??? take them apart. Play with them??. See how they are built. What the code looks like. Start to think about what you like about the page, dislike about the page?as a user??.what?s cool?? what you?d like to learn to do next?.Example??? you might think the fading rollovers on the dropdown menu are really cool?.. Where to start??look at the code??.highlight the menu in the design view??..then look in the code view .. You see it is JavaScript??.. Go to
www.javascript.com ?. do a search on menus??.see what comes up?find the right script?..or a better one???lol??. Check out the code?check out the instructions????try to copy and paste it into a new page in an html editor?. Play with it, change the parameters?? soon you will make it your own?repeat several times .... till it works? then thats one more skill you?ve attained?.. this is just an example??skill by skill you build your knowledge?.. If you look at enough html code and java script, you learn by osmosis?. You get to know where head tags go, What table code looks like?.. And what happens when you change it. You will know when you are ready to delve into heavy duty code?.. you will feel a sense of frustration? at you lack of code knowledge?.. then you will go to any of the great beginner sites on html?? and now thatyou have a frame of reference? and a purpose....."oooooohhhhhhhhhhh that?s what that meant!!!!! I see!??.". and a few more light bulbs go on?..you put that away?move on??.to something else?.. And now you are further along in your knowledge?..I call this backward learning?? It works!!! Start with the final product. Take it apart?.. and play? then put it back together just a little differently?..you will learn!!.
5. You need to create a folder of help sites and forums like this one?.. you can learn so much from them?. And surf them regularly?. Get the news letters??they keep you up to date, and remind you of what else you can learn next.read!! read!! read!!. In another post I will get you my list.
6. Graphics??. PLAY PLAY PLAY ? play with filters??. Resizing?? clone blushes?? etc?. make it a priority to play in your graphics program as much as possible?.. and learn about the different graphic file formats???. And what they should be used for. Which are the biggest?smallest? richest in colour? Acceptable for the web? Which allow you to create a picture with a see through back ground??.. etc.
7. Get ICQ or another community instant message program?..and create a list of people that will be able to quickly answer your 3 million questions??web designers?..graphic artists??.computer geeks? ?programmers?etc?. most are very willing to help a new learner? you can search their community on
www.icq.com ?look at their skills and interest and work areas??..I know this works. I?m proof of that?. That is how I went from not being able to turn a computer on ?..to being a good web designer (notice I didn?t say great?.. ) in less than 5 years. You need people to help you with all this learning?so you wont feel so alone?...learning on a need to know basis??.which brings me to my next point??
8. Design design design!!!!!!! You learn by doing??. You learn by having a need to learn?. By being frustrated when working and needing to know how to do something so you can finish your design. Volunteer your services??create webs for friends?.. For non profit groups???. For you sports team??? for anything that has a purpose??. You will learn so much with every site you do?.
9. Keep updating your software??.my very first web was created in Netscape composer?..lol??then FrontPage?.. then coffee cup editor?hotdog ? then photo impact?. Then finally dream weaver?. Which is pretty much the standard for most designers today?As for graphics?. I started with paint shop pro?went to photo impact?then Photoshop?..and fireworks?..any of those will work great?You can download full evaluation versions of most programs?html editors?.graphics programs?..etc? Do it!!! And then do it again? till you can afford to buy the real thing??or get your hands on a copy in another way?.. (but I wont go there)..ask one of your icq friends....lol
10. Lastly?? be patient with yourself!!!!!!!!!!??.and don?t give up your day job!!!!! Learning takes time!!! Very few will ever become good enough to make enough money to live on? I have been at it for several years?? and this year Is my first year where I?m actually getting paid decent money for good work, and feel confident enough in my skills to create a business ? I never intended to become a web designer?.. I never thought I?d ever make a dime?..I just had this burning desire to learn???. To get better?. To understand?.and above all
to create something wonderful?.that?s what drives the learning process?? in my opinion?If you are only in it for the money?.. You will give up before you get there?.You may sell a few webs?. But you will never become a great web designer. (Just my NTBHO?.)
FYI.?My next learning area?.. ?.Flash?I have more .fla files on my computer than
www.flaskits.com ?lol, and continue to take them apart as we speak?.by this time next year you will see some flash sites with my name on them??mark my words.
I know this was incredibly long? ?.. but it is something I am quite passionate about?. as a teacher?.and as a learner?...I hope this helps you to realize that you can do it too if you have the desire to learn and to create?..and a little help along the way. You see I went from that pest who asked all the questions to the one who now can answer a few of them for others ?..so its time to give back?.. I am virtualprez on ICQ? look me up if you have a web design question??? and I?ll do my best to help?
