Is learning Web Design slow?
Thursday October 4, 2007
"It seems to be very time consuming, will I get faster? I think I understand what I am doing but I am very slow! Is this normal?"My Thoughts:
In some ways, learning to be a Web designer can take a long time. I've been doing it for over 12 years, and I still feel like I have tons to learn. But many people have learned to write HTML and build Web pages in as little as a weekend. No, they're not experts by any means, but they know enough to do the work. As SagesUnicorn points out:
It is time consuming in the beginning but the longer you work at it the faster you will get, BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF PRACTICE!What do you think? Is learning Web design worth the time it takes?
Ways to learn Web Design and HTML Quickly
- Take a free HTML class. Yes, this class is 10-weeks, but you can request the lessons earlier if you want them.
- Take a free Web Design class. This class is sent daily, but you can request the lessons even faster than that.
- Read an HTML Tutorial. It works best if you try out the tutorial steps, most people learn better by doing than just by reading.
- Read beginning HTML and beginning Web design articles and try out the techniques.
- Practice a lot with your favorite HTML editor. When I was first learning, I practiced by building Web pages about all of my family and friends, even my pets had their own Web pages for a while.
Comments
I actually ‘teach’ web design - not very well - but am discouraged by the appearance of present-day professional web sites and the enormous technical knowledge it would take to produce them - competence in a dozen non-trivial languages such as php, java and javascript, perl, Ajax, dotnet Visual Developer, ASP.net, - and every month a new web tool or technology coming out - expertise in a professional quality image editor like paintshoppro - ability with complicated tools such as Dreamweaver, access to an enormous library of material, graphics and clip art, plus of course artistic and creative visual design talent. Not easy to find in one person, or would take years.
What is the solution?
bill torbitt
The solution, of course, is to join a team and work together with each person doing what they do best. I am not a programmer and get very frustrated and confused just trying anything beyond the simpler things. I have a 16 year old Mennonite boy (young man?) from my community who loves programming. When I need help, he is my resource and I am generous to him (financially and beyond) even though his Dad doesn’t think he needs much in the way of payment. But I value his help and abilities and feel he deserves to be fairly compensated. He’s certainly less costly than someone in the industry and my clients can’t handle those higher rates.
He has created several scripts for me - if I use them again, I will be compensating him beyond the first payment and charge the client to use it.
I don’t think there is one solution to learning all of these things. I think the best thing to do is specialize in one area. For example, if you do web design and maybe css and html coding, it doesn’t make any sense that you also have to know how to program php, ruby, asp.net, etc.
Jobs that require all of these things from one person are expecting too much. It’s just not likely that a person can master everything and do it as fast as new technologies come along.
I have to agree that there is way more to learn than the average person can or will. I have just recently started learning html, xhtml and css (about eight months now)and although I am by know means an expert in any of these I can see where someone could pretty much master these topics. But as I have been reading and learning more and more I see that there is so much more that a person would have to learn to be able to produce web sites that are apealing and funtional in todays world.
Yes, thanks for comments - that’s what I mean. It’s true that anyone ‘in a weekend’ can throw a few html tags and maybe a background picture together, and this was OK 10 years ago. But that is light-years away from a modern professional looking web site.
As a non-professional who sets up some personal websites to share personal information and interests, I would love to have a reference table showing the tools available (to learn) and what features, capabilities, and advantages they provide - and at what costs (dollars, learning-time, incompatiblity with what I already have). Development of such a table would probably be too big a task, and there would by huge disagreement about the contents. But I was sharply aware that I could get my information posted with just a few html commands, and the enhancement provided by additional tools was often not worth the cost or trouble - especially if I didn’t use them often enough to automatically remember them.
One test of the value of a tool (a command or technique or language or editor) is whether I use it enough that I internalize it and don’t have to go to a reference page to use it the next time. Of course, the alternative test is what does it provide that I can’t get
with the “basics” that I have at the top of my head.
To be able to produce a professional-looking website, one should be able to know more than the basis - HTML and CSS.
To produce any reasonable functional and data-driven website or application, knowledge of more than basic HTML/XHTML and CSS is paramount. Server-side CGI programming technologies such as PHP, ASP, ASP.NET,Perl,JSP as well as any good RDBMS(Relational Database Management System) is required.
At times, occassion or job requirement will demand for a personal that can combine both HTML, CSS with programming ability as well as graphic savvy to get the job.
If you are on your own, you need to know just HTML and CSS to succeed.
It is not easy to achieve all these immediately, but with gradual and consistent effort over time, professional can be attained.
FIDELIS OBODOEZE C.
Abuja, Nigeria
It takes a lot more than being able to hammer some html, css, a little php say, and a database together to be considered capable of “doing the work.” This has nothing to do with “professional looking” or even “functional” — these things can be arrived at by sheer intelligence. Just because the first website you cobbled together happens to not be blindingly bad does not mean you are operating on anything like the level of a professional web developer. The problem with a lot of the work out there is that it IS produced by rote by people with less than a full understanding of the technologies they manipulate.
Though I agree with much of what has been said already, I have seen far too many sites that demonstrate much use of technology and cutting/bleeding edge programming… and absolutely zilch in use of appealing visual layout and functionality. A user/visitor/reader is far more interested in what they receive from a site and how well they can find what they need; if the website designer has failed in meeting those needs, it doesn’t really matter how many languages they can write (or how they can make Dreamweaver ver 98.643 jump through hoops).
I suggest getting the functionality first and foremost, and let whatever new languages and tools you learn serve that, rather than the other way around.
{harumph! Must eat breakfast…}
MY two cents..
If you want to be a self-employed web developer/designer it is going to take a while. If you plan on working for someone else you will not make enough money at first. Jump on the job sites and see what the requirements are for a needed web developer. You will see a great area of skills requested for pay that doesn’t reflect the work.
This helps reflect our market. There are many “web developers” out there making small mom and pop sites and making a little bit of money. Not really a career. If you want a career as a web developer you need to know quite a bit and this just doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time for most of us to learn to be effective at web design.
And, to take it a step further, (again this is my opinion,) if you want to be self-employed you need to be someone that can help your client make money. An effective web designer must also understand marketing to truly be good at it..
A web “developer” is someone that knows how to “build” the web site, structurally speaking. A web “designer,” which is what is mostly missing in our industry is more that just a graphic artist. It is someone who knows how to build a web site that is GOING TO MAKE MONEY… I see sites that seemed to be have great design or great development, not both. DEVELOPMENT = knowing how to effectively use the technology so that site functions properly. DESIGN = Formal graphic design, or an understanding fraphic desing that equals a formal education, and marketing understanding. Both must understand enough about SEO.
As far as you personally… How successful you become will have a lot to do with your geographic location. You hear people say that one nice thing about web design is that your clients can be anywhere in the world. This is bull, especially for a self-employeed web designer just getting started. Ask yourself if there is enough business locally to keep you going for the first 3 - 5 years or so; and, this also requires a look at the competition. What are the local web develops currently procuding? Can you keep up with them? Can you compete with your lack of experience? You might be able to. If you live in downtown San Francisco, I would say you probably wouldn’t succeed.. There are many areas that you may… Do your homework to see.
i study I.T and have also been playing around with pc’s foe a while. nothing fascinates and scares me more than web development. you have so many things to study and master.while youre trying to master one there are more coming in.
is there really a way to learn Web development withoiut all the pain. id like to know.
Its crucial to learn how to programme, if you want to be in the web industry. Without that knowledge you cannot fully understand the products.
I’m constantly surprised at how much knowledge is required to do effective web design and yet how little most companies are willing to compensate someone for the job. I am the sole developer for our company’s websites. My job requires me to do all of the front end design, code the XHTML and CSS along with developing the backend databases (MySQL) and write the PHP to tie it all together. I am also expected to write or at least edit most of the content and structure the Information Architecture of the site so that information is easily accessed in a logical and usable way. All of this takes a lot of time and work and I am constantly spending time trying to learn new technologies such as AJAX to keep on top of current trends and developments.
Even with all of these responsibilities I still make less than most of our salesmen. It seems that most people in upper management still question the value of a good website or don’t fully understand the requirements of being a good developer or designer. That coupled with the fact that it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of a website and the differences between someone who knows how to develop a professional site and someone who knows a little about design and can use a wysiwyg editor.
You have to really have a passion for web design to make a long term career out of it.
I have seen a lot of sites put together by novices using a WYSIWYG program. With no knowledge of HTML,CSS, PHP, etc.
The problem is that the sites are generally bloated, full of bugs, and just plain do not work. Many of these novices post messages asking for help, and preface the request with a statement that they do not know anything about HTML.
In my case, I started building my web site using MS publisher, and soon found that it was a mess to work with. I learned some HTML, tried a few editors and with lots of help, I have reached a point where I can make a web site work, but the design is a talent that I don’t have. I consider myself an accomplished beginner, with lots of room to grow.
I don’t see any much difference in learning website design or, for instance, swimming. It’s easy to learn a little bit, just enough to “save your neck” in a bad situation. But if you want to excel, it doesn’t matter in which one, you have to spend time and effort and do it again and again and again and again ……. may be until you die.?
Don Pedro
Ther’s no easy way to become a webmaster, especially SEO part and search engine rank, I mean, web design is easy part of the job… I also need a little help in that way, Pleasssse somebody… Thanx! Checkout my website -
Very pretty design! Keep working. Go on!
Thanx a lot, dear Amelia. It always very nici to see good comments about your self. Thanx again! But my previous problem still standing. I desperately need a little help about SEO of my website.
Its so hard to get better position on Google, or even be listed. Seems Google don’t like tricks which will make your page ranck better, neither do I… any help will be apperciated. I like to do right thing.
Thanks!
www.studiomisura.hr
I can’t say learning new things is a waste of time as long as u learn it’s worth a price even how small I’ve learned it’s ok.
Right now I’m learning web design at my own for few months, but planning to take up a part-time/short course soon. I only have business administration background but with some interest in web design now.
Actually there’s one issue bothering my mind, which is, can people without design/art talent being succeed in web design job? Can we really learn to design well? Web design means we must always create many pretty images?
Yes my friend, unfortunately it could be a problem. I mean, creating a good looking web site is like doing any other art work. It takes a little of talent, of course, but let’s not be catastrophic that much. You can’t learn a talent for web design, but you can learn what is very nice web site and how it looks like. Check some site with a bunch of web-site-templates and you will see there’sa lot of good designed things. You don’t have to copy anything to do your own site, just try to do good as much you can…
www.studiomisura.hr
Hi folks, I wonder… If I change my website address and transfer entire site to another hosting under another domain name, would it be some kind of copy. The old web host is already shutdown and I can’t point to another web domain by putting simple link or something similar that would be a sing that both of them are my websites…
www.studiomisura.net