Since the sphere of development of Internet resources is gaining momentum every day and is becoming very popular, more and more people want to learn how to create websites. Thanks to modern technology is available to everyone! However, to become a professional in this specialization, you will need time to study various aspects of the designer. If your goal is to reach the level of a professional, then this article is for you!
Today we will look at the path of a novice designer and how to start learning web design from scratch?
In this article you will learn:
- What does it take to start learning web design?
- What programs does a web designer need to know?
- Top 5 books on learning web design and website design.
- Online platforms for learning web design.
- One of the top ways to learn web design from scratch.
- Social media and its role in learning web design.
What does it take to start learning web design?
To learn web design from scratch, you need to prepare for some challenges. This is mainly due to the fact that this area of activity does not stand still and very often there are new tools that are not always convenient and necessary. Even an experienced specialist does not always determine their necessity, and what about a beginner … In addition, the designer should know several graphic editors, and understand the psychology of perception.
What programs does a web designer need to know?
The main task of a web designer is to create the external shell of the site, so he should know the following graphic editors:
Adobe Photoshop
A program that allows you to work with bitmap graphics and image retouching. Experienced designers use a special grid, which allows you to properly arrange the elements, and then group them into layers. The layout is then redirected to a layout specialist and programmer.
Adobe Illustrator
A program for working with vector graphics. This type of graphics allows you to create illustrations that do not lose their quality when stretched – ideal for adaptive design.
Corel DRAW
Another program that allows you to create vector graphics. Has several differences from Adobe Illustrator, the main of which is to work with the creation of precise geometric shapes and work with them.
The first two programs are the most commonly used. They have a similar toolkit, but they have different purposes. If you want to become a real
If you want to become a real professional, you have to forget about creating banners and layouts with Paint.
Each beginner designer must not only know the graphic editors, but also understand the whole process of layout and creating the engine of the site, so to start with, you should learn HTML and CSS. If you will not be lazy and delve into Java Script with PHP (one of the major programming languages), it will be an additional plus in your growth as a specialist. Note that once you start learning the first two, the rest will be much easier.
Because of the large variety of information, everyone can choose the most convenient option: from video lessons on YouTube to training books.
We decided to collect the top 5 books for beginners web designers, which will help to learn the basics of website design, successfully applying them in self-study.
Top 5 books on learning web design and website design
We think the following programming books will help best at this stage:
Jeremy Keith. “HTML5 for Web Designers.”
This book has long been a classic for those who want to learn the latest version of HTML in detail. Its pages detail what the features and complexities of the language are. Developing the inner core and designing user-friendly interfaces are the main areas that lead the world of Web site development.
Dan Siderholm. “CSS3 for Web Designers.”
Once you’ve learned the languages in which websites are designed, you can begin the next step: learning the cascading style sheet language. In web development circles, this section is called CSS. With this knowledge, you can understand how to manage the appearance of downloadable pages. The main objective is to minimize the loading time of the requested page. The book uses examples that will give you an in-depth look at all the features of CSS3.
Jennifer Robbins. “HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. A Comprehensive Guide.”
Although the title of the book makes it sound like a “monster,” it’s still perfect for the beginner. It describes in clear language how to start learning from the very beginning, and high-quality illustrations will help consolidate the information. Besides, the book comes with a supplement, a disc on which you can find the necessary files that allow you to practice learning all the things described in the lectures.
Steve Krug. “Web Design, or Don’t Make Me Think”.
A bestselling book that has been reprinted by several world-renowned publications. Not only the programming language, but also the “usability” plays a major role in the convenience of the site. In other words, the ease of use of the site for the visitor. This book can be used not only by web design novices, but also by experienced professionals who want to design a really convenient and high-quality product.
Tim Kedlek. “Adaptive Design. Making Sites for Any Device.”
The time when users visited website pages solely from personal computers is long gone. Today there are so many devices with different screen extensions, from mobile to PC devices. Of great importance is how the same site is displayed on different devices.
Adaptive design involves designing a site that will be equally attractive and comfortable on different devices.
When it comes to online stores, without adaptive design, the site owner can lose a lot of customers. You can study examples of the work of the web studio “NeoSeo”, which clearly show what differences the same sites have, displaying on different devices.
This book discusses ways of adaptive layout, which will make the site comfortable, modern and easy to use.
This list of books is a foundation that will help you learn more about all the steps of website design. But if you want to become a true professional, this foundation will require you to supplement your knowledge daily with various additional materials. Below we list the most popular resources for gaining the necessary knowledge.
Online platforms for learning web design
These sites have collected a lot of useful information that is updated daily with new and verified material.
TereHousse
Platform, which is a leader among learning platforms. On it you can find content that allows you to learn HTML, CSS, Javascript, as well as learn how to design mobile applications for iOS.
The only drawback of the platform is that you have to pay a monthly subscription to use it, but it is worth it.
After you pay for a subscription you will get access to various video tutorials and interesting features – from master classes to participation in quizzes that give you a chance to get pleasant bonuses.
Codeacademy
This platform is also very popular around the world, but it has a slightly different purpose. It contains tutorials to learn how to code with interactive examples. You will be able to learn HTML, CSS and PHP in practice. If a student makes any mistakes during the learning process, the system gives comprehensive hints to understand where the wrong decision was made.
Ideal for those who love not only theory but practice as well.
GeekBrains
A very user-friendly interface for users from the CIS. On it you can learn a lot of courses that reveal the stages of website design. The founders claim that their platform is designed for everyone to start learning web development from scratch.
The advantage is that both paid content and free content is available.
One of the main ways to learn web design from scratch
If you don’t want to register on many platforms, or don’t want to pay for your studies, then YouTube will be a great alternative – there is enough video content of different content (from practical to theoretical) that is available for free 24 hours a day! All you need is a Gmail account so that you can save and categorize the video you like.
Social media and its role in learning web design
Don’t be lazy to look for famous web designers who keep their blogs on Instagram and other social networks. They very often publish various useful training material, which is broken down into short articles that won’t take much time to read. That way, you’ll be up-to-date on the latest web design news every day!
We’ve looked at ways to learn web design that will help significantly reduce your learning time, but they are not exhaustive. Stay tuned for more in our articles so you don’t miss out on interesting new material!
