Anyone can create sites. Instead, it is better to say that anyone can learn how to build websites. However, you need to understand that to do this at a reasonable level you need to combine some different knowledge and skills, which together allow a specialist to make truly high-quality web projects.
Learning web design from scratch can be quite a challenge if you do not know where to start or exactly what you need. Always there is a set of new technologies and new tools that can confuse even an experienced professional, not to mention newcomers.
However, do not worry – we have prepared this article for this very purpose to help you in choosing the ways and methods of training that will make this process genuinely fascinating. Moreover, most of the information and lessons can be found on the Internet in free access and work when it is convenient for you.
There are so many options!
We will not dwell on the question of why you need it – for sure if you are reading this article, for yourself you already have the answer to it. Maybe you want to create websites for yourself purely as a hobby or in the future to turn them into a business. Alternatively, they decided that this is precisely the profession that suits you, and creating websites to order will be your primary occupation in the next few years. Both are good.
There are many approaches to the study of web design; some of them are paid, such as courses, others are free. The number of teaching methods has dramatically increased due to the spread of interactivity on the Web – YouTube video channels, learning platforms and much more.
I, like many others, believe that independent practice is the best option for studying. Consider courses as an option for obtaining a theoretical base, if you did not manage to master the necessary knowledge yourself and then practice and practice again.
You can get the necessary information through books, videos, systematic lessons, online platforms, and many other sources. Next, we go through each of them.
Best books on web design
The first technologies that beginners need to master to work with most of the tasks when creating a site are HTML and CSS. Of course, JavaScript and PHP will not be superfluous, but this is already the second step. By the way, if you get comfortable with the first two languages of web development, the rest will be much easier.
From the number of books that are available on this topic, the eyes diverge. However, for those who are only taking their first steps and want to get precisely systematized information, several best ones can be distinguishing. We are talking about the following books:
HTML5 for Web Designers by Jeremy Keith
Handbook for those who want to master the standards of the latest version of HTML, while sorting out the features of the language as a whole. Semantic development and creation of accessible interfaces are two directions for which the future and this book will allow you to learn this thoroughly.
CSS3 for Web Designers by Dan Cederholm
The second and critical component of modern web design is the language of cascading style sheets or CSS. With their help, you can fully control the appearance of the pages, without losing in the ease and down speed. You will use clear examples to learn how to use all the wealth of possibilities that have appeared in the new CSS3 standard.
The author, Dan Cederholm, is a practicing web designer who has gone from a freelancer and a small studio owner to a developer on the staff of world-famous companies like Google and Yahoo.
Learning Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics by Jennifer Robbins
Despite the full title, this is a book for beginners with all the advantages and disadvantages of going from there. You will be able to start learning from scratch right there, and the lessons given as examples make it possible, as they say, to break everything down.
The book will work well as a base, as high-quality illustrations are used, and the disk with the various files on it, which the reader will use in the course of the lessons, is included with it.
Do not Make Me Think! A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug
World bestseller Steve Krug, who has withstood several reprints. The fact is that in web design, not only technology is essential, but also the overall usability of the site, which is called “usability.” It is exactly the topic of designing a site from the standpoint of its availability and usefulness to the user.
The book is suitable not only for beginners but also for practicing developers who want to understand how to improve existing projects further. Even if it may seem to some that the book describes apparent things, it is not for nothing that they say that everything ingenious is simple.
Platforms for online learning
It is more than just websites, and in terms of interaction, they are much more interesting, as they provide a particular interactive experience. Most often, learning takes place in the form of online lessons, in which the teacher tells you about certain things related to the topic studied and shows how this works in practice.
Treehouse
One of the leading platforms in the field of excellent online education, which operates on a monthly subscription scheme. The main areas of study are layout and web development languages (HTML, CSS, Javascript), as well as the creation of iOS applications, in particular, based on Swift, which is gaining popularity.
Although to work with the service and need to pay a monthly subscription, the video is very professional. Many lessons cover almost every aspect of web design and development.
In addition to accessing an extensive library of courses, the subscriber receives such exciting features as the practice of writing code directly in the browser, access to the records of conferences and workshops, quizzes, interactive testing, and lessons, as well as other useful bonuses.
Codeacademy
Another service with courses focused on learning online, but with a slightly different approach. True, unlike the previous one, you can work with it free of charge. Instead of focusing on video tutorials, platform developers have focused on interactive examples that allow you to work out immediately the skills of working with code.
Each of the examples shows one or another facet of a particular web development language, be it HTML, CSS, or PHP and with the help of these examples, you can master the very structure of the word. As you go through the lessons, some good explanations go along the code processed directly in the browser.
Even though not many courses are available in Codeacademy, most of them allow you to master a specific direction from beginning to end. Also, there are even several courses on how to make a website from start to finish and even without a single line of code. In general, if you prefer to learn in practice, the choice of this service will be the right decision.
Other methods for your information
One of the most accessible ways is video tutorials and thematic channels on YouTube. It is the second most visited search engine in the world (after Google), which integrates the functionality typical of social networks. What it is good at in the context of studying web design is that you can immediately begin to practice based on the examples seen in the video. Besides, we all know such a good proverb – better to see once than hear a hundred times.
Another suitable method is to study existing sites, for which you need to right-click on the desired page in the browser and select the context menu item “View page code” or another similar one depending on the browser used.
The advantage of this method is the ability to understand what and how it works, and peep new code fragments for further use. However, there is a drawback – most likely, in this case, you will receive information not from simple to complex, but in a slightly chaotic order.
Finally, there remains the option such as classical training. That is, attending training courses, training programs, and other such things. However, it is worth noting that this is the longest journey, and, in the case of the technological sphere, it may merely be unjustified. Due to the rapid development of technology, even many books become obsolete even at the time of release, not to mention curricula.
In general, the choice is yours, and the main thing here is not as much a way to study web design as desire, perseverance, and constant practice. These things are equally important for both beginners and professionals in any field.
About the author:
Melisa Marzett is a former journalist and lead guest article writer at resume edit service. Her passion for helping people and writing flows through all her works. Also, Melisa also practices meditation and yoga since recently and tries to think positive spreading positive vibes everywhere.
