How To Learn Website Design And Development
Finding your website design and development destination can be overwhelming, which is why we have designed this article to help. Here are the tips that will make you a happier and better designer and developer.
1. Focus on your ultimate goal
Before moving forward with any project, ask yourself what project you would be most proud of and what product you would want to share it with. Moving forward, ask yourself how much time you’d want to spend on this project, how much you’d pay for it, and whether you think others would enjoy it or find it useful.
If there is a specific website design or development domain you feel extremely passionate about, consider starting a side career as a web professional to support yourself while still getting stuff done. You will still get stuff done, but not unless you take the time to look at what other people are doing and feel comfortable in your own work.
Read blog posts
Reading is one of the most fundamental tasks in learning web design and development. There are many free resources for reading, from podcasts to short blog posts. You can also choose to read longer books that take years to master.
Many great designers and developers advise readingblogs to learn new techniques and ideas. Most of them are very detailed and have a lot of tips and tricks to share.
Of course, you can’t always read every blog post or every chapter of a book, but you can learn a lot by reading small pieces.
Many great designers and developers say that they don’t designs because they had to learn how to do them in writing. Writing is a skill that needs to be developed, not mastered on your own.
Take a website design class
In most cases, you can learn website design and development without taking a professional class. However, there are a lot of resources for new designers and developers if they do not have a class.
You can watch many online classes, runetta-learns.com/classes is a great resource, and local universities offer their own web design classes as well.
Most recent projects typically only require the basic skills of design and development which includes writing code, creating images/ icons, and formatting text. Variables/loops/substitution tables are also common skills used in developing projects.
bullet point lift: Avoid project-based learning approaches (code-free)
Project-based learning approaches try to teach students how to develop by putting them into real situations where they need to solve problems and take action. These kinds of lessons can be very difficult for some due to lack of experience or guidance.
In these types of approaches, the student just takes the notes and tries their best but does not learn how to apply what they learned until after they finish the project.
Take a website development class
Even if you don’t have a background in web development, you can still learn how to create a website by taking a class. A class can be for both beginners and advanced users alike.
A great way to learn how to use the basics of programming on the server and client sides in tandem is through a class. A good class will include all levels of programming, which is why there are so many ways to learn website design and development.
There are many ways to take a class: go with a friend who wants to learn; take yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new; get introduced to the field through an event or conference. Whatever your desire is, there are lots of classes that can help you learn what you want in web design and development.
Build your own website
Building your own website is a great way to learn how to develop your own websites. It is also an easy way to start as newbie in the web development world. There are many platforms where you can go and start building your website.
Building your own website is something you can do in different ways. Some people start by taking a basic layout, adding some content, and adding a feature like hosting your site on your own domain or creating an affordable shared hosting account.
Others add their expertise such as a business site or an event site. Both of these can be very useful!
The most difficult part about building your own website is finding the right platform for you.
Learn HTML and CSS
Both HTML and CSS are great tools for developing websites. Both are coding languages, but only one can be used on your website.
HTML is the language of text, and CSS is the language of graphics. Thus, both can be used to design websites!
Both languages are very easy to use. Once you learn one, you can use the other to add a little flair to your website. Plus, you can even do both at the same time!
Many web designers offer the basics of HTML andCSS together.
Learn JavaScript
Less than one percent of all web applications ever deployed worldwide uses JavaScript. It has something to do with not knowing how to write good JavaScript, and/or not knowing how to write a good application without it.
Let’s go through the basics first. The most important concept when writing JavaScript is using the native functions. These are like keywords in a sentence, and when used with other pieces of code, can change that piece of code’s behavior.
Some functions you can use at any time, but others you must use in conjunction with other pieces of code. For example, adding a button must be done with the button() function, but if that button is going to be hidden before being clicked, then only its onClick() function should be used.
Learn WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular platforms for website design and development today. It allows you to create a simple site that looks great, runs smoothly, and stays up over time. There are many resources for you to learn it!
WordPress is not a hard language to learn. It is pretty forgiving if you do not know how to code. Most of the time, developers will let you know if your site looks good, runs smoothly, and/or sells but no one will ever tell you how to monetize your site!
WordPress was originally created as a way to run Guestbooks. You can now use it for any type of site because it is so versatile. Many new developers start by learning basic functions such as creating posts, links, and running an Interactive Widget. These can be done in very little time!
This does not mean that these functions are not important though! Once you learn them, you can move on to more advanced features.
Get a job as a web designer or developer
If you want to be a web developer or a designer, you should get a job as a designer or a developer. There are many jobs in the web design and development field, and they are in high demand.
The jobs are good, with great pay and demand. You can even start designing and developing websites for profit!
Job-hunting can be fun if you let yourself. Have fun while looking, don’t be too serious- this is business- this is stress!
Even if you don’t have any experience as a web designer or developer, there are plenty of ways to learn about the field and get started. Join the internet and your own job market today!
Have a shortlist of places that interest you but need to apply? No problem! Look into joining local groups or clubs to gain valuable industry experience.