How to learn Web Design? begginer to pro?

whatsamsn

I've messed around with web design and photoshop in my time. Want to actually get better tho. Properly trained.


Does one need to goto college and learn every in and out?
or can one do those short courses, and learn more in their own time?

I guess what I am asking is web design something that you have to have something on paper from a college or training school. Or is it like most things in life, you learn most of the things yourself?

cheers.

worc

No idea about what the quality of courses are like but (I'm pretty sure) everything you need to know is online.

Good place to start might be W3Schools.

whatsamsn

Thanks Worc

so if a person applied themself, and really learned the in's and out's.
One could get a job in the web design market?

or will going to a college and getting that degree always be essential?

lil_lisa

Usually employers like to see some sort of degree or certificate relating to computers or the web but if they're hiring you for web design, they will want to see work on the web, like an online portfolio. So, if you really apply yourself and work at it, get some sites online, and there's never harm in a course (maybe on a server-side technology) then a job in the web design market is quite possible.

Pixelcraft

It's ALL portfolio. No-one gives a monkeys if you've a computer science degree without understanding any principles of design.

Placebo

Pixelcraft wrote: »

It's ALL portfolio. No-one gives a monkeys if you've a computer science degree without understanding any principles of design.

What is this based on ?

cormee

Pixelcraft wrote: »

It's ALL portfolio. No-one gives a monkeys if you've a computer science degree without understanding any principles of design.

It's 50/50 in my opinion.

Very few organisations will hire a web designer with no technical skills because any designer will have to have an understanding of the constraints placed on their designs by technical limitations. And then the reverse of that is no organisation should hire a technical developer for a design role.

Ireland however isn't a very design-conscious country so you do get some techies ending up in roles as web designers.

But at the end of the day the person who is going to get the job is the person who has the best combination of experience and portfolio. Qualifications probably aren't that important if you have that combination but I wouldn't say "no-one gives a monkey's" about qualifications, I'd say they come in in third place.

Pixelcraft

Sorry i was responding to the question of qualifications, obviously experience is important, but that would be illustrated in a portfolio

p

You can teach yourself, however going to college doing a degree in design will help you immensely in getting to the required level. Also, it'll be a lot of fun.

whatsamsn

Thanks for getting back guys

I've been learning alot about web design the last good while. But its only bits and bobs, here and there.

So whats web design as a career tho?
am i right to believe you can money 3 ways?:

- working for a company as a designer. or web master.
- creating your own business.
- nixers. doing the odd work for people who need sites.

sheesh

first of all can you need to sort out what you want to do.
there is web design which is about designing pages it is all about learn the fundementals of how design works and how the creative process works in creating design it is visual.

then there is web enginneering which is about html, scripting languages, app development.

very few are good at both design or enginneering as someone above pointed out you could learn the engineering stuff off w3schools but you might need a good course or work experience to learn best practice.

My opinion is that if you want to become a designer you should do a design course. To be a good designer you need to be involved in crit sessions that questions your design choices. you will need to do that in industry as well when dealing with clients.

if you think that you might be more an engineering type of person a web development course would be in order where they would explain web architechture. try learning html youself then get yourself a book on php and try that.

IrishCalypso

After 4 yrs of college doing MM & IT my 13yo daughter can do more than I can just from "playing". There is a lot of time wasting in full time college. I would recommend more short courses on specific subjects.