Web design. Where to start
From this article you will learn:
- What do you need to start learning web design?
- What programs should a web designer know?
- Top 5 books on studying web design and website design;
- Online platforms for learning web design;
- One of the most effective ways to learn web design from scratch;
- Social networks and their role in the study of web design.
What do you need to start learning web design?
To learn web design from scratch, you need to prepare to solve certain tasks. This is mainly due to the fact that this field of activity does not stand still and very often new tools appear, which are not always convenient and necessary. Even an experienced specialist does not always declare their need, and what can we say about a beginner… In addition, a designer must possess several graphic editors and understand the psychology of perception.
What programs should a web designer know?
The main task of a web designer is to create the outer shell of the site, so he must have 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 that allows you to correctly position elements and then group them into certain layers. After that, the layout is sent to a layout specialist and a 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. It has several differences from Adobe Illustrator, the main of which is the work on creating accurate geometric shapes.
In web design, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator programs are most often used, the tools of which are quite similar, but still have different purposes. If you want to become a real professional, then you will have to forget about creating banners and layouts using Paint.
Every beginner designer should not only know graphic editors, but also understand the entire layout process and the principles of the website management system, therefore, to begin with, you should learn HTML and CSS. If you make an effort and master Java Script with PHP (one of the main programming languages), it will be an additional “plus” in your growth as a specialist. Note that after starting to study the first two, you will master the rest much easier.
Due to the wide variety of information, everyone can choose the most convenient option: from video lessons on YouTube to educational and methodical literature.
We decided to collect the top 5 books for beginner web designers, which will help you learn the “basics” of website design, successfully applying them during self-study.
Top 5 books on studying web design and website design
We believe that at the stage of learning the basics of web design, the following programming books will best help:
Jeremy Keith. “HTML5 for Web Designers”
This book has long become a classic for those who want to learn the latest version of HTML in detail. The features and complexities of this language are described in detail on its pages. The development of the internal core and the design of convenient interfaces are the main directions in the field of site development.
Dan Cedarholm. “CSS3 for Web Designers”
After you have mastered the languages in which sites are designed, you can proceed to the next stage – learning the language of cascading style sheets. In web development circles, this section is called CSS. Thanks to this knowledge, you will be able to understand how the appearance of downloaded pages is managed. The main task is to minimize the loading time of a certain page. The book uses examples that will allow you to study in detail all the possibilities of CSS3.
Jennifer Robbins. “HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. Comprehensive guide”
Although the title of the book makes it look like a “monster”, it is still perfect for a beginner. It describes in clear language how to start learning from the very beginning, and high-quality illustrations will allow you to consolidate the information received. In addition, the book comes with a supplement – a disk on which you can find the necessary files that allow you to practically study the material presented in the lectures.
Steve Krug. “Web design, or Don’t make me think”
The book is a bestseller, which was republished by several well-known world publications. Not only the programming language plays a big role in the usability of the site, but above all “usability”. In other words, the ease of use of the site for the visitor. This book can be used not only by beginners in web design, but also by experienced professionals who want to design a really convenient and high-quality product.
Tim Kedlek. “Adaptive design. We make sites for any devices”
The time when users visited website pages exclusively from personal computers is long gone. Today, there are a lot of devices with different screen sizes – from mobile to PC devices. How the same site is displayed on different devices is of great importance.
Responsive design aims to develop a website that will be equally attractive and easy to use on different devices.
If we are talking about online stores , then without an 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 the differences that the same sites have when displayed on different devices.
This book discusses methods of adaptive layout, which will make the site convenient, modern and easy to use.
This list of books is a foundation that will help you study all stages of website design in more detail. But, if you want to become a real professional, in addition to this basis, you will need to supplement your knowledge with various additional materials every day. Below we list the most popular resources for obtaining the necessary knowledge.
Online platforms for learning web design
These sites contain a lot of useful information, which is updated daily with new verified material.
TreeHouse
A platform that is a leader among learning platforms. On it you can find content that will allow you to learn HTML, CSS, Javascript, as well as master the design of mobile applications for iOS.
The only drawback of the platform is that you will have to pay a monthly subscription to use it, but it is worth it.
After paying for the subscription, you will get access to various educational video lessons and additional opportunities: from master classes to participation in quizzes, which allow you to receive pleasant bonuses.
Codeacademy
This platform is also extremely popular all over the world, but it has a slightly different purpose. It contains educational material that allows you to learn the coding process using interactive examples. You will be able to learn HTML, CSS and PHP in practice. If the student makes a mistake in the learning process, the system gives comprehensive hints that allow you to understand why the wrong decision was made.
An ideal option for those who like not only theory, but also practice.
GeekBrains
Very convenient interface for users from the CIS. On it, you can learn many courses that reveal the stages of website design. The founders claim that their platform is designed so that anyone who wants to can start learning web development from scratch.
The advantage of this Internet resource is that both paid and free content is available.
One of the main ways to learn web design from scratch
If you do not want to register on a large number of platforms or do not want to pay for your education, then YouTube will be a great alternative – there is enough video content of different content (from practical to theoretical), which is available for free 24 hours a day! All you need is a registered Gmail inbox to be able to save the material that you find useful, as well as structure it.