Learning web design is considered a great way to earn some extra income these days. Many people even manage to make it their full time job. Unfortunately, many more people start out trying to figure out web design, only to hit a major roadblock. Namely, learning web design isn’t something you can just pick up with no effort.
For the people who just want to learn a little bit of information in order to put together a personal web site, it’s not quite as important to get skilled training. Finding a few websites on basic web design and practicing in their spare time is plenty for what they want to do. However, if you’re wanting to turn web design into any kind of business, whether part time or full time, then it’s important to get solid web design training. Unfortunately, that hits a bit of a problem. Namely, what is the best way to learn web design? Is there an easy, online course you can take? Can you simply find a few websites and teach yourself?
What Is Web Design
First, it’s important to understand what web design actually is. Many people think web design is mostly a matter of ensuring a website looks pretty. They focus quite a bit on the actual images, where to place the images, and how to structure the images so it looks pleasing to the eye.
It’s true that appearance is a huge part of web design. After all, if your web site doesn’t look pretty, then no one will want to use it. However, if all you do is focus on how a web site looks, then you miss out on a huge portion of web design. Making a web site that focuses on appearance is like making a plate of food that focuses on appearance. It may look incredibly pretty, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good meal.
Similarly, a web site that looks pretty but is not very functional is a poorly designed web site. Thus, good web design is a matter of not only making a site look nice, but also making sure it’s functional and streamlined. Naturally, part of web design is the HTML code, or whatever other coding language you choose to use for the site. But it’s also a matter of knowing how to properly lay out drop down menus, where and how to insert hyperlinks, whether to use a sidebar menu or not, and many other tiny details that affect the function of a web site.
The Best Way To Learn Proper Web Design
You can certainly teach yourself web design, if you’re dedicated. There are a number of web sites out there that offer free instructions, and you can find a number of Youtube videos on the topic, as well. So if you want to go that route, you can. You may even have some success. Unfortunately, not everyone is really cut out to teach themselves a new skill, and trying to do so can often be quite difficult.
The better option is to find a reputable training site. There are several places on the web that offer actual instruction. They’ll not only give you access to training manuals and videos, but also to actual instructors. You’ll be able to talk directly with people who have the skills you need, and get the advice and information that will put you on the right path.
Learning proper web design isn’t difficult, but you do need to be dedicated. It’s not something you’ll simply pick up one afternoon. You have to go into the instruction with a mindset of really learning a new skill. If you do that, however, and you find good instruction, then you’ll be able to do well.