If you have a strong passion for web design and wish to either take it up as a hobby or even a career path there are several things to consider to help get you on your way. In this article I will give you some basic tips on how to get started in the web design industry and familiarise yourself with some basic techniques and tools.
When starting out in web design it’s important to understand the various platforms and applications that you will be using throughout your time. This will build a basic understanding and give you confidence in your ability to deliver projects and meet your client’s needs. The best platform to start off with is WordPress, this uses pre-built templates and offers a very powerful content management system (CMS) for your clients. This means once you’re done developing the website for them they have the ability to log in and update it themselves instead of having to keep contacting you to provide updates. WordPress is extremely simple to use, have a look around the website and familiarise yourself with the plugins – some of them can save you a great deal of time!
When working with WordPress it’s not essential to know HTML and CSS however if you want to be able to edit templates and adjust themes it’s useful to have knowledge of these. The most important part of designing WordPress websites is the content; you need the right balance between being excessive and minimal. Go for a clean look with well thought out graphics, don’t overload your visitors with unnecessary content as this will drive them away.
As well as WordPress you should familiarise yourself with a graphics editor. The most popular is Adobe Photoshop however if you want something cheaper there are many suitable alternatives if you do a little research. Try some tutorials on compositing and simple image editing, you don’t need to be able to draw Picasso art, a basic understanding will suffice.
The key to web design is to make sure you’re learning all the time, YouTube is great for watching tutorials and there are many blogs out there with great advice. Follow this simple advice and you’ll be stepping down the road of the web designer in no time.