Basic Web Design Tutorials for print designers

[chrisburton]

I hated it when I worked with it in WordPress but after using Kirby I started to really love it.

[nixnerd]

I’ve straight up scratch coded a ton of stuff in PHP and it just doesn’t FEEL right for me. You know what I mean? I really love Python though. It just speaks to me. Plus it plays really nice with my OS for scripting purposes.

It’s all about the person I suppose. I’m dying to learn C. That will be my next quest.

[chrisburton]

Completely understand. A lot of Type Designers swear by Python. I downloaded free videos from the Harvard library of CS and it really helped me understand some things I was struggling with. And it made me want to take this class. A bit too late now but I should have applied this summer. Maybe next year.

[__]

I love PHP because I didn’t know any better.
And I hate Python because it hid from me all those years.

@justinwhall, Joe_Temp is right. Your friend should learn HTML. If you’re going to learn HTML, learn HTML5. You don’t have to call it “5” if you don’t want to, but, no matter what you decide, there will be parts of HTML that work everywhere and other parts that don’t. (Or do, but completely different and idiotic ways from browser to browser.) It’s just life. There is absolutely no reason to intentionally exclude the “new stuff.”

Tackle CSS next.
Then JavaScript.

Looking for more of a best practices when creating PSD mockups.

There are no such “best practices.” Photoshop is for designing graphics. While there are graphics on most websites, websites are not graphics. And while converting PSD mockups into a html and css is a marketable skill, you won’t be good at it unless you are already good at HTML and CSS. (Plus, it’s a tedious, thankless job.)

Wireframes > PSDs > Development. That’s how any agency or contractor worth of aptitude works.

I disagree. Most reasons have been cited.

… designers coming over from print need to start with leaning the basic principles of the web that are different than print.

Absolutely. Those basic principles are HTML, and then CSS. Starting anywhere else is a waste of time. Now, Joe_Temp’s claim that it only takes a day probably won’t apply to everyone. But you can pick up the basics fairly quickly, and then all you need to do is keep a reference sheet (and Google) on-hand.

Um, thanks. Wait, sorry, that was a not helpfull at all.

Be happy. It is helpful. No one is attacking you.

[nixnerd]

Do you attend Harvard @chrisburton?

[chrisburton]

@Joe_Temp No. I’ll be applying to Cornell Law after I finish my undergrad. Taking a few classes there during the summer won’t hurt my résumé, though.

[nixnerd]

No doubt dude. Cornell Law… what a little pimp you are.

[justinwhall]

I disagree. Most reasons have been cited.

Not really.

I don’t disagree the web designers should be competent in UI development. I’m hearing a lot of “the wireframe -> PSD ” process should die. Well, that’s all well and good but that fact of the matter is clients want to know what their site is going to look like.

What’s you’re alternative workflow? Design in browser then show customer. This ultimately leads to a million emails phones along the lines of.

“Ahhhhh, the form isn’t working”

“The links don’t work!”

“What’s that latin?!?!”

Etc, etc…

I’m really not arguing for the PSD workflow but the above situation(s) is a real drag on productivity – especially for a freelance developer like myself and there is still a place for straight up designers out there – I work out of a co-work place and there is a girl there who is just this and works for Automattic.

@joe_temp – No hard feelings. Although I live in Denver, I’m from Boston. You can’t really dish out sarcasm and expect anything but the same back from our kind.

Also, I went to state Skool. My spelting is just fine :)

[nixnerd]

Believe me when I say… I don’t want to jack this thread. But… I’d be interested to know what type of law you plan to study practice. Obviously that might change based on the connections you make and the things you get passionate about in school.

But for now, what type of law are you interested in? Did you major in Poli Sci and or Philosophy?

Edit: This is for @chrisburton

[nixnerd]

You can’t really dish out sarcasm and expect anything but the same back from our kind.

You know what I’m noticing? Without even trying, I really piss off East Coasters. I lived on the East Coast briefly and they did not take kindly to me. Also, there was another dude from Boston I knew here in Denver and I REALLY rubbed him the wrong way. Ha ha ha. That’s so awesome you’re from Boston.

[nixnerd]

What’s you’re alternative workflow?

I’m a freelance and here is my workflow:

Wireframes if I feel like it > Design in browser locally > Push to Github when it’s show-able > Put on test server > Tell the client to deal with it because I’m the professional… not them. I actually use the fact that I don’t do mockups as a point of distinction.

[chrisburton]

Believe me when I say… I don’t want to jack this thread. But… I’d be interested to know what type of law you plan to study practice. Obviously that might change based on the connections you make and the things you get passionate about in school.

But for now, what type of law are you interested in?

Currently I am interested in corporate litigation. However, I, without a doubt, want to volunteer for The Innocence Project. Different fields but I find the stories to be inspiring and shocking.

Did you major in Poli Sci and or Philosophy?

Business.

Favorite quote:

Why gamble with money when you can gamble with people’s lives. – Primal Fear (1996)

[nixnerd]

Business.

That’s perfect for corporate litigation then.

The Innocence Project

The innocence project is awesome. It would be super great if you worked with them.

[__]

Well, that’s all well and good but that fact of the matter is clients want to know what their site is going to look like. […] What’s you’re alternative workflow?

I can still show them pictures. In fact, when designing in the browser, screenshots are really easy. And no, when a client asks to see an unfinished site, I don’t usually get complaints about it not being finished yet.

This ultimately leads to a million emails phones along the lines of.
“Ahhhhh, the form isn’t working”
“The links don’t work!”
“What’s that latin?!?!”

For the most part, my clients communicate by email. I tell them emails are always free; send as many as you want. I do replies in the AM and in the PM, weekdays. If someone wants to discuss things on the phone, they get time built-in to their project to do so, and if they talk too much, it’s billable.

As to the specific complaints, forms and links don’t work on PSDs, either. And Latin is still Latin.

But lorem ipsum can always have a lead-in sentence. “Your company profile will go here when the site is done. Until them, this is some placeholder text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet…”

If it is a major milestone of a larger project, or which several people might be looking at, you can also use javascript to take the place of unfinished functionality. For example, when you click on a link to an unfinished page, alert( 'this link will go to page X, where your visitors will be able to blahblahblah… );` In fact, building out a concept design in this way is helpful for me as well, because I can build the page out with mock functionality and be sure that everything is set up and ready for “the real thing.”

However, this question doesn’t really follow the “basic web design” topic. “The basics” are HTML.

there is still a place for straight up designers out there – I work out of a co-work place and there is a girl there who is just this and works for Automattic.

I’m not saying that the “web designer” job doesn’t exist. Quite the opposite; I think it exists too much. I am not speaking down on the designer, but on the job. (And, if this particular girl has a great, fulfilling job, all the better: but this is not the standard.) As the web advances, agencies that use this model are increasingly becoming quantity-over-quality mills, where everyone is competing to do the most work for the least pay. I don’t feel that’s right.

Designing HTML with HTML makes sense. Designing with HTML is not complicated. (It’s certainly not more complicated than photoshop.) If one enjoys it, they will likely discover an aptitude as well; from there they can advance very quickly on their own merit.

[nixnerd]

@Paulie_D @TheDoc,
I don’t know what @muratdniz’s deal is but these posts don’t seem legit.

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