Best way to go about learning web design for reals

[pugwatcher]

Hey guys,

Sorry, I know this is a support forum but I figured this would be a good crowd to ask. Right now I work as a print design and while I do create web content and build the OCCASIONAL website (they are kinda lacking)-I feel like I’m lacking the proper foundation (I FEEL really disorganized and directionless when building a site) and technical knowledge to make a legit site.

It being 2011 and all, I’m feeling increasingly like if I don’t know web design properly I’m gonna have a pretty hard time getting a job with health insurance and a decent work environment in the design industry. Please correct me if you think I’m wrong…

If you think I’m right, how would you suggest going about learning webdesign the proper way. Go to school? Cut down work hours and read books and practice by building? Apprentice for a designer (ask friends who are designers to teach me)? I’m really weighing the pros and cons of going to school and I’m looking for expert opinions..

Thanks!!!

[iMattR]

There’s not really any way to truly learn how to design websites aside from looking at different methods that you like, and trying to replicate them in whatever software you use – personally, I use either Photoshop or Fireworks.

Honestly, just sit down sometime, take a look at some websites you like and try to re-do the design in photoshop – learn from the techniques you use, and then put everything into one design.

Also, when you’ve done your first design that you’re proud of, post it online to get constructive criticism and learn from any mistakes that you make. :D

[mrtphotog]

I’m looking for the same thing. I am a freelancer doing Photoshop work.. but I keep getting pulled into doing website design. I see a lot out there I don’t know well yet. HTML5, CSS3, jquery 960 grid. I also notice that there is a lot of really fancy animation and graphics followed by having to jump through hoops to get it to work(or at least fail politely) in IE6. I feel like such a noob when I have to look up something like webkit. My immediate goal is to be able to take a design in Photoshop and create a them layout in CSS for Thematic or some other framework like it. And be able to make valided CSS. My stuff works.. but does not validate.. not even close. It’s a kludge.

[OniLinkCR]

Would start with books. To me books lay the solid foundations that you later get via articles, forums and communities. But you need to get the solid foundations of how it works. Animations, Webkit, etc come later. You first need to be able to “scan” a site, any site and see “invisible” lines of blocks of content and know how to position them if you were the designer.

[mustafa]

http://www.lynda.com is really good for learning the technology, i would say design something in photoshop or fireworks without thinking about how you are going to recreate it, then once your done try and code it. If you have any problems, you can always come here etc :) stack overflow is also a good place to ask technical questions. One piece of advice though, don’t get your head stuck into the technology, design how you want first. Otherwise you could spend lots of time learning how to animate circles with javascript forgetting to design in the process.

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