How did you get started in website design?

Hi,

I am planning on going to school for website design in sept. and I was just curious at how other people had gotten their start designing websites, and how this has worked out for them. Did you take a course, if so which one? Do you find it enjoyable? Is there money to be made? Is this a highly competitive field?

I am going to take fireworks, dreamweaver, flash, html, illustrator, javascript and photoshop. Is there anything else you would recommend?

Thanks for your input in advance.

 

Hmm.. well at 1st i designed an html cum java website for my school.
den i carried that work and started with photoshop , and css and now its going on..!!

 

please add php and my sql server in list also for server side scripting..

 

I started learning HTML/CSS on my 11th because I wanted to make a fansite of some dull game.
And now, 4 years later, I'm at PHP/MySQL freelancing and starting C# too

NOTHING with school

 

I got into web design by being a generalist.

I did my first website when I was in 3rd grade. We used Microsoft front page for our sites back then. Fast forward to my 11th grade year, one of my cousins wanted a website built and he was paying, and, without really knowing what I was doing, I created my first website. Which was quite the abomination! http://endorphintoday.110mb.com

After that failure of a site, I began learning and improving upon my site designs and moved into things like my portfolio site: http://bjnix.110mb.com

I never took any classes at school because...well my school sucks.

There's a lot of money for graphic/web design I routinely design sites for different people in my area, and even create sites for the teachers here at school.

 

When I did my first site (personal site) I posted in on a forum looking for feedback, one of the first reviews was from an Interior Designer (of think it was 20 years), she said you have a real eye and a real gift you should start designing for other, her comments were backed up my many others (obviously felt extremely flattered), so I decided why not and then came the years of learning and hard work

Dee

 

Did my first site with Netscape Composer way back in 1997 Self-taught..

 

I first used Homestead until I found freewebs.

I make my own original layouts now.

 

I got into web design via an online writing community I was involved with. Some of us liked to decorate our pieces using rudamentary html (just putting the writing into dreaded tables, or changing the color stuff like that). I got the hang of it quite quickly and since I'm a somewhat logical person by nature the coding aspect just became an interest of mine.

Never looked back from there really.

 

Previously i used to work on html latter when i satrted using the wordpress its awesome tool for all new webmaster.

 

I took a programming course in .net but I got interested with php. I just found it cool that you could build something that everybody could see.

I'm still a programmer in day time and night time I'm a php web developer. As for design, well my website is not bad but nothing fancy. Everything is in css because I don't know how to work with photoshop.

For recommendations, I would have to say learn php/mysql. I know it's not exactly the same field but it's a great asset. Or you could find a buddy that knows php/mysql

 

10th grade. Making a damn blog, I dont even remember the url of.

 

I got into web design about 4 years ago and I basicly taught myself by mostly learning online, there are alot of good website tutorials out thereI would concentrate on html and photoshop first if I was you.

 

I actually started in design when I was 14 and very new and immature. I haven't taken any formal education and haven't been constant with my endeavors, there has been big breaks in between so I haven't learned much else other then HTML and CSS. I have pretty much mastered them so I am going to move on. From what I hear, it's important to learn things in this order:

X/HTML >> CSS >> Javascript >> PHP

Definitely learn PHP, it's very powerful!

 

I actually started as a Blogger, then wordpress and Joomla came into play, then started playing around with them for few weeks and started XHTML/CSS and after that I'm just loving it.

 

Seems like most of you are self taught. I have been going that route, but at times it is frustrating especially when you dont know how to do something and it takes a while to figure out. After I finish my course I would like to learn php - I heard it was incredibly boring, but I am willing to give it a shot. Thanks for all of your comments so far.

 

your staring tool is alright... you can move with it. I will suggest make basic concept about your thiking like you like to make a website for a football team then you need to think about what should a football team have in a website and then make a layout at your hand scratch and then take a look at photoshop to make the line and layout. When you will start then you will feel that how to use photoshop then you will search at google.com and use PSDTUTS where you will get some interesting tutorial and then to make your site site alive at online you can use HTML coding for that you can use w3schools.com so 1st try to learn yourself 1st then you can move for training.

 

I think this is enough,now select a site,after that try to build up a look a like site, But the content and color would be different. In this way get proceed.

 

I initially got started by doing simple updates to the website of the company I worked at. After I learned how to change text on the site, link to .pdfs etc., they asked me to create a registration form. After that they asked me to design a simple 5 page "micro" site about a new division they were launching. Finally I had someone I knew ask me if I could build a website for their business I got started with my first paid freelance project.

I would say the most important skills to have are PhotoShop and CSS. Buy an good tutorial book to learn Photoshop that takes you through some simple and fun projects.

The next step would be to learn some CSS, if you put the time into learning how to code CSS by hand you will really appreciate it in the future. This is the tutorial I used to learn CSS: subcide.com/tutorials/csslayout/ If you can get through that tutorial you will be off to a good start.

Money? Yes there can be good money in this field. You won't be paid as much as a programmer, but if you are good at what you do you can certainly have a decent paycheck, plus if you enjoy it the job it can be a rewarding creative outlet.

 

I started a law firm and needed a web presence. I took computer science courses at university and enjoyed it. I discovered that SEO and programming was just as important as legal knowledge.

I don't consider myself a professional just an attorney that knew he needed to learn the seo/programming game.