I am currently working in IT as an A+, Network+ certified support specialist in a small consulting firm. I am looking to expand my options by transitioning to web site design and maintenance with the goal of eventually designing and maintaining sites for people as my own business venture. I did an internship several years back with some html coding but otherwise, need all info. I can get. i.e. what do I need to concentrate on for the basics (courses), should I try to get certified and which certifications, any recommendations for programs (online or otherwise), and how quickly can I get the basics so I can begin to do entry-level web work. Any input will be greatly appreciated and I look forward to learning all I can from this forum. Thanks.
blix
Busy posted this at 08:32 — 28th February 2005.
He has: 6,157 posts
Joined: May 2001
Welcome to TWF.
You don't need any courses to do what you want to do, really you just need to understand what it all does (the tags). You can use a plain text editor (like notepad) or a fancy text editor with syntac highlighting, search and replace .. (like editpad pro and others) or can use editors like dreamweaver - each to their own but starting hand coding will put you ahead of anyone jumping straight to editor as you'll know what and why the tags are doing what they are doing.
Practice is the key, just jump in and do it. make a site (personal) about you, your family, your pets, your hobbies ... you don't even need to publish them on the net, just on your pc, although uploading will help solve a few common problems like the wrong directory path for images and links (editors tend to use the full pc path).
good luck
<?bhb if(broken){ echo("It wasn't me
"); } ?>
Learn HTML the ez way - EzHTML.net
Some people are like slinkies, they dont really serve any purpose but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs ...
JeevesBond posted this at 12:48 — 28th February 2005.
He has: 3,710 posts
Joined: Jun 2002
You may also want to consider whether you actually have design talent, being technically gifted helps but a passion for design is even more important!
Indeed, welcome to TWF :wave: make sure you come back and show us the work you do, we can help and guide you in the right direction!
a Padded Cell our articles site!
timjpriebe posted this at 13:59 — 28th February 2005.
He has: 2,666 posts
Joined: Dec 2004
I was reading a marketing book the other day (one of the Guerilla Marketing series) and the author said something I found interesting. He said that as a small business owner, you're not just in your business (ie the web design business). You're also in the marketing business and the people business.
Just something to keep in mind if you do try to do the job full time.
Tim
http://www.tandswebdesign.com
Megan posted this at 14:30 — 1st March 2005.
She has: 10,288 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
Yes, totally, and a lot of freelancers will tell you that they spend more time on the business side than they do actually designing. You need to be able to get yourself work, first of all, and manage the paperwork, legalities, taxes, and all of the business stuff required. That's why I'm not a freelancer!
My best advice is to hang around here. You'll learn a lot about what you need to know and where to learn it. For software, you'll probably want to invest in one of the suites from either Macromedia or Adobe. Macromedia would probably be a good starter kit - Dreamweaver and Fireworks would be enough to get you going. If you have the money, purchase Adobe's photoshop as well. For photoshop especially consider taking a course at a local community college. That will get you up to speed more quickly than you could on your own. Books are a good way to learn as well.
Megan
My web design blog
dojo posted this at 22:27 — 28th February 2005.
She has: 87 posts
Joined: Dec 2004
You'll have to ask around and read some tuts and guides.
You can visit Webmaster Tips & Tricks a project I've made for web designers. I've gathered some resources and links. You'll also find some other good sites and the people here will gladly guide you.
Welcome and good luck.
Webmaster Tips & Tricks - unique web development articles, ideas and information. Now with free downloads
jackprior posted this at 14:46 — 2nd March 2005.
They have: 5 posts
Joined: Mar 2005
I'm also just starting out in the webmaster business and look forward to reading everything here!