30 Tips to Learn Web Design

Is learning the fundamentals of website design still on your “someday” list? Why haven’t you started yet? This month, we’ve compiled a list of 30 suggestions and resources to get you started learning web design (and maybe even discover a new career path!)

Graphic designers, print designers, and creatives who want to learn something new or break into the world of website design need to quit delaying. Every day that you don’t make that first stride puts you further behind the curve.

Here’s how to get started on your journey to becoming a web designer in just 30 days! Follow these steps by web design Toronto team to learn how to build your first website, industry best practices, and more and all in only 30 days!

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1. Start a Website

The best approach to learn web design is to get started doing it. Starting a personal project, such as a blog, allows you to explore new things without risking your job.

You don’t have to begin with a huge website or a weird design; start small. Experiment with the website and figure out what makes things tick. (And check the code so you can get familiar with what’s making your website run.)

Do you want to get started right away? To begin, create your visual sitemap. Then, as you learn the concepts and building blocks of a website, any website builder can assist you with a beautiful website design while also providing you a head start on learning how to construct websites.

2. Read Everything You Can

Continue reading. Because you’ve come to this blog, it’s likely that you’re accustomed to keeping track of the latest developments in the field of design. Continue reading.

Follow designers you like on social media to get more information. Read everything you can about website design, trends, and techniques so that you may apply them effectively in your own work.

Also, keep an eye out for related material. Read about the fundamentals to learn some code, read about design theory and read tutorials and current articles on your website design reading list.

3. Be An Effective Communicator

If you aren’t the greatest orator, practice your communication skills. Communication is a key component of website development.

When it comes to customer support, there are many variables that users may not be aware of. For instance, while website designers must understand what problem the design is intended to address and communicate those solutions, they also must implement them.

4. Subscribe to Tuts+ & Envato Elements

Consider a subscription to Envato Elements, which includes the excellent Tuts+ learning resource as well.

Tuts+ offers a variety of graphic and web design courses, from simple principles to the most advanced methods and innovations. It’s entirely self-paced and taught by expert instructors. You’ll also get access to Envato Elements, which is an excellent resource for finding visuals, templates, and more to use in your web design projects.

5. Think in HTML

HTML, or hypertext markup language, is a key component of website creation. HTML is the structure on which websites are built and once you’ve mastered it, you’ll have a deeper understanding of website design.

You could simply use W3Schools’ HTML starting tutorial, which has hundreds of HTML examples to play with on the screen to see what happens and exactly how it works. (It may be more natural than you think.)

6. Play with Code at Codeacademy

However, while HTML is a good foundation, you may learn almost any programming language. The free curriculum provides you with exercises and games to practice coding.

You can take lesson whenever you want and wherever you are, and resume where you left off. Choose a topic to master: web development, programming, data science – or any other language – HTML & CSS (a wonderful place to start), Python, Java, SQL, Ruby, and more).

7. Learn to Understand CSS

CSS, or cascading style sheets, dictate how a document written in HTML, or XML and SVG is presented.

CSS specifies how things should appear on a screen, on paper, in speech, or any other medium.

Mozilla provides a nice collection of CSS resources to get started with, including a thorough explanation of how CSS works, including selectors and properties, writing CSS rules, applying CSS to HTML, how to define length, color, and other units in CSS, cascade and inheritance, box model fundamentals, and debugging CSS. After that comes the topic of styling text and working with fonts.

8. Apply Your Design Skills to the Web

Consider the skills you already have and the ideas you already know that might be applied to website design. The methods that make something visually appealing don’t differ depending on the medium, so all of that design theory will come in useful in the digital world as well.

Having a design background is an enormous benefit, even if code isn’t your thing. What good is a well-coded website if no one wants to use it?

9. Pay Attention to Websites You Love

Take notice of websites that you enjoy. What about them attracts you? (And how can you learn to replicate those aspects?) Take note of the following:

  • Typography
  • Navigation
  • Use of images and space
  • Design of forms
  • Animation and scroll effects

10. Draw a Wireframe

A wireframe is a web designer’s brainstorming. In its most basic form, a wireframe is a sketch of the website’s content. It isn’t about the appearance of the design; it’s about the information structure within it. A wireframe isn’t really concerned with how this design looks; rather, it focuses on how things

11. Take Some Time to Learn Sketch

Sketch is a vector drawing program for Mac that makes it simple to design components. Designers are using Sketch to create UI elements and repeat design blocks in order to save time.

It’s jam-packed with plugins and allows you to export code for easy usage and access. It’s one of the most potent, and popular, programs since Adobe’s Creative Suite, so it’s definitely worth your time.

12. Stay Up to Date with Technology

Keeping up with such a large number of new technologies and trends might be tough. However, you must make an effort to stay on top of these changes.

Tackle them one at a time and start with technologies that are the most directly related to the work you do. Begin by learning about bots if you have a website with online chat. Play around with 360-degree video if you produce a lot of video content.

Artificial intelligence and virtual or augmented reality are among the most complicated technologies, but they will eventually be incorporated into website design. You should at least be aware of what they are and how they might be used.

13. Get Comfortable with SEO

Many web designers believe that an SEO specialist can simply get a website ready for search engines to read, but there is substantial design work involved with SEO.

The designer should incorporate search thinking into their workflow by incorporating SEO tactics such as image uploads, code cleanliness, and meta descriptions on pages and components.

This is something that freelancers, in particular, must be aware of. This is especially important for freelancers since most clients are smart enough to request an SEO-optimized website. If you work alone, it’s critical that you know enough to build a solid foundation on which Google can understand (and recommend the client to an SEO expert if further work needs to be done).

14. Play with a Website Builder

A website builder may be a wonderful resource for learning about best practices and how to get started with website construction.

The majority of these applications come with a large number of templates to help you customize things and even add code snippets. For simple websites, many website builders provide a free plan that allows you to build a personal portfolio page or basic website as a playground for yourself.

Use a website builder to make the process easier. Start with the basics: choose a template and an HTML/CSS editor, and then pick apart the components of the website builder. Look at how they’re designed and coded to get a sense for how it all works together. You’ll be astonished by what you can figure out simply deconstructing another website.

15. Find a Mentor

Is there a web designer with whom you work who you respect? Take them out to lunch and ask them about the sector.

Finding a mentor who is willing to work with you and assist you in thinking about the field and how to learn web design on your own may be really helpful. While it’s possible to find a mentor on an internet community, nothing beats getting face-to-face with a live person from time to time. (Perhaps there should be both online and offline mentorships?)

16. Want to Do Something? Google It

Find the answer to your web design problem on Google for the not-so-novice learner. There are so many instructional videos and tutorials accessible that can help you solve almost any issue – or solution.

The goal is to find what you need to know and look to a trustworthy source for the answer. Here’s another piece of advice when it comes to tutorials and films – newer material is more likely to provide you with a better, more thorough, and more relevant response. (Remember that some of this stuff is changing rapidly.)

17. Pay Attention to the User Experience

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of user experience design. You must anticipate it and understand it.

The best way to learn user experience design is to carefully read the documentation for whatever product you’re using (e.g., WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla), and then create several test users who can find flaws in your project. Actively seek out feedback from the people around you as well so that you know what others think of your work.

18. Create Without Color

Begin each design without color. A fantastic designer once told me that if your design works in black and white, it will also work in color.

It’s possible that this can’t always be true, but it’s a wonderful place to start.

Designing in black and white allows you to identify areas of contrast and how they interact. You’ve removed any emotional connections color may make or eye movement because of it. Before you finalize anything, this basic design form will tell you whether it works as a concept.

19. Learn to Love Google Fonts

Your friend, Google Fonts. Even if you don’t care for Google, being able to look for, sort, and choose typefaces that you know will work in website designs is beneficial. You don’t have to worry about licensing or whether typefaces are compatible with specific browsers.

The drawback is that you’re stuck with what’s available in the Google Fonts library. However, if you try hard enough, you’ll be able to discover something that will suit almost every project. It will save you a lot of time in the long run.

20. Pick Apart a UI Kit

Examine the user interface or icon kit for any problems. Look at how online design elements are built. Take note of the dimensions and grid, as well as color combinations and file arrangement in Photoshop or Illustrator.

Look for a kit that includes components in multiple formats for high-resolution displays. (Downloading a lot of JPEGs isn’t going to help you much.) Make or customize one or two elements of your own.

21. Become a Typographer

The type of a website is important, especially on the internet, where space and many elements compete for a user’s attention. The importance of good typography cannot be overstated. Understanding the principles of how to combine type components and create engaging text blocks is crucial because it helps you to better understand why great online content works.

22. Jump into JavaScript

When you’re getting comfortable with web design, put yourself to the test and learn JavaScript again. It is the most important language on the internet, after HTML and CSS.

JavaScript is a software that allows designers to create complicated features and interactions on the web. It’s what makes a slider move or a parallax effect spin.

23. Update Your Portfolio

Make sure to include web design projects in your portfolio after you begin working on the web. This simple procedure will allow you to demonstrate and others that web design is part of your skill set.

A fresh portfolio can assist potential clients in determining your “style.” Make sure to include samples of layouts, colors, typefaces, and methods that demonstrate your abilities.

24. Challenge Yourself

With so many shortcuts and code snippets to assist you fix almost any website problem, don’t get lazy. Remember to keep learning new skills, software, and techniques and enhancing your web design game every day.

One of the most important things to know about this business is that it’s always evolving; there’s always something new to learn or attempt.

25. Maximize Your Experience

Get going and create. To be a web designer, you must first design websites.

Begin with something modest, but engage in tasks with others. Make an effort to join a team at work on a project. Create a simple website for a friend. The more experience you have creating websites, the better and faster you’ll get.

26. Ask for Feedback

Use your network to get feedback on your website design projects, no matter how modest you think they are. Even if you don’t like it, listen to what people have to say.

Aside from aesthetics, did the person offering feedback give any ideas for improving the website’s functionality? Could they comprehend the site’s objective quickly? Did they feel a connection to the message?

27. Keep Learning New Things

You only need to keep practicing, experimenting, and learning new things in order to become a fantastic website designer. Make an effort to network and interact with individuals in the sector so that you are aware of current methodologies and visual trends.

If you’re interested in website design, you’ve most likely been doing it for a while. However, this is an ever-changing industry, and it’s changing almost every day. Simply ask anyone who is involved in it.

28. Explore an Alternative Design Style

While many designers use Photoshop or Illustrator to create their designs, explore using other tools. Try out SVG graphics with Adobe Flash Professional, Canvas in HTML5, CSS3 transforms and transitions, prototyping in Quartz Composer… the list goes on.

Tools are developing all of the time to assist us work faster, so it’s important to keep up with the latest web design trends.

29. Get Involved

Being involved in the online community can be an extremely rewarding experience for any website designer, especially since designers are typically introverts who prefer working alone. Getting out there and talking about what you do is a simple way to get inspired and learn from others in the field.

30. Try Something New Every Day

Take a day and learn something new about website design, even if it’s just one thing. Read an article; download a free trial of a software; share your knowledge with someone else; attend an event; or watch a video tutorial… anything that helps you improve your skills.

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