Web design for beginners. How?

[Kraenen]

What is a "clean" language and how is Python clean? I'd think C/C++ is a clean language

[mikeakanice]

What is a "clean" language and how is Python clean? I'd think C/C++ is a clean language

Python really is gimicky anyway. Start off with Java. It's a good language to learn for beginners.
Once you're done with that go after C, C++, c#. I think Microsoft has a new programming language called typescript or something. But that would be down the road for her.

[OzoAndIndi]

She asked me for advice on how to start learning about web design and although I am in no means someone that can give expert advice on the matter, I do know that there are nowadays tons of web creation technologies.

While people could try to self teach that sort of thing, to actually be good at it though a lot of people would be helped by taking some courses, of which usually aren't too hard to find, and graphics knowledge I assume would probably be a plus. Nothing worse than a website that looks like it's from 1995 or a business site that looks cheap. I don't personally trust cheap looking business sites.

[Xs]

I'd recommend she start off with editing forums/blog sites if shes interested in the design side, that gets you a good understanding of how the mechanics of CSS work and a base understanding of HTML and how the elements fit together. This will get you your ground knowledge in the industry and let you know if you're cut out for it.

Then move onto making your own basic website, just a shitty portfolio page or a guild web page that doesn't really matter, doesn't even have to be online. If you do this and use w3schools to look up any extra tags you want to use or how to expand your knowledge of existing tags, you'll actually truly learn the skills, rather than just reading a book or doing an interactive online test thing, which you may well not remember.

Then move onto the more complicated stuff, start looking into the files that make up the popular software packages we see on the web today (WordPress, PHPbb etc.) and look at how the PHP works behind those, start to understand how the different parts and different languages mesh together, and how they compliment each other, what their strengths are.

Thats the point at which I'd suggest looking at some actual learning material, read some stuff about PHP/database management and then put it into practice in a few different types of site. Doesn't have to be good looking, just has to function and do the job, get that down. At this point I'd also recommend making sure you're (X)HTML and CSS certified, this can be done with an easy course that'll cost you maybe $30 online, from what ever your local system can provide.

This is also where I'd look at working alone side someone else, getting an internship if you can swing it (don't be scared of not being officially educated, you've made a lot of examples of your work, and if you've kept your portfolio up to date then you can easily show that off) the amount of industry BS and bandaiding you can learn from being in a company is priceless, biggest thing it taught me at this point was to stop giving a shit about 100% perfect code, because ultimately with the people you're selling to, if you can knock off a few hours work and have it still work perfectly fine, they don't care and your profit goes up very quickly.

This is unfortunately where my career in web design haulted, so I can't go into any other languages like ASP, Python, Ruby etc. and how heavily they're used or worth learning, but also by this point your friend should know if shes interested in the field enough to put up with all the shit that it brings.

TL;DR: Skin forums > Skin WordPress > Make WordPress/Forum Widget > Edit PHP/Database behind that > Get certified > Learn the 'reality' of the industry

[singleboy56]

Thanks, nice ideas for beginners in web designing

[Independent voter]

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[Isoz]

I know there are better forums to ask this question, but I also know we have quite a lot of nerds lurking here

So, the question I have is:
I have a friend that wants to make a career change and she is considering something in programming or web design. She asked me for advice on how to start learning about web design and although I am in no means someone that can give expert advice on the matter, I do know that there are nowadays tons of web creation technologies.

I think she should dive into the deep end and learn programming. Probably Javascript and then maybe PHP in order to use some of the PHP frameworks that are available. I would like her to learn a clean language like Python, but I am not sure how much that is used in web design at the moment.

So, I would like to know what the experts here suggest she starts with? She wants to buy a book and work slowly through it - any suggestions on a good beginners book?

Thanks!

i started off making websites as a hobbie, googled some tutorials for beginners took me less than a week to learn html & css, picked up my 1st client 2 weeks after that made a easy £500 for a basic responsive site ( wasnt my choice on price lol ), started studying it properly at college in august now learning javascript. its really easy to pick up the knowledge and skills to get started, theres no need to buy any books for it all the info she needs is on the web, good site like lynda.com has some free tutorials or teamtreehouse.com ( which costs but has some good videos).

[Deleted]

I personally used http://www.codecademy.com/ to learn how to make websites, lots of exercises! I also get information from w3schools, it's probably the best compendium out there, but no real exercises.

Although, I'd recommend your friend to not focus on websites, it's fun, but it's very low pay. Other programming languages are much more promising. Perhaps Java or C/C++?

[Richard30]

Hi!
First, please read a good book on web design for beginners, such as "Web Design for dummies". Good luck!

[Kuntantee]

Design and programming are two different expertise. Not sure about designing websites, but being a good programmer requires immense effort.

What is a "clean" language and how is Python clean? I'd think C/C++ is a clean language

C++ is bloated with features for the sake of maintaining back compatibility. From that perspective, it's far from being clean. In terms of readability, however, C++ leaps a head if written properly; becomes a nightmare in the hands of an inexperienced C++ programmer. C seems elegant at first (excluding macros). Minimal number of keywords and features. A small but robust tool set. When you start programming in moderately big projects, the code can be mess far easier than it would in C++.

I have never written Python but that language uses indentation for scoping, that's a weirdo right there.