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| How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by afroxyz: 6:27pm On May 23, 2008 |
plz i would like to learn how to design websites. i recently collected some web desiginig softwares e.g dreamwaver, but i can't seem to understand it. is there anyway i can get something easier to understand? thanks |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by uspry1(f): 1:03am On May 24, 2008 |
Google to find dreamweaver tutorial. There are lot helpful tools out there---Free, some are fee to pay. First you need to learn basically on introduction to HTML using your Dreamweaver software (your HTML editor) that is found at http://www.w3schools.com |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by WebJunior(m): 12:08pm On May 24, 2008 |
Go back to basic, good old frontpage express.  |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by Usiola(m): 5:11pm On May 24, 2008 |
try out microsoft frontpage or microsft publisher, macromedia dreamweaver is a little advanced and not reccomended for beginners. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by A2J(m): 9:09pm On May 26, 2008 |
I will also recommend http://www.w3schools.com |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by lekywhite(m): 6:22pm On May 27, 2008 |
all the advice are good, but i think it will be better if you get yourself trained by an expert or go to a training school. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by yawatide(f): 8:28pm On May 28, 2008 |
b/w google and apprenticeships, you should be good to go. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by SamMilla1(m): 10:50pm On Jun 02, 2008 |
It depends on the level of your knowledge about computer. Buying dreamweaver wouldnt do u anY good if you dont know the basics. Just like someone said up there, start with frontpage. Feel free to ask questions here or at [url=http://.com/index.php/topic,444.0.html] Getting Started To Learn Web Design[/url] |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by mexabet(m): 10:13am On Jun 03, 2008 |
Hi afroxyz, From a professional point of view, I will advise you to stick with Dreamweaver, no matter how intimidating it might seem in the beginning. Dreamweaver has a wealth of help topics right inside the software. Everything you need to achieve in web designing/application development is explained there in details. Just be patient and read the "Help" topics first. Dreamweaver is challenging but it has proven to be the standard editor, so far. You can also get additional help by visiting websites that teach how to use Dreamweaver. For example, type "Dreamweaver tutorials" into Google search input box, and you will see that hundreds of web links will appear. As well, before graduating to Dreamweaver, you can start learning basic HTML by visiting sites that post such tutorials on the web. Search for "basic HTML tutorials" using Google and you would be overwhelmed with the number of links that would come up. You would be ready for Dreamweaver after learning basic HTML from those online sources, as Dreamweaver doesn't teach you such elementary basics. Just a clue, Dreamweaver will not teach you: <html> <head> <title>The Title Of Your Web Page.</title> </head> <body> This is where the Header, the Main Content and the Footer of your Web page should be. </body> </html> But without pulling punches, and with due respect, I disagree with the advice to learn web designing with Microsoft Publisher first. Publisher is not a professional tool for web designing. I have toyed around with it in the past. It has only a graphical interface, but no code view. So you cannot change any code. And the HTML codes generated by Microsoft Publisher are always full of errors, causing compatibility issues with major browsers, including Firefox. If anyone doubts me, let him/her create a sample web page with Publisher and upload it to his/her server and view it using Firefox, Netscape Navigator, Opera, Safari, Flock and of course, Internet Explorer. The web page would look as you designed it in Internet Explorer, but not in others. Any feedback would be appreciated. Again, FrontPage was launched into the market with a lot of promotions and expectations. People, myself included, thought it would measure up with Dreamweaver. But it fell short of expectation. It developed a lot of bugs that I'm not even sure if Microsoft is still continuing its production. The closest Microsoft has got to Dreamweaver is their launching of Expression Web, which I confess is a good web authoring program. Yet, Dreamweaver is still, without a doubt, the king of them all, and it's worth the time, patience and the trouble to learn it. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by yawatide(f): 2:24pm On Jun 03, 2008 |
to follow up on wat mexabet has said and to respectfully disagree to an extent, I would rather you learn how to code raw (without the use or help of a tool). y? because you actually learn what is happening under the hood. Once you get your hands dirty, you can then work with dreamweaver (or whatever WYSIWYG tool). Such tools tend to add a lot of fluff not to mention, if something isn't working right, being a newborn babe, chances are you won't know how to go in and make the necessary changes. Of course, in dreamweaver and perhaps others, you can switch to "code mode (I forget what it's called but basically i mean not design mode) to see the actual code. But what use is that if you don't understand the basics. I for example, can code in notepad. It's verbose but hey, at the end of the day, at least I know what is where and why. I do use a tool, but it is more as an enhancement than a necessity. In conclusion, I say learn to code without the aid of tools first then once you are comfortable with that, experiment with various tools out there. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by mexabet(m): 6:12pm On Jun 03, 2008 |
Hi yawa-ti-de, Your suggestion is good, but don't you think for him to start learning it the hard way would somehow seem overwhelming to him? Nevertheless, hand-coding, as you advised is always the best. But I'm concerned afroxyz might be confused and as such would still need an editor that can generate the codes for him. That would also give him the opportunity to open the code view and see how the HTML codes of his web page look like. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by yawatide(f): 8:01pm On Jun 03, 2008 |
@mexabet maybe, maybe not. I learnt it "the hard way" so to speak (and I am not exactly the sharpest cutlass to cut wire grass with) and I came out okay. No scars or burns whatsoever. I also base my answer on help I gave to someone recently - someone was experiencing difficulty with some html and i asked the person to open up the code in notepad to make the change. The person said, "how?" and I was flabbergasted. It turns out this person used dreamweaver and was so overwhelmed as to what to do that the person wouldn't even dare opening the file in code mode in DW out of fear they would mess up something else. That was the day that reinforced in my mind that cutting corners is not always the best. Besides, if afroxyz is used to say, DW today and ends up in a situation where he/she doesn't have DW at their disposal. What next? Paranoia? Diarrhoea? Nervous breakdown? Of course, I joke but hopefully, you get the point. I have never used DW but no enough about coding that if I worked in a place that had nothing but DW, I could pick up the basics pretty quickly. Why? cos I know how to hand-code. To each his/her own sha. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by brownbonno(m): 7:27pm On Jun 05, 2008 |
I view this thread with interest, I will agree with mexabet on crack on with DW,in IT you work with time and not lagging behind with old tools.At the moment DW is the market leader at the moment.Don't forget Adobe is now 10 years in the biz. DW design is compactable with Firefox and Explorer and will help in the coding instead of the notepad system.The usage of DW tables and cells will keep the beauty of the design of your site even with the well loaded images , |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by yawatide(f): 4:07am On Jun 06, 2008 |
@brownbonno, My issue with DW et al isn't with the tool itself but with the fact that it lends to abuse by the unwise. Give me 5 websites (at random) developed in Nigeria and I will view their respective sources and show you nested table upon nested table upon nested table, with no comments, little or no indentation and with at least 3 functions with an "MM" prefix. When A learns how to code this way, as they say, when all you have is a hammer, everything is a nail. Same applies in say, English. If you are used to adding, "o" to the end of your verbal sentences (like, "leave me alone o"), chances are that at some point, it will creep into your written sentences. It's only natural. So to clarify once more, yes, DW is the market leader, no question. All I am advocating is tis best to get down and dirty or at least to turn off certain functionality of such tools so as to force yourself to code in ways that enforce web standards. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by kelechiodo(m): 5:33pm On Jun 06, 2008 |
I totally agree with Mexabet that DW is still the leader. I will advise the poster to exercise patience and go through the help topic. That one is even a ' hard way' let alone trying to learn hand coding. Along the line though, the poster will forced to learn basic html codes. So dear poster, you are with the best tool, but if you find this hard, then I am afraid that learning hand coding will be hell. And you must equally continue to seek assistance. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by yawatide(f): 5:53pm On Jun 06, 2008 |
@kelechiedo with a good teacher (and of course i understand that finding one might be a little hard), I respectfully disagree that learning to code by hand is hard. It can be done. Adidas says, "Nothing is Impossible". Nike says, "Just do it". I hope that the powers that be at Webmasters of Africa are reading posts like these and are making plans to organize some seminars. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by brownbonno(m): 12:51pm On Jun 08, 2008 |
@yawa-ti-de There is no reason diffusing your ideas in any bit.Honestly,i like your professional zeal.But we should encourage people to fit into where they can excel.I will only encourage coding if and only if there was a proper training,otherwise there is no need.Bearing in mind of different browser users and not just the old traditional Bill Gate monopoly of the Explorer and other MS O/S. Most of this web design tools/software programmes are developed in line with the W3C standards for search engine optimisation/browser compatability.Professionally if your web do not appear within the first 10 on google on a search,then something is wrong. Now ask yourself why is my site not appearing on google search first page ? I am of the opinion, as is widely common here that people should specialise in a particular area of IT. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by yawatide(f): 2:20pm On Jun 08, 2008 |
@brownbonno Honestly,i like your professional zealYou are too kind. @all Look, I am not trying to force myself on anyone. As they say, work smart not hard. However, I am of the opinion that if you don't know the reasons behind working smart, you end up working harder. I have encountered many people who have needed help trying to debug code they wrote in one WYSIWYG tool or the other. When I ask that they debug the actual code, they look at me as if I were crazy. They are afraid of "messing things up". I know not everyone is like that but again, I have encountered a lot of people like this to make me draw this conclusion. Finally, whether you fit in (to borrow from brownbonno) as a hand-coder or a WYSIWYG tool coder, the choice is yours. Just make sure that in the case of the latter, you get the proper training. Otherwise, you will end up with bloated code. How many sites have you been to where, upon viewing source, you see "MM" function calls and inline CSS code. That my friends, is the sign of an amateur coder. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by brownbonno(m): 2:25pm On Jun 08, 2008 |
yawa-ti-de I like your efforts,keep it up. Cheers |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by ztyle(m): 11:42pm On Jun 08, 2008 |
i recommend HTMLGOODIES  |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by OmniPotens(m): 12:04pm On Jun 09, 2008 |
Everything starts from the ground level to the top. Forget the arguement about the grave; not so reasonable at all. If you want to actually learn web designing and not manoevering things around it then you should learn everything about it. This will also enable you stand and defend it wherever an arguement arises concerning it. The ultimate beginning should be for you to learn basic HTML from scratch and be able to design simply websites using notepad as your editor. As you are getting on around it, you should look into your graphics skill as well because it is of great importance for your layouts. When you must have been good at HTML, you can start learning other languages integration like Javascripts especially. By this time, you can start making use of Macromedia Studio MX. The reason for this is because this pack comes with tutorials which will help you get started using the incorporated software. Your animation should not be left out. Macromedia Flash MX has a good tutorial to get you started on this. Before you are done using the tutorials in the pack, Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Flash will not be much problem to you. You from there advance. Take your time to learn from the scratch always because it pays you more and it is better off. |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by ztyle(m): 12:33pm On Jun 09, 2008 |
that's 9ice  |
| Re: How Can I Learn To Design Websites? by AbiodunFaf(m): 1:24pm On Aug 16, 2011 |
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