Designers advice

pauLAW

pauLAW

pauLAW

Associate
Joined
17 Jan 2011
Posts
946
Location
Manchester
Hi

I am currently looking to get out of my current role of support advisor, I am doing remote fault fixing on basic phone system faults, logging faults and all that kind of thing.
Going back 2 years ago I completed my level 2 and 3 advance webpage design (city and guilds) course, this taught me HTML, advanced HTML and a touch of JavaScript.

I am at the stage where I want to go back into doing my design and hopefully creating a future career for myself but I was hoping for some guidance. I have some self taught knowledge of Dreamweaver and Photoshop, I tend to enjoy designing on photoshop mostly.

When I completed my Level 3 course at night collage it was as high as they go in terms of web design and since then I have had little clue where to go next? I do feel I still need educating in this line of work so I can help myself build a strong portfolio.

Options I can see are things like....Open Uni home courses, other home courses that are splashed on the internet or applying for junior design positions (apprenticeship roles, at 26 I might be to old for this).

Coming and asking people that might have once been in the same situation as me who use this forum seems like a sensible idea, any advice would be great!

Thanks
 
Best thing you can do is get a few good up to date books (if you want some recommendations let me know) on CSS, HTML and jQuery/Javascript. These are the 3 fundamental areas you will want to concentrate on as a web designer/front end developer. I find it's best to be able to not only create great looking sites, but to be able to build them, allowing you to understand constraints and think slightly differently when laying things out in the design phase!

You should definitely set small goals of what progress you want to make, for example, to be able to code up a small one page design in HTML and CSS within a set time period (anything really).

Main thing is to know that you already have completed a course so you understand a fair bit about the web already, so keep that in the back of your mind to help you keep focused on improving your skills.

Anyway good luck with whatever route you go down, the web design industry is very fast paced if you want to stay bang up to date with everything, but that's what makes it so great... knowing that you will constantly be learning new things!

Oh and if you ever need help with anything just give me a shout and I'll see what I can do :)
 
Thanks for the reply KrooKed, if you could recommend me a book that would be great.

I can write basic HTML pages, I have done a couple using CSS also, I have never really looked at JavaScript ever since I completed the course.

I would say I have design skills yes, nothing to high standard, I have created a number of website banners for gaming teams and such, all self taught through playing around on Photoshop mainly
 
you have not listed the most important thing...

if you want to desigh web sites HTML / CSS what ever is of no importance anyone can learn it..

are you artistic? do you draw, paint do you ahve an flare for design?

I can do html, css there is nothing to it, however I cannot design my way out of a rice paper bag so would never be any good...!!!
 
I am aware that anyone can learn it, Im not claiming to be Bill Gates just because I know HTML or CSS :)

Reason I pointed them out is because its what I did to get my city and guilds qualifications and I wanted to know....where do I go next for education or is it just a case of sit in my room and get messing about on photoshop and dreamweaver?

Yes I am a creative person, always enjoyed art, drawing and such that is why I decided web design could be the place for me, plus the fact I am on a PC most the time
 
pauLAW said:
Yes I am a creative person, always enjoyed art, drawing and such that is why I decided web design could be the place for me, plus the fact I am on a PC most the time
Click to expand...

well you got the most important bit,

knock up some sample sites, fire off your CV or any and all related jobs.... or keep your current job and try and get some work on the side

care to link some samples if you think you are good?
 
edscdk said:
well you got the most important bit,

knock up some sample sites, fire off your CV or any and all related jobs.... or keep your current job and try and get some work on the side

care to link some samples if you think you are good?
Click to expand...

I have lots of room to improve my skills, doing some training would be a huge advantage to me, im sure their are tones of things I don't know about Photoshop. I am working at the moment so I would have to dig out examples of work later.

Problem I had is after I did my html/css/javascript at college I really didn't know which direction to take....learn a programming language or focus entirely on the design aspect.
 
pauLAW said:
[...] where do I go next for education or is it just a case of sit in my room and get messing about on photoshop and dreamweaver?[...]
Click to expand...
I'm afraid if you want to get serious with your design knowledge, then you've only got 1 choice:

1. Take a degree or equivalent in Graphic Design. Spend the rest of your 20s - and a not-inconsiderable sum of money - learning about layouts, typography, harmony, composition, colours, communication and design history. All the while, keeping up with what's happening in the world o' web, in terms of best practices for both design and code.
2. No really, that's it. There probably are other "web design" courses you can go on, but they'll only focus on the technical, coding aspect. Stuff that you're pretty familiar with already. Stuff that's only 50% of your proposed career.

If, however, you think you can wing it, like exactly 98% of all wannabe web designers [and in fairness, I would have to include my younger self in that], then yes: sit in your room and mess about in Photoshop/Dreamweaver.

While you're there, hit the internet harder than you've ever hit it before in search of graphic design-related articles, opinions, how-tos etc. Learn the difference between designing and decoration.

Set yourself some projects with deadlines; this is vital to condition you to a professional design environment. If you don't do that, you'll only ever be an amateur dabbler.

[...] Yes I am a creative person, always enjoyed art, drawing and such that is why I decided web design could be the place for me, plus the fact I am on a PC most the time
Click to expand...
I've seen lots of creative people who "enjoy art, drawing and such" enter the web design business on a professional basis, only to get quickly disenchanted by the tedious work, low pay, long hours, ignorant bosses and infuriatingly clueless clients.

These are, sadly, commonplace in the industry - people who had all the love for their work sucked out of them because all of a sudden it's a world of unrealistic deadlines and eternally compromised output.

I'm not posting just to pee on your enthusiasm and be a dick, honest: I'm just trying to provide a reality check. If you really want to do web design, and you've got the aptitude [or the contacts - it's a "who you know" world] - you can have a successful career. Just be aware of what it entails. It's not enough to have creativity, it's all about the disciplined application of creativity.

To end with something a bit more constructive: Do a couple of small projects for people you don't know very well. Perhaps a friend of a friend who has their own business [i.e. somebody with something to gain or lose by employing your services]. Your gaming mates' websites don't count - gamers and mates tend to be unrealistically forgiving of bad/mediocre design, and the sites probably aren't for-profit.

Do these jobs for whatever you can get for them, or even do them for free. Right now, the important thing is to get a taste of the professional experience. And also to hone your interpersonal, man-management and communication skills; the things that no tuition can supply, yet are essential.

If you can come away from those projects and say "Yeah! I enjoyed those!" then bingo - you've got more realistic expectations of what it is to be a professional designer, more items for your portfolio and more chance of turning the "winging it" into "making it" :)
 
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Simisker, thanks for taking the time out to type all that up. I have read it all and made mental note of the points you have made.

I need to spend a serious amount of time in front of my PC and get building up my skills, I think I need to find myself a job which I don't have to travel 65miles a day just to get to and from, in a similar role which I have now to be able to give myself more free time and then go from there.

I have looked into the figures paid out designers and I understand that pay is not always that good, to be perfectly honest I just want to get myself into something I enjoy doing, the more money the better obviously but at the moment I am so unhappy with my current job its getting me down. I just want to enjoy working and feel like I am developing my skills at the same time.

Thanks again for the advice
 
i have started to take steps towards achiving similar goals i started a course but quickly found the course a bit pointless and felt it was taking me in the wrong direction.

i have always been one of those run before i can walk types and have a terible habit of jumping in at the deepend.

but i foundmyself using dreamweaver flash and photoshop messing around building sites not only did i enjoy this but i learnt a lot theres tons of vid tutorials on you tube just pick somthing you like the look off and try it you will enjoy it. the best thing about this method is you learn what you want.

i will say i will only ever be amature at this a paying hobby at best.
the community here is very helpful
 
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