I want to become a Web Designer / Developer...

TidyWorks · 24 Mar 2011 at 11:31

anticonscience said:
Any resources I could read? is that smashing magazine a good place to start?

I'm studying a uni degree in Digital Design, but I've also been reading quite a few books on web design and magazines.

But the one book I can't recommend enough over all the others is 'Hard Boiled Web Design' It doesn't give you code to copy and make your own, it explains the whole concept of designing with the latest tools, how to design etc..

It has opened my eyes. http://fivesimplesteps.com/books/hardboiled-web-design

If you don't understand any HTML or CSS then I suggest reading 'HTML5 Designing Rich Internet Applications', as it gets you started with a basic website and allows you to expand on from there.

antijoke · 24 Mar 2011 at 11:40

Thanks I will have a look at those.

Is there a web resource I could look at as well?

Bassmansam · 24 Mar 2011 at 13:43

So you don't need a degree to go into web development then?

Throrik · 24 Mar 2011 at 14:00

Bassmansam said:
So you don't need a degree to go into web development then?

More chance without, get a junior role like I did (19, Software Development & Web Development so best of both worlds) just demonstrate that you are enthuastic and know something, a portfolio will help you a lot.

Bassmansam · 24 Mar 2011 at 14:13

Throrik said:
More chance without, get a junior role like I did (19, Software Development & Web Development so best of both worlds) just demonstrate that you are enthuastic and know something, a portfolio will help you a lot.

Thats exactly the kind of role im after. I finished a degree last summer and got a temp job for 6 months doing admin just to get some cash. Now im looking for a development job. Im currently doing a website for a family friend so I can use that as a basis for a portfolio.

I coded it in EditPlus but i just want some advice on things like WordPress ect. Is it worth using these tools, as I understand you don't code much yourself? Therefore I see these tools as kind of pointless for someone like me?

Throrik · 24 Mar 2011 at 15:40

Bassmansam said:
Thats exactly the kind of role im after. I finished a degree last summer and got a temp job for 6 months doing admin just to get some cash. Now im looking for a development job. Im currently doing a website for a family friend so I can use that as a basis for a portfolio.

I coded it in EditPlus but i just want some advice on things like WordPress ect. Is it worth using these tools, as I understand you don't code much yourself? Therefore I see these tools as kind of pointless for someone like me?

The web side of stuff that I do is mainly Joomla, Wordpress and OpenCart systems but we're mainly Software Development (Old school VBA and VB6 lol) but it entirely depends on what sort of company you get the interview for, many will use bespoke software, many will use static websites still where you hard code all of your HTML/CSS etc I don't actually know (with this being my first job) but hopefully that helps.

Just so you know though, don't just do work for people for a portfolio, just knock up a bunch of websites that are nicely done and add some basic content onto them and then put them into your portfolio.

Enthusiasm and a passion to do the work will be your main success.

TidyWorks · 24 Mar 2011 at 20:30

RoEy said:
Hi all,

Well I start my new job tomorrow. Really looking forward to it but I am slightly nervous.

I've been a bit ill for the last 2 weeks so not had much time to do web stuff but thought I'd create an online portfolio to get me back in the swing of things. I need to re-word some of it and I have to create a contact form but the majority of it is done for now. Not made it to generate me work or anything but it will be some thing I develop for that purpose in the future.

I tried to keep all of my code clean and developed the content before I styled it with css, which I'm led to believe is the right way, although I much prefer to build the structure of the site first and style, then add content.

I went for xhtml 1.0 strict as I like to totally separate content from presentation. It's also the first time I used a css reset style so I'm trying to get into doing things properly / professionally. Only been using Photoshop for 1 week so still getting used to a lot of it's features but I did manage to get the design for my portfolio done in it (didn't use fireworks at all but was very tempting especially when pulling my hair out ). I even created a favicon!

Only tested the site in firefox 4 / ie9 / latest chrome and safari.

Anyway, just wanted to show you guys to see what you think and suggest any improvements I can make with the code etc? It's not a normal color scheme but I like to be different and whacky.

http://www.roey.co.uk

Thanks all,

RoEy

The jquery 'close' button doesn't work on the pictures in your portfolio.

On the portfolio when you list 'view site' I want it to take me to the website, even if its a template.

I like the way the portfolio is laid out, easy to read and understand

I'm not the biggest fan on the font, but I guess I am fan of clean tidy sans serif font. So probably best to ignore this.

The colours are cool, and its good to be different.

I don't like the way the top half font is different from the bottom half.

Its a good domain name.

Hope this helps.

RoEy · 28 Mar 2011 at 23:53

TidyWorks said:
The jquery 'close' button doesn't work on the pictures in your portfolio.

On the portfolio when you list 'view site' I want it to take me to the website, even if its a template.

I like the way the portfolio is laid out, easy to read and understand

I'm not the biggest fan on the font, but I guess I am fan of clean tidy sans serif font. So probably best to ignore this.

The colours are cool, and its good to be different.

I don't like the way the top half font is different from the bottom half.

Its a good domain name.

Hope this helps.

Hi TidyWorks,

Thanks for your comments. With regards to the fonts, I was messing around with Google Fonts API as it's free and is pretty cool. I had 'Georgia' as my font before. I'm not really taking the portfolio serious at the moment as it's really just a mess around area for me at the minute.

Well, into my second week at work and really enjoying it. Mainly been doing small jobs at the minute making changes to websites but not done a build yet. We use a CMS with each website so I'm just getting my head around the asp stuff. Very awkward when you come from a 'static' background. Also getting used to Photoshop after using fireworks for so long.

One thing I am finding a bit frustrating at the minute is going in and altering other peoples code, mainly css. I'm not quite sure how to explain it but it's like trying to read someone else's scruffy handwriting. As in, if I build a site I lay the CSS out all nice and neat and know exactly what does what but with the stuff I'm trying to edit it seems all over the place to me. I guess I'll get better with the more practice I have. Is this normal when relatively knew to CSS?

I never got round to reading the CSS - Missing Manual book so I started that yesterday and hopefully that will improve my CSS skills. Is it best to take notes when reading books as I find it so time consuming? I'm a bit paranoid at the minute with wanting to take 'everything in' all at once. Will it come naturally over time? I still really want to concentrate on the basics until I have fully understood the concepts behind them. Once my XHTML and CSS have improved I then plan to move onto JavaScript / jQuery. In the meantime, I'm going to start building a few sites for people out of work to improve my skills and experience further.

I learnt so much though in one week being in a real 'web development' environment, great stuff.

I'll update again soon,

RoEy

P.S. With regard to the previous sites I've done on my portfolio I decided to just provide images as the server was down at my previous job (school), which hosts all the sites on there.

FabienO · 29 Mar 2011 at 08:09

RoEy, all you can do is ask ask and ask more. They hired you to develop you. So make it so.

Regarding other peoples code, they should really be showing you how they write it out. If you're working on others peoples stuff, there should be a uniform style of writing to make it easier for everyone.

For instance I style my CSS in order of elements top to bottom, I then tab in all elements that are inside another one.

After all divs are there, I put a /*** links ****/ and do links, then /**** text ****/ and do text then /**** misc *****/. But that's just my style. Ask your people how you should structure it.

Just remember not to hang around going ... "hmm what does this mean?", if you don't know, ask sooner and you'll learn faster.

It will be hard to work at home and at work, even though there's a love for web design, you're already doing it 8 hours of the day. Just gotta take it bit by bit. I recommend building pre-built complex designs at home. Here's some tutorials.

This one will get u used to photoshop and bigger CSS
Pt 1. http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/tutor...emed-web-design-photoshop-to-html-css-part-1/
Pt 2. http://net.tutsplus.com/tutorials/s...emed-web-design-photoshop-to-html-css-part-2/

Re: CSS, check this link out and look at how they streamline their CSS...
http://net.tutsplus.com/tutorials/html-css-techniques/object-oriented-css-what-how-and-why/

Deleted member 77746 · 29 Mar 2011 at 08:57

EDIT: Ignore wrong thread.

Bassmansam · 29 Mar 2011 at 21:23

RoEy said:
Hi all,

Well I start my new job tomorrow. Really looking forward to it but I am slightly nervous.

I've been a bit ill for the last 2 weeks so not had much time to do web stuff but thought I'd create an online portfolio to get me back in the swing of things. I need to re-word some of it and I have to create a contact form but the majority of it is done for now. Not made it to generate me work or anything but it will be some thing I develop for that purpose in the future.

I tried to keep all of my code clean and developed the content before I styled it with css, which I'm led to believe is the right way, although I much prefer to build the structure of the site first and style, then add content.

I went for xhtml 1.0 strict as I like to totally separate content from presentation. It's also the first time I used a css reset style so I'm trying to get into doing things properly / professionally. Only been using Photoshop for 1 week so still getting used to a lot of it's features but I did manage to get the design for my portfolio done in it (didn't use fireworks at all but was very tempting especially when pulling my hair out ). I even created a favicon!

Only tested the site in firefox 4 / ie9 / latest chrome and safari.

Anyway, just wanted to show you guys to see what you think and suggest any improvements I can make with the code etc? It's not a normal color scheme but I like to be different and whacky.

http://www.roey.co.uk

Thanks all,

RoEy

Im new to web design and was wondering about the backgound on your homepage of your site. Is that just one big photoshop graphic? Also is it the same for the Sherwood and Cuckney school sites?

FabienO · 29 Mar 2011 at 22:35

Bassmansam said:
Im new to web design and was wondering about the backgound on your homepage of your site. Is that just one big photoshop graphic? Also is it the same for the Sherwood and Cuckney school sites?

Get firefox: Right click->View background image.

Top background image:

(you could use an empty div with a height and BG colour here).

Logo image:

bottom div background image:

Bassmansam · 30 Mar 2011 at 14:04

FabienO said:
Get firefox: Right click->View background image.

Top background image:
(you could use an empty div with a height and BG colour here).

Logo image:

bottom div background image:

How does that top image background work? Is it a photoshop image then repeated or something?

FabienO · 30 Mar 2011 at 14:34

Yes. It's just an image repeated horizontally. Doesn't need to be created in photoshop. It's just a brown rectangle. Paint would suffice.

Code:

header {
        height: 150px;
	background-image: url('../images/backgrounds/bg_new.png'); 
	background-repeat: repeat-x;
        background-color: #603913;
        }

height: 150px; // Sets height of the divider.
background-image: url('../images/backgrounds/bg_new.png'); // Tells the divider to have the background as that tiny image.
background-repeat: repeat-x; // Tells the divider to only repeat that image (

) horizontally.
background-color: #603913; // Sets the default background colour (the darker brown).

Right Click -> View Source -> Select CSS file to view it.
http://www.roey.co.uk/css/main.css

It's good to ask questions, but this is very very basic stuff. I suggest you go to w3schools and do some HTML and CSS tutorials. Or HTMLGoodies.com

rwm24 · 31 Mar 2011 at 21:05

Congrats getting the job RoEy, keep us updated.

I got lucky with my current job.

I have been using Photoshop since 2004/2005 and making basic html/table/iframe/awful websites for a few years while I was at school, shortly after my a-levels (2007) I did "work experience" as a designer for a local web design company which got me a good reference but unfortunately in Nov 2007 I was involved in a motorbike accident which meant I couldn't really walk or do much at all for a long time.

I took the time to develop my skills a little further and when I had recovered as much as I am ever going to (~start of 2010) I started applying for IT related jobs I felt I could do (ranging from data entry to junior designers) and I heard nothing back.

After several months I was desperate for a job so I decided to write to all the local web design/development companies within a 20 mile radius explaining that I would work for free just to get experience...this got me 2 interviews within a matter of days and I was taken on as a Junior SEO/Web Designer in July 2010. Within months my web development skills came on leaps and bounds working alongside geniuses. I'm still at the company now and I absolutely love all the work I do.. a mixture of SEO, Design and Development. I'm currently in the process of learning PHP in my spare time to develop my skills further and the advice in this topic has been helpful for me too

TL: DR - Web Skills, Job Sites Crap, Writing to local companies worked.

pieplough · 10 Jun 2011 at 11:41

Bit of a random bump here...

This thread motivated me and your effort/thread really pushed me on Roey. I got a design dev role with a small Glasgow based firm, started on monday.

So thanks for the motivation mate