Getting into web design

[dino74]

I am starting to think about a total career change, and have always thought about getting into web design.

It is something I am keen to learn over time and in conjunction with my current job. Maybe it will start as a bit of a hobby, and then see where it takes me.

Can anyone point me in the right direction re getting started? Maybe courses from home I could do over time. A google search seems to be a bit of a minefield of various companies offering this that and the other. I’m looking for a bit of a structured path to follow.

Thank you for any advice that comes my way!

[Over over under steer]

I would recommend using code academy. They have a specific web development course which would be great for starting you off on the journey.

Just give them a google and they'll pop up. We used them extensively at my last firm to help train up hopeful devs/trainee devs alongside on the job work.

[drmcw]

Do you mean web design or delivering a web site through code etc? There is a difference.

Indeed there seems to be a difference between considering the customer experience, design and delivery.

[dino74]

I mean delivering a website through code.

[Kewy]

Was about to say the same... Web design and web development are two very different things. Often a website will be designed by someone with experience in design, but then developed by someone who takes that design and brings it to life.

Obviously you come across people who do both but in my experience they're never the best designers or developers.

[randlemarcus]

Awfully cynical PoV, but are you quite sure you want to make a career out of something that's fast becoming either a commodity resource task, or (dirty boys) uses apps to translate the GUI draggy things into actual code?

[anonymous-user]

randlemarcus said:

Awfully cynical PoV, but are you quite sure you want to make a career out of something that's fast becoming either a commodity resource task, or (dirty boys) uses apps to translate the GUI draggy things into actual code?

Tbh that was my thought too.

And it's only going to get worse.

[super7]

There's still room for bespoke coding and that could be where the OP could make a difference between the same old Wordpress, 1&1, Shopify default sites.

In saying that, the biggest problem OP will have, will be anyone takling him seriously. If you do want to do it, you can't really self-teach and walk into a senior role, you will either need to be a one man band, or go back to a junior role.

Even if your a one-man-band you still need to make yourself look better than the other million one-man-band's out there!!!

Not easy to get the experience and will take years to get it.......

[dino74]

So what are you saying? Concentrate on the design side of things?

[super7]

Op..... what is your current job? Do you have any Coding experience, even outside of Web technologies?

[Kewy]

dino74 said:

So what are you saying? Concentrate on the design side of things?

Depends which appeals to you. If you want to concentrate on design then you kind of need to study visual communication as a whole to see where web and digital design sits within that context.

If you prefer the idea of taking someone elses concept or vision, then troubleshooting and problem solving to build that and make it 'work', then the development side may be more for you.

[ging84]

There is quite literally no barrier to anyone getting into web development you don't need courses, certifications or qualifications, you literally can press f12 in your browser and start making changes to any website on the fly, flick over the console tab and start running javascript functions. If you've never done this chances are you are not really interested, but on the chance that you're really never had a chance for any exposure, then start now.
Otherwise don't waste your time pursuing anything as a career you are not interested in, being interested in the web is not the same as being interested in web development.