Piggynap’s been pretty quiet of late what with one thing and another – there’s just not enough time in the day at the moment! It’s a good thing then that lovely folk like Matt from Northern Web provide posts to keep us entertained. Read on for his top tips for newbie web designers…
The Web is officially coming of age. The design industry is starting to take web design seriously, and it’s no longer being confined to enthusiasts. Web design is now a lucrative and exciting career path to follow, with lots of opportunity and high potential earning power.
With the Internet developing so rapidly over the past 10 years, those that are just dipping their toes into the industry may well feel that they’ve missed the boat. The truth is, you don’t need to have been there when flashing GIF animations were cool, and the best form of promotion was through a web ring. In fact, in some ways it’s better if you didn’t see these dark days so that your perception of web design isn’t muddied by these frankly horrific things.
If you are looking to design for the web, welcome, and prepare for a bumpy ride…
Chances are you’ve already started reading and doing, which is ultimately the best way to learn. Here are a few invaluable tips that I can happily pass on from my experiences of designing for the web:
- Socialise. Don’t just read books because this is fundamentally one-way. Join Twitter and follow professionals who voice their thoughts and opinions – question it. Attend local networking events for some peer-to-peer geek conversations and you’ll be surprised at how much you pick up.
- Push web standards. So many web designers neglect the importance of valid XHTML/CSS. Read about W3C standards and you will realise that web design is about more than just looking pretty – you need sound technical design also. This is easily achievable as long as you practice it from the off. Don’t slip into using tables for layout and inline CSS styles – do things properly and it will become natural.
- If you have a client – talk to them. The single best way to design successful websites is by getting your clients views on their business/customers. Once understand their model, you can produce a more effective website than doing it blindly.
- Print design is NOT web design. Contrary to what many seem to think, web and print are not the same, and the skills do not necessarily cross-over.
- Drink tea. I’m not joking here – if you are stuck for inspiration, take a 10 minute tea break and when you come back you’ll more than likely have a solution.
I’ve been designing for the web for 10 years and I’ve made plenty of mistakes. The web was a simpler place when I began, with fewer standards and hardly any resources. What I’ve learnt is that you constantly need to be looking forward; be adaptable to change, and you will succeed.
This article was written by Matt Saunders, owner of digital agency Northern Web which specialises in intelligent and responsible web design and marketing solutions.
[Thanks Matt 
]
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