8 Things to Know About Web Design
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8 Things to Know About Web Design

Updated: Oct 24, 2023

We were all born knowing how to write code. Sometimes it takes time, effort and experimentation to get us there. As web designers, we need to continually learn new skills and processes to stay in business and create great design. Luckily, there are a bunch of resources online for getting you started. Whether you’re a total web design newbie or you’ve been in the game for a while, let’s look at eight things you may not have known about web design.


1. There are over 50,000 HTML5 documents.


When you’re designing a website, you need to be aware of what’s available. You’ll need a suite of HTML, CSS, JavaScript and related tools to make things work, including HTML5. So, you know, if you need to know how to format a report for an Adobe Adobe Digital Insights report, then make sure you know HTML. But even the common guy doesn’t care about this. It’s just common knowledge that you need to know the basics to make something work. Many of the industry standard frameworks can be used to make a website, but they tend to be really packed with features and don’t focus on quick development. For this reason, many web design agencies will recommend you use their programs instead.


2. You don’t need to know how to code.


If you're new to the web design world, you’ll often be told that web designers must know how to code, but in reality, there’s no such thing as a web designer who can’t code. You can’t code with your eyes shut, either. So, if you're one of those guys who feel the need to learn how to code, you might want to reconsider your career choice. You can learn the basics of HTML, CSS and Javascript by doing free tutorials. If you're interested in programming, you can take a look at one of the many courses out there that teach it. A lot of the most popular courses are free, but if you're looking to hire a full-time web designer, you might want to look into one of the many companies that provide web design services with coding included.


3. Developing a great site takes a lot of time.


If you really want to create a website for yourself or your business, you have to do the research. The only way to get the information you need is by watching videos and reading articles. The good news is that there are many good design resources out there to help. From the New York Times to the Harvard Business Review, you'll find resources that can help you improve your design skills.


4. You should use Microsoft Word instead of Quark.


You don’t have to be a web designer to learn how to use Word. The applications are pretty similar, and most graphics programs, including Photoshop, have their own versions that use a similar program called Quark. If you don’t want to invest the money into purchasing Word, you can use alternatives like Libre Office or OneNote. The most important thing to remember is that the files that you create in either of these programs are meant to be used in conjunction with one another. Although Word lacks a lot of advanced features, it’s still a good option for beginners. If you do want to buy something, it might be worth the money to get Adobe Creative Suite. It includes a lot of great design resources and the ability to create your own graphics.


5. There are many features that you should pay attention to.


Although you don’t have to know the ins and outs of how every component in the programs works, it’s important that you pay attention to some of the features they offer. One such feature is Layouts. Layouts allow you to change the look and feel of a website. If you’re creating a blog for instance, you can change the content of each blog post. Layout is very important because it allows you to separate a blog post into different sections. You can also add meta information about each post. These things will make a huge difference in the usability of your website. If you don’t understand what that means, visit the help pages for your web design program. You can even write your own help page if it becomes really frustrating. It just takes some time and effort.


6. You should create a website for yourself, not for others.


When you want to create a website for yourself, make sure that you create it for yourself. This is the best way to ensure that it will be relevant and valuable to you. If you want to start a business, creating a website can help with that. Most of the time, companies need a website before they can even consider hiring a web designer. So, you don’t want to create a website for someone else without considering the business ramifications.


7. Developing a website requires a lot of time and effort.


When you create a website, it usually takes a lot of time to complete. If you want to create a website for yourself, you have to be willing to dedicate a lot of time. This can include your weekends. Web design tools can help you out by allowing you to create a website in a fraction of the time it would take you to do it manually. But, you have to use these tools properly. It’s important to make sure that you don’t create a site that isn’t of high quality. Even if you do everything by yourself, you still want the site to be of high quality.


8. There are many mistakes that you should avoid.


If you don’t know anything about the web design industry, it’s very easy to make mistakes. You can waste a lot of time, money, and effort if you make some really stupid mistakes. Some of the most common mistakes that you should avoid are: Reusing other people’s graphics on your website. You don’t know anything about them, so using them without checking them out first isn’t safe. Making a website for a website. The first website that you create should be for yourself. It should never be used for someone else. The only exception would be if you’re developing a blog. But, make sure that you don’t just create a blog and forget that you’re developing it for someone else. Not specifying what your website is about. Your website should be about something. You should say what it is about in as few words as possible. Make sure that you focus on the right things. Not testing your website. Sometimes, you can create a site that’s perfect for you, but that will be completely useless to someone else. Therefore, you need to test it thoroughly before you launch it. You can use search engines like Google to see what other people think about your site. If they’re saying good things, it’s a sign that the website is working as intended.


Final Thoughts:


No matter what kind of website you’re trying to create, there are a lot of mistakes that you can make. It’s important to make sure that you focus on the fundamentals and stay away from doing the things that you’ll regret later on. You can always learn and become a better web designer later on. But, if you make some of the most common mistakes, you’ll need a lot more time, money, and effort to get to the level that you want. What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made in your web design projects? If you have any web design questions, please leave them in the comments.

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