Questions for people who have web design jobs

ethan1341

New Member
I am going to be a senior in college and I am now just focusing on webdesign. I'm really nervous about going into the real world and getting a real job.I have a few questions about people who work for webdesign clients.

I realize web companies want you be able to code in html and css. Do they expect you to have total mastery of both the codes. This is how I currently design a website.

I design the banner in photoshop. Bring it into fireworks to make the drop down Menu and then import it into dreamweaver.

2. My teacher told me to design the whole website and photoshop and use the slice by guides tool. I use a different method because I feel like slicing it takes away some of your freedom. I usually design the website bit by bit and import the photoshop content as a jpeg attach a cssheet to it and move it around with commands like top 300 pixels. Does it matter which method I use?

So What I'm asking is can most webdesigners code a website from scratch without the help from dreamweaver.

My next questions involve Content Management Systems(CMS); I realze this is more web developement, but CMS really interest me.

1. If i am looking to get a job in webdesign what cms would be best to learn Joomla, Drupal, or Word Press.

2. Upon further research I found out you can design in photoshop bring it into dreamweaver take the code and then bring it into WP. But how can WP take into account the comments sections and stuff that you did not design in photoshop.
 

Phreaddee

Super Moderator
Staff member
word of advice. slice and dice through photoshop is an outdated technique. your teacher sucks.

learn html/css. you dont need to know it all, but it certainly helps to have a good solid understanding of both, learn on the job the more fancy techniques.

keep your imagery to a minimum and if it can be done with css, do it with css.

wordpress is the easiest to use and quite popular, its a good stepping stone with CMS.
but if you want to make a career out of it it would be wise to at least know a bit about all three.

also learn document flow before you start stuffing around with positioning, and only use absolute positioning if you really have to.
 

ethan1341

New Member
word of advice. slice and dice through photoshop is an outdated technique. your teacher sucks.

learn html/css. you dont need to know it all, but it certainly helps to have a good solid understanding of both, learn on the job the more fancy techniques.

keep your imagery to a minimum and if it can be done with css, do it with css.

wordpress is the easiest to use and quite popular, its a good stepping stone with CMS.
but if you want to make a career out of it it would be wise to at least know a bit about all three.

also learn document flow before you start stuffing around with positioning, and only use absolute positioning if you really have to.

Hey thanks alot for the comments you answered everything I was looking for. Currently I feel like I have a general feel for CSS. Due to the fact you can specify a specific ID and attach a style sheet to it and use the drop down menus. Im assuming I have to learn CSS much more indepth for CMS. CSS is what you use to customize your CMS(question not a statement.

P.S. Im about to start using joomla it seems easier the Drupal and harder then WP. Any quick words of advice?
 

Phreaddee

Super Moderator
Staff member
remember
ID - unique element on the page
class - multiple elements on the page

wordpress, joomla and drupal are all php based CMS' so you will need to have a basic understanding of PHP in order to fully customise. joomla is a good one to learn. its just as functional as the rest, but not as complicated as drupal to get a handle on.

CSS is a language for styling
HTML is a language for markup

w3schools.com is a good place to start for learning more
csszengarden.com is also a good site to check out to see what can be done with css, (you will notice that on this site the html remains the same for all the different designs - thats the whole point of it really.)

when you get into the habit of creating sites, you will realise that the clearer and cleaner you make your html then the easier it will be to modify.

dont use inline css at all, unless it is absolutely needed.

keep all your scripts in external files as well unless of course its needed to be embedded in the html.

learn html5/css3
use jquery
throw flash out the window.
 

ethan1341

New Member
remember
ID - unique element on the page
class - multiple elements on the page

wordpress, joomla and drupal are all php based CMS' so you will need to have a basic understanding of PHP in order to fully customise. joomla is a good one to learn. its just as functional as the rest, but not as complicated as drupal to get a handle on.

CSS is a language for styling
HTML is a language for markup

w3schools.com is a good place to start for learning more
csszengarden.com is also a good site to check out to see what can be done with css, (you will notice that on this site the html remains the same for all the different designs - thats the whole point of it really.)

when you get into the habit of creating sites, you will realise that the clearer and cleaner you make your html then the easier it will be to modify.



dont use inline css at all, unless it is absolutely needed.

keep all your scripts in external files as well unless of course its needed to be embedded in the html.

learn html5/css3
use jquery
throw flash out the window.

dont use inline css at all? Whats this?

Do you think its viable to teach myself using Joomla and learn php at the sametime? Sense there the same code. I had a really painful time using php with phpBB3 which is def not a good sign
 

ethan1341

New Member
"dont use inline css at all? Whats this?" learn to use google too :)

Good point. That was pretty simple. I tried to google the answer for this and I also posted on the joomla website, i guess this is more of a css stylething. When I change the size of my web browser it moves everything on the page. I have a feeling this is a background property but I can't figure out what it could be.

Code is 1,000 lines and I don't know even know what to post. I can't attach css files
 

ethan1341

New Member
when i resize my browser everything stays centred

Hmmmm when I make me browser smaller dragon the lower right hand corner up left. The home in blue font moves towards the login. Also the banner still moves with the window movement. I tried i.e and google chrome both had the same problem
 
Last edited:

d a v e

New Member
you need to set an absolute width and not percentages e.g. 960px on the header or the main content if you want scroll bars, but that's pretty darned narrow when it goes like that
 

ethan1341

New Member
Edit thank you for the tips I will try it now

body
{
background: #e0dedf url(../images/personal/bg2.png) repeat-x;
color: #333;
font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
}
So would I add Div Tags to make the position absolute too here?
 
Last edited:

d a v e

New Member
i might not have been clear: when i say absolute i don't mean absolute position, i should have said fixed width so set a width on main content div e.g. 960px and then you will get scrollbars, though i don't really understand how it's a problem as it is ;)
 

xstortionist

New Member
You should really look into 960 grid framework if you are getting serious about web design. Saving time is what a web company is looking for. If you can save time by using a frame work and design your sites with a grid template within PS or Firework it will look more impressive. Also, now-a-days you really don't need to do alot of photoshop slicing, with the advances in CSS you could build a site without photoshop or fireworks.
 

xstortionist

New Member
Edit thank you for the tips I will try it now

body
{
background: #e0dedf url(../images/personal/bg2.png) repeat-x;
color: #333;
font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
}
So would I add Div Tags to make the position absolute too here?

I hate to say it, but it looks like you haven't been doing your homework, or the college you are going to for web design is just retarded. In order to have absolute positioning there must be a containing div that is set to position: relative; I can't see why anyone would be setting divs absolute within the body tag.
 
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