Not sure what my next learning step should be

Skyn2

New Member
Edit, because my first post was very confusing. That tends to happen when I am bit lost.

I just got my hands on Adobe Fireworks Cs5. I see that this is more a program for design.
I also have Dreamweaver. I start to see this as a place to code.

Can you conclude with this, that to become a good designer, you should learn both Dreamweaver and Fireworks?

I have been busy with learning web design for more then a month and it seems so little I am accomplishing.
I can write some HTML5, but it seems no where near like a website.

Learning HTML5, CSS, Javascript and PHP seem to be the things I need to learn, but what am I missing that makes my process so slow?

So far I only made a site with:
a simple body background
a hyper link with: home articles contact

then a header within that:

Titel + part of article

I am not focusing on learning to build an article based site, but that is all i seem to accomplish so far :)
 
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benjamin.morgan

New Member
You are correct.
Learning HTML5, CSS, Javascript and PHP seem to be the things I need to learn, but what am I missing that makes my process so slow?
It will seem slow. Truth is you don't need to rush. You need to practice it, even if it seems silly. It will help you remember the tags and selectors and such. http://W3schools.com has some great tutorials for beginners.

Good Luck,
Benjamin
 

Skyn2

New Member
I don't mind it being slow, but I would mind if I was learning the wrong things.

Especially Fireworks confused me, into thinking I should learn how to build the designs from there.
Also, there are so many tutorials to be found, its not easy to really know to learn from where.

Teamtreehouse, w3schools... HTML5 and CSS doesn't seem to be that difficult, to be honoust.
HTML5 is the content, and CSS makes it look good, but then still I don't have a design (atleast from what I understand so far), I have content made look better by CSS.

Where is the design part?

On a site like this: http://thenewboston.org/index.php, I see the header, content .. everything
but I also see boxes, I also see background color different from the navigation section, stuff like that :)

Not even to speak about the sites I would really love to make, like this one: http://www.elladesign.com/

I am very much interested in the webdesign art :) Maybe a long shot, and I do understand I need to start somewhere, but I do want to start the right way and learn the right things I need :)
 

Phreaddee

Super Moderator
Staff member
Css is the majority of the “design“ on both those sites.
The boxes you speak of have a border, width and background-color defined.
The only difference between the two essentially is a background image.

I personally never use fireworks, nor photoshop for design but i believe im part of the minority with that, but i guess what im saying is that it isnt crucial to web design at all.
 

Skyn2

New Member
Hmm, this is what I miss.
A competent person that knows about design!

Thanks. What do you feel is the best site to learn web design from scratch?
w3, is that the best one?

Its mostly written tutorials, do you think that is more optimal then watching a guy on youtube?
 

ronaldroe

Super Moderator
Staff member
Can you conclude with this, that to become a good designer, you should learn both Dreamweaver and Fireworks?

No, you cannot. I'd say more designers use simple text editors than those who use DW (including me), and to be honest, I've never used Fireworks, and I think you'll find I'm not in the minority. The truth is, you need to flip your idea of learning web design around. DW and FW are commercial tools that you use to perform the tasks necessary for web design. They aren't, however, the only tools. Personally, I use Photoshop to create my graphics, and Aptana to do the coding.

You're on the right track here:

Learning HTML5, CSS, Javascript and PHP seem to be the things I need to learn...

Learn the above, and use a simple text editor (or DW's code view only) to do it. Then, use those tools to make the job faster.
 

Skyn2

New Member
What does that do for me, to use DW in code view only? Or take a simpler text editor?

I can use Fireworks for creating graphics?

What exactly do I need to flip around?

I just downloaded aptana :) Going to check it out

Thank in advance, and for the answers so far!
 
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ronaldroe

Super Moderator
Staff member
Using DW in code view only would be similar to using a simple text editor. You surely could use FW for graphics if it works for you. My point was that you don't need to. It's a tool, not the end all, be all of web design. Use what you want, just don't look at web design as using a specific software. Coding for the web is about learning to code and using various tools to help you do it. You could use Notepad in Windows to code a website. It isn't the best, but it really won't matter what you use once you learn how to code.
 

benjamin.morgan

New Member
@Skyn2 And if you are hand coding just looking at code, you memorize it easier and know what to look for if something goes. wrong.
 

Phreaddee

Super Moderator
Staff member
Also, you need to get yourself aquainted with “view source“ it'll become your best friend!
 

Skyn2

New Member
thank you!

I found some books about HTML5, i should probably digg a little deeper then I have been so far
 

Skyn2

New Member
I am reading 'the essential guide to HTML5"

If writers put something like 'essential' in their title it always feels a bit 'marketing skeme', so could U guys tell me if the book is good?
 

mjrzasa

New Member
I'm new, like you. I personally do not use DW, and I feel using it can make you less .. good.. I guess. I use HTML-Kit, and that makes me hand code more, which I kind of like, because I have to type all styles, tag, etc so I learn it more by repetition.

I learned from w3schools.com and http://www.youtube.com/user/mlwebco?feature=watch
I think he has tons of great videos, especially for the design side.
 

Skyn2

New Member
I am going to read everything I can get my hands relating to HTML5 and I am going to practice a lot.

I will keep using dreamweaver, but in codeview. Probably hard to discipline myself not using the design view but I will stay strong.

I wanted to learn everything seperately, but I noticed that HTML5 and CSS are explained both together in lots of books. I also need to learn javascript and PHP, but first things first.

There are lots of tutorials to be found, but since I have no idea if they explain the stuff correct, I am going to stick with the books and stick with sites I am sure they are considered good by you designers (like w3school). So that means no youtube 'build websites easily' tutorials.

I don't know much about HTML5, CSS, java and php, so I think I will be busy enough learning HTML5 for the next couple of months. I treat it like my second education, so I am taking it very serious.

Thats why I want to be sure the steps I take are correct and thats why I made this thread!
 

ronaldroe

Super Moderator
Staff member
This is refreshing. So much better than the "you're intolerant of beginners because you told me not to use a WYSIWYG and actually learn to code" crowd. Keep on, brother (or sister?).
 

Skyn2

New Member
This is refreshing. So much better than the "you're intolerant of beginners because you told me not to use a WYSIWYG and actually learn to code" crowd. Keep on, brother (or sister?).

Brother. You will see me around on this forum, please pull me back if you think I am off track. For now i should really focus on HTML5 and CSS.
Or should I learn all 4 at the same time?

With 4 i mean: HTML5, CSS, Javascript and PHP (is Ajax PHP?)
 

Phreaddee

Super Moderator
Staff member
You said it ronald. Not only is it refreshing, but its the right attitude to work in this profession. If your not sponging everything you can, you cant move forward.

Get a good handle on html/css first.
Learn basic syntax for js/php.
But definately read up on jquery!

And, cause you seem willing to learn, dom as well (altho its not a language per se)
Once you learn how the dom can be manipulated, youll know what js you want to learn...
 

Skyn2

New Member
Get a good handle on html/css first.
Learn basic syntax for js/php.
But definately read up on jquery!

So, waiting with basic syntax for JS/PHP until I have a good handle on HTML/CSS?

is JS and PHP the same thing?

what is DOM?

So these are the right steps:
1. HTML/CSS
2. JS/PHP
3. DOM (?)

I really want to go in this profession and I don't think you can be good at anything without really working hard for it.
Its so easy to buy a template, or get a easy tutorial on youtube. But that is what everybody does. Everybody is not good.
 
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