Yeah, you should think of DW as one of the
tools that can be used to develop a website. It's definitely handy, but I think it is important to go beyond that.
I'm certainly no expert and I have a lot to learn myself, but I am confident in what I do know so far, that the following statements are true:
1) Learn HTML/CSS - you can't replace this knowledge with using a tool. The tool should be there to
supplement that knowledge (not replace it).
2) Responsive web design (RWD) is becoming increasingly popular and important - learning to do it the right way, and building a site with RWD from the start is key (if you are truly interested in RWD).
3) Tools like DW (MS Expression and others) often create unnecessary code. This means that a) sometimes there is stuff that just doesn't need to be there and b) it can be challenging at times for other designers or maybe even you as the original designer, to decipher the page.
Keeping code "clean" is very important. You can have clean code in DW, you just have to be diligent about it. Don't assume that DW (or other programs like it) will give you the cleanest pages by default. This is where #1 comes in handy.
4) Understanding the "why" is just as important as understanding the "how." This is perhaps a mix of both theory and tech. Memorizing bits of code or a button to use in DW, while a short-cut, will hinder progress in understanding and "doing" design, than if you understand
why a bit of code is doing what it does. And again, I think this falls back to #1.
5) Courses in color theory, Typography, and UX are extremely helpful. This is the theory aspect of design and is a
focus on the "why." This plus #1 is what sets apart the "good" from the "bad and ugly".
6) As to whether or not you should learn JS/Jquery...that depends on your goals. Do you want to develop your own site, maybe some for friends/family? Probably not necessary. But if you are wanting to make money in design, then learning JS may be very beneficial.
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Obviously, there are more tips that may be relevant, but this thread isn't really about that.
So, about RWD...I've just taken this course on Udemy.com (which hosts a variety of courses from university professors and training institutions), by Infinite Skills (the training company for this particular course):
https://www.udemy.com/learning-responsive-web-design/
Here's the
wireframe for that project:
http://jeremylewis.net/ (w/o the viewport meta as I was testing it, I'll add that in later, but for demonstration purposes, you can get the point of what is being taught in the class).
It doesn't use DW, it is all coding by hand. This is beneficial because it explains the "why" and the "how." It's a 3 size RWD (you can test it by resizing the window, the
layout changes accordingly).
I'm not saying you need this course to do RWD. It's an option. There are freebie courses out there too. Udemy.com also has plenty of JS and JQuery courses. Some are free, some cost, some are discounted
60-80%. I own
quite a few courses from there, so I get access to the big deals all the time. If you are wanting more info or even some deals or recommendations from there, pm me. I can probably get you a good deal just by gifting you some discount codes they send me (but don't use).
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Udemy has some courses that are free, many have a cost though. If you are wanting a no-cost solution for JS or Jquery, then tryhttp://www.codecademy.com/learn. They teach much more than just JS/JQuery. Also have some great lessons on hand coding HTML/CSS if interested.
