Hi Everyone,

 

Web design for me has been a hobby and a tool I've used to create some websites for my business (I'm an actress). However I've been thinking about going pro and was wondering where to start.

 

I assume most people have been to Uni, done degrees etc. Are there any courses people would recommend, home study or a specific qualification etc.

 

I did a search on the net but a lot of them seem like money making ventures. Ie pay £500 for a DIY CD and Book.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

Hi welcome to the forum

 

If you have already created a web site then you are miles ahead of any web design course that's available on the market. And like you said, most are only after your money. I did the CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) course but used study material that i found scattered around the web (Ebay, Amazon). First of all i got quoted over FIVE grand by four training providers.

I was so disgusted by it that i was determined to find my own resources which in the end only cost me (with two exams) £400.

 

So don't go down that route. Just buy a few good books and sign up to http://www.lynda.com , http://www.kelbytraining.com , http://www.totaltraining.com and whatever else you can find. Look on ebay for some good bargains for training courses.

 

Books i would recommend is "Bullet proof Web Design" ISBN: 9780321509024 and there's "CSS: The missing manual" ISBN: 9780596526870

 

Just get your head down and practice with as many tutorials as you can.

 

Hope this helps

 

- Neil

Thanks Neil for your response. Since I posted this morning I have been doiong a lot of reading on the CIW course, and everything I've read has agreed with your post.

 

So yes I think the best way forward is lots of self learning.

 

Thanks for the book recommendations. I shall check them out.

Thanks Neil for your response. Since I posted this morning I have been doiong a lot of reading on the CIW course, and everything I've read has agreed with your post.

 

So yes I think the best way forward is lots of self learning.

 

Thanks for the book recommendations. I shall check them out.

 

If you can find the time and someone willing to do it, becoming an assistant to someone that designs sites can be very useful. I did it for a while until i was alot more confident. now im freelance, still ask the odd question here.

 

I actually found the HeadFirst HTML and CSS book to be very useful, it takes you right from the start and basics up to a level where you can do a fair bit.

 

Reaper