Hello, I have just bought a web design training programme from blue mountain training. The only problem I have is that they don't tell you where you are suppose to start, you just get a long list of courses and you just pick one. I started with dreamweaver cs4 but I don't know what to pick after that.

If you just got a list of courses to do, just start at the top and work your way through, might be hard if there isnt any structure to it. Try to look through and bunch the the ones that go together, for example bunch anything like CSS together, same for HTML types, and so one then move on to cs4 programs if thats what they gave.

 

Hope this makes sense

There isn't anything set on html and css but it does talk about it in the dreamweaver course. lucky enough I have started on html and css at college. The list starts with action script 2.0 then ajax after that, I'm sure I shouldn't start with action script or ajax before dreamweaver should I?

So you got a course based on softwares? Start with things that you will use in everyday life.

If it's this one http://bluemountaintraining.com/index.php/en/coursecatalog/product/view/11/26 then that's a huge amount of stuff to learn in one go. In the real world all that would probably be split between 3 or 4 specialist jobs, let alone one.

 

My advice is to learn the basics first - HTML and CSS, then progress to something like javascript or design theory. Once you have mastered that then you can choose what direction you want to go (specialise) in such as programming, graphics etc

Well I have paid for the course now so I might as well have ago. I am going bk to college next month which is html and css. I have already done stuff on dreamweaver and a bit of html and css coding

If you want to make a career with this then try to avoid learning proprietry "software" such as Dreamweaver. Instead learn to code from scratch using a normal text editor, then you aren't tied to one particular coding software (and save yourself a pile of cash!).

My plan is to be a freelance designer/developer. Hopefully using illustrator and photoshop

Hey Stuey,

 

My plan is to be a freelance designer/developer. Hopefully using illustrator and photoshop

 

I'm in much the same boat as yourself, if perhaps slightly further into the process. I use Dreamweaver as well, but you shouldn't look at Dreamweaver as being the means by which you build websites. Dreamweaver's function is to increase your productivity once you know what it's doing, Dreamweaver won't be of much use to you without knowing the fundamentals. If you've been fiddling around with Dreamweaver so far, my guess is that you'll have found ways of making it do some of the stuff you associate with web-design, but occasionally you'll find yourself completely bamboozled why stuff on your page goes flying all over the place for no apparent reason. (At least I did) The only way to proceed is to learn HTML and CSS code from the ground up, because without exception those are the two languages you absolutely must know inside and out. To do that it doesn't really matter whether you use Dreamweaver or Windows Notepad to actually input the code.

 

With HTML and CSS, plus a little technique with Illustrator and Photoshop you'll have the technical ability to build most of the functions of static websites, providing you also develop an eye for the design of your sites. For most animations and stuff that is active (e.g. photo galleries) you'll then need to learn Javascript (and/or notably a Javascript library called Jquery, but don't let that worry you for now). To do fancier stuff like letting users login to your site, or update it, or build a shopping cart you'll need to learn a server side language, by far the most popular being PHP. In addition you'll need to use a database, which for most cases means learning MySQL.

 

Hope it's of some help!

Eoin

It is all well and good reading about what you need to do, but you need actual practice. I followed the tutorials at Lynda.com for learning HTML & CSS. I found that watching what I was supposed to be doing rather than reading about it helped me take it all in.

Thanks for that. I am in the process of learning html and css code and I have been practicing it on notepad a lot, that is why my level 2 at college will help me a lot more with the coding. This course I am doing at home will help me with php java script and all that. I will have 12 montgs access to the course so hopefully that will help me with the others

I have been practicing it on notepad a lot,

 

Try Notepad++, it has syntax highlighting, line numbering, code folding and a host of other useful features.

Cheers

I have suggestion for every new in any field. First of all go to the blogger create a blog and it links to your Social media profile. every Day create logo or css page add your blog and share with social media profile. this is proof of your expertise join freelancer website send your services if he call interview show creative logo design.

I thinks you learn CSS and php after Dreamviewer..............

Do NOT learn Dreamweaver! Learn how to code and don't use any WYSIWYG software. Begin by learning how to write HTML, then CSS, both are simple and easy to learn languages.

Stay away from college when it comes to this stuff. Learning on your own and reading books is the way to go. What really makes you learn is experience. You gotta troubleshoot, look through codes (see how they work,) and love this stuff. However; that's if you're planning on being a developer. If you're planning on designing; stay away from college (again, but MORE SO,) and have the love and creativity for art. Design is a craft/art, and not everybody can do it. You got to have the mind, and only comes naturally. You can learn techniques to create properly, but if you need somebody to teach you how to be creative, then maybe you should go to school that shows how to make money (finance, business, etc.) Even then, college is pointless unless you're planning on becoming an employee (not employer/president.) To better yourself with design, play with Photoshop and sketch your ideas. Look up how to use the tools and whatnot. I hope you're talking about web design and not web development. Here's an article I wrote about the differences: Differences Between Web Design and Web Development. I wish you luck!

I agree with previous posts in that you must learn to hard code, none of IDEs like Dreamweaver will help you to learn web design properly and you take the fun out of it if you don't code it yourself, i would suggest using Sublime Text is a popular editor and would be suitable for all your coding needs.

 

If you want a structure to your learning i would suggest you try the training site Treehouse, they have structured paths which are progressive there is a subscription but if you are serious about going pro then its worth the investment.

 

I learnt HTML first which I regularly refresh my skills when a new standard comes out, the next logical step is to learn CSS the latest versions of HTML and CSS is HTML5 and CSS3. I recommend you learn the latest once you have grasped the fundamentals as you will eventually want to make your websites responsive.

 

The only other advice I give you is to follow blogs and tutorial sites as there are some really good resources out there. Ultimately along your journey you should utilise this forum as it is a fantastic way of keeping up with the latest techniques and your own learning will increase and you will start to become more confident.

As said above, do not start with dreamweaver if you're new to web design or code. I'd recommend starting from basics like, HTML and CSS. Once you know HTML and CSS see if you've time to learn basics of javscript too. Once you know basics of jvavascript you may start using its libraby, jQuery.

The most imprtang thing is you understand what yo're doing before uing dreamweaver.

 

In my personal experience premium web designing courses are really premium like they describe..

Edited January 25, 201412 yr by h123er2

I disagree. Using an IDE is actually perfectly acceptable and a good idea. I just wouldn't recommend Dreamweaver, because it's not suitable for professional development.

 

Agreed and disagreed; here's why...

 

Dreamweaver helps a developer write his code more efficient, and gets the job done a lot faster. Dreamweaver is also completely suitable for professionals. Been using Dreamweaver ever since its release, and I do a ton of programming like jQuery/Javascript, HTML, CSS, PHP, and mySQL (HTML and CSS aren't programming languages, I know.) For realtime server editing, I use Terminal via Linux.

Edited January 28, 201412 yr by GoldRush98

They must give you the list of course and start at the top of the cource one by one. Remember if you don't understand then ask them 100 times to learn it properly as you are giving them money to teach you.

Both an IDE and dreamweaver are created for fast development, dreamweaver has a bad rep because most of those that use wysiwyg use it, if you are using the code side of it, simply using some of the fast code options, like inserting the doctype, an image or something like that simply to save time, as those produce valid code, it's no different from an IDE.

 

I would question why you think it's not suitable for professional development when used in this mannor?

Edited February 14, 201412 yr by Fuzzy Logic