Hi all

I want to be a proffessional web designer.

What should I learn?


HTML?

Photoshop?

What else?

Help me, please.

Start with Hmlt + Photoshop combination.
Try Googling terms like: "Learn Xhtml", "Study Xhtml", "Photoshop tutorials"

HTML & CSS first off

Start here:
www.w3schools.com

Or, buy a book:
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/html1/

Graphics - photoshop is great,but not necessary. There are cheaper programs that do the job just as well, like PaintShop Pro or GIMP (open Source).

Yup, definatly HTML and CSS first.
I personally found it easier to learn using dreamweaver as well as books/websites because it allows you to see the effects of what you have done easier rather than using the likes of notepad.

Knowing...
XHTML
CSS
Photoshop
ASP.Net
Flash

(Then your a professional)

I have to disagree with that to some extent Silent. You can know all those things and still not be a 'professional'. You get to be a professional once you gained EXPERIENCE and prove a high degree of competence with those skills.

I don't know ASP.net and I'm most certainly a professional

Originally Posted by LadynRed

I have to disagree with that to some extent Silent. You can know all those things and still not be a 'professional'. You get to be a professional once you gained EXPERIENCE and prove a high degree of competence with those skills.

I don't know ASP.net and I'm most certainly a professional

totally agree, it's also the way you handle your clients

i'm a self made professional: taught myself everything i know.

here's what to learn:
HTML, (dont' learn xhtml, it's useless) CSS, JavaScript, Web Standards, Photoshop, PHP, Ajax. Also learn about Web Hosting (how it works, what to buy, or even how to do it yourself) and domain registration.

while you are learning, start making websites. for friends, for businesses, for family. Start out doing it for free. Make each site as good as you can, and make sure that you keep a copy of the entire site somewhere, because it will be your portfolio. Once you've got a good portfolio going, you can start charging money, at first just a little, but as demand goes up, you can charge more and more.

Make sure you are always learning new stuff and making each new web page better than the last one you made.

Originally Posted by yarrgh

i'm a self made professional: taught myself everything i know.

here's what to learn:
HTML, (dont' learn xhtml, it's useless) CSS, JavaScript, Web Standards, Photoshop, PHP, Ajax. Also learn about Web Hosting (how it works, what to buy, or even how to do it yourself) and domain registration.

while you are learning, start making websites. for friends, for businesses, for family. Start out doing it for free. Make each site as good as you can, and make sure that you keep a copy of the entire site somewhere, because it will be your portfolio. Once you've got a good portfolio going, you can start charging money, at first just a little, but as demand goes up, you can charge more and more.

Make sure you are always learning new stuff and making each new web page better than the last one you made.

Thank you, but what do you mean by Web Standards?

HTML, (dont' learn xhtml, it's useless)

I would have to vehemently disagree with that statement. The coding differences between HTML and XHTML are not like learning a whole new variation of HTML, rather it forces discipline to write CLEAN code w/o all the ugly deprecated tags.

Web Standards ?? Read this sticky:
http://www.webmaster-talk.com/html-f...-should-i.html

Originally Posted by LadynRed

most certainly a professional

True professionalism is achieved through experience, and I wasn't trying to disrespect any of the professionals on this site. However, those are the skills that I'm currently learning that I feel are important.

You have to figure out if you want to be a designer or a programmer. Designers make quick money and are in much need however a good programmer is also in need. Many designers that program waste the clients time when coding a site because it is done improperly. At the same time if you are going to be a designer you have to learn the basics of code so you know what you can and cannot design.

Originally Posted by LeetPCUser

You have to figure out if you want to be a designer or a programmer. Designers make quick money and are in much need however a good programmer is also in need. Many designers that program waste the clients time when coding a site because it is done improperly. At the same time if you are going to be a designer you have to learn the basics of code so you know what you can and cannot design.

What do you mean?

try tables !

Originally Posted by Bulevardi

try tables !

you are joking, right?

Learn basic of HTML. Then switch over to dreamweaver, just play around with all those tools available.
best of luck
with regards
bil

I strongly recomend learning how to write HTML and CSS by hand, without using any software such as photoshop that creates the html code for you. next learn the basics of photoshop and then study up on design. get a book but more importantly every "good" website that you see, ask yourself why do i like this, and why do i not.

when i first started out i was so satisfied that i had created a website, that didn't look half bad, i failed to notice that it wasn't as good, as many others.

Originally Posted by yarrgh

HTML, (dont' learn xhtml, it's useless)

Wow, definitely disagree with that. Amongst many other things, learning XHTML increases browser compatibility, and compatibility with future versions etc.

I would definitely reccomend learning basic HTML followed by CSS. Follow the link that LadyNRed posted, as thats easily one of the best learner tutorial sites around. I think Photoshop is a good thing to learn in conjuction with these, but it depends on what sort of sites you want to end up making.

And finally, if you ever read the advice "try tables!" again, then leave the thread immediately!

No offence Bulevardi