Design and development are both skills that require a significant amount of time to master. You need to learn and practice every day to become a successful web designer. The languages you need to learn are HTML, Javascript, CSS, PHP, etc. The best way to learn these Machine languages is to join a course and learn from the experts or practice some projects. If I was starting today, here are the steps I would take.
Understand the Fundamentals
Learn to walk before you run. For design, this means understanding typography, color, balance, pacing, components, user experience and interface best practices, etc. For developers, this means learning the core languages, concepts behind structuring and scaling code, and a lot of tools.
Like any sport, you can’t be good at it until you understand the rules and techniques in order to play. The same principles apply here.
Surround Myself with Experts
They say you become the people you spend the most time with. If you spend time with an expert designer or developer, some of their skills will inevitably rub off on you.
Observe how they work. What’s their process? Are they doing things you don’t do? By thoughtfully looking at how great designers and developers work, you can take some of their best practices and apply it to your own life.
If you can’t work with people in person, YouTube has a huge library of great resources to learn about design and development.
Learn the Basic Rules of SEO
Developing an SEO-friendly website is important nowadays. Since most of the organic traffic comes through Google, so achieving top rankings is very essential. When you develop an SEO-optimized website you have higher chances of getting projects and good payments. Also, it is necessary to stay in-demand and to get ahead of others.
Practice by Copying the Greats
Imitation is the highest form of flattery. To be clear I AM NOT SAYING STEAL OTHER PEOPLE’S WORK AND CALL IT YOUR OWN. Rather I am saying it is valuable to deconstruct and rebuild successful web projects.
If you take the time to break something down into its smallest pieces, you learn why certain decisions are made. Rebuilding will help improve your ability to execute other projects effectively.
Ask for Critique
If you don’t know how to critique your work, ask for it! There are a lot of people willing to share knowledge or provide insight if you ask politely. Don’t take it personally if you get a lot of feedback at first, that’s how we grow.
Push yourself to learn something new every day. It doesn’t have to be a huge discovery, just make little improvements over time. Over time, the impact of this is massive.
