It is not unusual for a newbie web designer to have queries related to web design. In fact, even I had similar doubts when I started out my career as a designer. Let us take a look at some of the common queries which newbie designer may have and their corresponding answers. 

Query 1: What are the skills that I need to develop?

All web designers – new or old, have at least some basic knowledge of website design. Hence, they must develop skills, which will help them achieve a good website design at the end of the day. Some of these skills may be inherent in them and the others can be acquired by experience. Given below are some of the fundamental skills a designer must possess. 

•   A good grasp of color palettes
•   Ability to prioritize web design elements on the site
•   Converting imagination into spectacular design
•   An eye for detail
•   A sense of proportion

 Query 2: How do I expand my knowledge?

Frankly speaking, you will learn the best by the trial-and-error method. If you search online, you will come across thousands of tutorials which will guide you step by step about the nitty-gritties of web design. In fact, there are a number of “How To Videos” which I find particularly useful. Alternatively, you can check out some of the best sites out there and go through their source code to get a better understanding of those sites; save these sites for your reference. 

Query 3: Wouldn’t it be better if I start with HTML 5 and CSS 3 rather than the older versions?

Using HTML 5 and CSS 3 for website design has become the latest trend and it is not wrong if you want to start with these. However, you must keep the fact in mind that these two technologies have also retained some of the features of their older versions and discarded others. In short, you have to learn and un-learn things when you go for HTML 5 and CSS 3. 

Query 4:  Do I need to learn photo-editing software as well?

Yes, it is essential that you master some of the most popular photo-editing softwares such as Photoshop, Fireworks, Illustrator, GIMP, Corel Draw and other similar software. This is because at some point or the other in your career, you will need to edit images and graphics on your own. Moreover, this will save a lot of your time as you wouldn’t have to depend on your coworkers just to edit an image.

Query 5: Will learning how to code help me?

This is a tricky question, because I have worked with designers who have never coded in their life. But to be on the safe side, you should have at least a basic know-how of coding. At least learn some of the basic stuff such as HTML, PHP, JavaScript, Flash, CSS3 and HTML 5 so that you don’t have to depend upon developers all the time. You can visit w3schools and learn the basics of some of these technologies.

 In conclusion

Other than the aforementioned pointers, there are many questions asked by newbie designers. It is not possible to answer all of that at a given time and that’s why I chose to answer only a few crucial questions, which you will find useful.