Is School Or Self-teaching Better?

[AngeCS29]

Hi. I am looking to become a webmaster/designer. I already have my BA in Communications from a large university and I work as an Online Marketer, so I'm somewhat familiar with this line of work.

In order to get into this field and do this job well, is it better to take a certification course or play around with Frontpage/Dreamweaver and W3.org to teach myself?

Thanks!

[DennisChang]

In the field of web designer, be it freelance or employee, people will look at your portfolio more than your certification.

But whether you are better off learning web design yourself or from a school, it depends on each individual. Some are not discipline enough to self learn, while some others excel when learning independently.

[AngeCS29]

What is the best program to learn web design on? Should I start with an old version of Frontpage before I use Dreamweaver?

[ktaylor310]

I agree with DennisChang. I have been in web design for almost 12 years and have never had someone ask me about my educational background. They ALWAYS check out my portolio, however, and most of my business comes from word-of-mouth recommendations. I am self-taught, but that is the way I learn best.

As far as learning goes, thank God you want to!!! There are far too many "web designers" that simply purchase editing software and go into business. At the very least you need to have a thorough knowledge of html and css or you won't know how to problem solve or clean up the sloppy code generated by ALL html editors. You also need to have an understanding of organic SEO, design layout, typography and the various aspects of webhosting (setting up email dns, installation of scripts, forms, etc.)

Don't start with outdated software. You will outgrow it quickly and then have to re-learn a whole new program. It's hard to keep up with what is best because something new always comes along to trump it, but Dreamweaver is a good choice. It's what I use and is very popular so you can find lots of info and tutorials online.

Good luck with your adventure!

[bdorland]

Or as an alternative path, find a programming partner (to build your sites), a designer (to design the look/feels), a copywriter (to develop client content), an SEO/SEM specialist, and start a virtual agency. Instead of trying to do everything (each of which are full time jobs if you want to do them well), focus on your strengths. With a communications degree and online marketing experience, you probably have a good handle on marketing/website strategy. Be the up-front website strategist and project manager, and let your partners do the legwork. This leaves you time to bring in more business (sales). This model has served me well for years...

Too much to swallow? Get to class...;o)