Web Design

What you need to start doing web design. This is a list of important programs, tools, and sites needed to get a head start on learning and doing webdesign. Now remember it is up to you to choose which of these is best for you. Also if you know of any sites etc. that aren't on here please let me know - Contact

Getting Started

  • Programs

    You will need several programs to get started with web development, a text editor, browsers, and a good ftp client. All of the programs that I suggest are free, that's the best thing about the Internet.
    • Text Editor - This is a list of good programs to use, but you really only need one so choose the one you like best:
      1. jEdit - A text editor that a of my friends suggests.
      2. HTML-Kit - This is a good program for editing your code.
      3. Notepad ++ - This is a program that many designers suggest.
      4. Top Style Lite - This is the editor that I use to make my CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). If the link that I have here doesn't work you con download it here
      5. There are also other possibilities, but these are a few I know of and like.
    • Browsers (the reason to have more than one browser is to be able to test your website making it viewable to as many others as possible:
      1. Firefox - Firefox is a browser with a huge amount of capability (tabbed browsing, themes and extensions), it also complies with standards much better than IE
      2. Opera - This another browser that is gaining speed, it helps to have the main browsers to test your site.
      3. Internet Explorer - This is the browser that is most common (about 90%) it comes with all Windows computers. It is the least standard compliant of the main browsers, making it a nightmare to design for, but it is still the most used browser.
    • FTP clients - These are programs that allow you to move files from your computer to the server where your site is hosted:
      1. Smart FTP - This is a great FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client that I just discovered. I really like it.
      2. FileZilla - This is also a very good FTP program that I have used for a long while.
    • For other cool sites that don't fit this category see the links page
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  • Tools

    These are some really useful tools that I use in web design and development.
    • For Mozilla Firefox - Plugins and extensions for Firefox:
      1. IE Tab - This is and extension that allows you to view a page in Firefox as if it were in IE.
      2. Web Developer Toolbar - This is a tool bar that is essential for web development, it has validating tools etc.
      3. ColorZilla - This is great tool for finding colors on a webpage and being able to match them. For another "better" one see the next section.
      4. MeasureIt - This is helpful in finding exactly how large an area is on your browser.
      5. There are so many more great extensions and tools at the Mozilla website - Mozilla
    • Other Tools:
      1. Color Pix - This is the best program for picking colors!
      2. It also really helps to have a photo editing program, such as Photoshop, Fireworks, Gimp (a free one), or Inkscape (a free vector graphics program).
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  • Tutorials

    These are some great site to learn HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), CSS, and other languages
    1. HTML Dog - This is a great site for learning how to design in HTML and CSS. They have easy to understand tutorials that give you enough to start making your own website.
    2. W3C schools - This is the World Wide Web Consortium site, they decide the standards for web language. They have good tutorials.
    3. Project Seven - CSS tutorials and articles
    4. There are many other good sites out there just do a Google search on HTML Tutorials
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  • Important Sites:

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