Im looking to learn how to develop a website

[nick howze]

Hello my name is nick, im currently in the process of learning how to web design i have been looking for books and online programs that will help master the skill. my problem is that there is so much out there, and that i don't know where to start let alone what books and programs are well organized. Any help on what sites or books to use would be highly appreciated!

Thank you

 

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[BigBrianC]

Learn the basics of good HTML and CSS, then learn good jQuery and Javascript, then learn a server side language like PHP or ASP.NET. A good programming help forum/site is dreamincode.net

 

[randomnumber314]

Youtube tutorials are very useful.

What's your goal? (Website? App?) What to learn depends on the answer to that question.

 

[marklov]

Hello my name is nick, im currently in the process of learning how to web design i have been looking for books and online programs that will help master the skill. my problem is that there is so much out there, and that i don't know where to start let alone what books and programs are well organized. Any help on what sites or books to use would be highly appreciated!

Thank you

Here's what you can do

Follow this tut https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/wordpress-tutorial-collection.54296/

Pick a youtube vid that you like and start practicing.
It takes awhile to get good so put the work in.

 

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[nick howze]

Thank you!

 

[nick howze]

Youtube tutorials are very useful.

What's your goal? (Website? App?) What to learn depends on the answer to that question.

website

 

[randomnumber314]

website

Then don't waste your time learning to code much. Check out 99lime / HTML kickstart. Google some youtube tutuorials. If you want a more adaptive/responsive/non-brochure website learn a CMS like wordpress.

 

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[AntEmpire]

codecademy.com helped me get started with html/css. It's a free interactive tutorial site that gets you started on the basics of coding. I also have a visual friendly book that is great for walking through the basics of html & css called "HTML & CSS, Design and Build Websites" by Jon Duckett.

 

[jessup]

Don't skip the basics.

https://teamtreehouse.com/home
http://www.codecademy.com/
http://tutsplus.com/

 

[Hanalore]

Coding is good to learn but you should decide what software to use, then concentrate on that that. Example, if you use or WordPress, concentrate solely on learning that otherwise you will be inundated with a bunch of coding when you won't necessarily need it. My experience, I self taught myself how to build my very first website over ten years ago in pure HTML. Now days, the programs are so user friendly. If you use, as the example WordPress, you can look at the coding while or even after you design the website and learn it that way. Instructional videos and tutorials are very helpful as well.

Unfortunately, you haven't mentioned intent, content, layout, and design though. Visit other websites that that interest you that use the same platform you're designing in (ie WordPress). Start by trying to set up the layout and using their tools to mimic (don't duplicate, because of copyright), and then experiment on you own to see what works. Especially if you're designing for income, you'll need to determine the intent and content of the site as well as what the client wants it to look like.

Good luck!

 

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[robdekovich]

A good, free place to start is KhanAcademy.com. I'm learning basic JS right now, but it goes in depth with animation and then HTML and CSS script. You can also use Khan Academy for many other things. A lot of good information on there about economics, math, computer science, programming, etc.

 

[obrian]

just torrent some courses and books bro i find alot of value in that lol.

 

[Joanne Wong]

I learn to build website through this course.
https://www.udemy.com/complete-web-developer-course/?dtcode=JBEXbcu2Mgem

 

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[Digamma]

codecademy.com helped me get started with html/css. It's a free interactive tutorial site that gets you started on the basics of coding. I also have a visual friendly book that is great for walking through the basics of html & css called "HTML & CSS, Design and Build Websites" by Jon Duckett.

This. Start with this.

I cannot really give you much advice on specific things to study (although I kind of like the CodeAcademy hands-on approach), since I have been programming for more than half my life.

But. I can get you some general advice on how and what to do.

1. Learn by Doing. Seriously, follow the CodeAcademy courses in something, than build things. Then build again. Do not fall into the trap of "needing to know more", do not read 600 pages books. Programming is not a science, is a craft, and you get good by doing it. Get the basic and then use Google when you need a specific thing. There's simply too much info to just know it.
2. Read Code, Not Manuals. OF course, you need to learn things before you know them. But once you have got your basic knowledge on something pick some project on GitHub and read the code. See a cool website and read its code. Understand it all. Make notes if you need.
3. Show Your Code Around. Have someone see the code you write and give you feedback on it. Refactor it. Maybe choose a circle of sorts (there are all kinds of chatrooms, forums, reddits, and so on) and hang there and read code and have your reviewed.

I will edit if I have more stuff comes to mind.

 

[nick howze]

This. Start with this.

I cannot really give you much advice on specific things to study (although I kind of like the CodeAcademy hands-on approach), since I have been programming for more than half my life.

But. I can get you some general advice on how and what to do.

1. Learn by Doing. Seriously, follow the CodeAcademy courses in something, than build things. Then build again. Do not fall into the trap of "needing to know more", do not read 600 pages books. Programming is not a science, is a craft, and you get good by doing it. Get the basic and then use Google when you need a specific thing. There's simply too much info to just know it.
2. Read Code, Not Manuals. OF course, you need to learn things before you know them. But once you have got your basic knowledge on something pick some project on GitHub and read the code. See a cool website and read its code. Understand it all. Make notes if you need.
3. Show Your Code Around. Have someone see the code you write and give you feedback on it. Refactor it. Maybe choose a circle of sorts (there are all kinds of chatrooms, forums, reddits, and so on) and hang there and read code and have your reviewed.

I will edit if I have more stuff comes to mind.

Thank you very much! there so much information out there im so eager to learn!

 

[FastNAwesome]

https://www.codeschool.com/

They have many free courses which are a great start, and the concept is much fun - short and to the point videos, then it's your turn to practice a little bit, then another video.

 

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[GuestUser112]

Buy a For Dummies book. They're great.

 

[RogueInnovation]

Html, CSS, Javascript, and a backend language. Html and css are pretty darn easy, so the real trouble is Javascript and your back end language, you just need to get very familiar with it, develop muscle memory, not think too much about it.

Then imo, its all about
Knowing how to frame things, knowing how to catch the eye and intruige people, how to make people feel comfortable.

Most designers, design to THEIR eye, but you have to consider a persons concerns, and the needlessness of certain aesthetics or tricks.


Generally to design a web you have to know on paper what it is and where it is going, because if the vision sucks the code will be tedious to do, and you'll have to redo it and will feel stuck with bad product and it will land a blow to your motivation to code.

IMO, its all just about the framing of an idea, the ease of a process, and the professionalism of the package.

So you design a nice presentation, (probably requires jquery), you set up a nice process thats clear and concise, and you look at competitors and such and design in that professional look.

Badda bing badda boom.


I think your eye for a website is the most crucial thing, and the irony is, you can't be dependant on aesthetics, you have to be efficient about tasks, and make sure its for your audience.

Because imo, a webs job is to process clients, not sit on its hands and look pretty. Marketting pulls in the clients, product keeps them coming.

 

[Andy Black]

"I'm looking to ... learn how to ... develop a website."

That's quite a long sentence.

IMO, you don't want to learn how to develop a website.

You don't even want to develop a website.

You want to help someone, where building a website is going to help you do that better.


Where am I going with this?

When I wanted to "learn how to build websites" I realised I would be learning lots of unnecessary stuff if I went through tutorials or books or courses or manuals.

Instead, I went looking for someone I knew who needed help and who a website could help get them more work.

An out of work electrician friend bit my hand off when I offered to build him a website.

Then I had a goal of helping someone, and the learning was "just in time learning" to solve the current obstacle in the way so that I could get the website built so that I could help my friend.

Just my 2c for a different perspective.

 

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[MEAH]

best thing that worked for me is picking one platform I wanted to learn everything about, in my case Wordpress and then just jumping in head first and using Google to figure out anything I couldnt figure out on my own.

I tried to tackle learning everything from the beginning and it was too much. Soon as I narrowed down my focus things got a ton easier