The Best Ways to Learn Web Design: A Simple Guide

Are you interested in learning web design but not sure which path to take? Generally, there are three main ways people in the field learn web design. Depending on your circumstances, you may find one path more favorable than the other two.

In this simple post, we will discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and major highlights of learning web design through traditional schooling, taking online courses, and self-learning (also known as tinkering around on the Web). By the end of this article, you should have a clear idea of what options you have and which path to consider taking.

Path 1: Academic Schooling

Across the globe, many universities and colleges offer a web design degree with a carefully designed curriculum. The study is mostly linear, covering the history of the web, basics of HTML and CSS, naming conventions, the use of Adobe Photoshop for mockups, and in-depth UX and UI theories.

Structure & Job Security

Web designers who have gone through years of schooling often have a stronger foundation, which includes topics on ethics, philosophy, and theories surrounding web design. Web design is not just about placing elements to look good but knowing where to place things for the user’s ease of use.

Since the study of web design follows a strict curriculum, students tend to be more methodical and follow conventions.

Another advantage is that in the current setup of many industries, large companies pay more attention to applicants with degrees and often overlook those who don’t have one, even if they have the skills. In this case, having a degree is extremely important. Additionally, college is a place where you can build a huge network of people that will prove helpful in the future.

… But It’s Slower & The Curriculum Sluggish

The downside is that obtaining a degree takes two to four years of schooling. Another drawback is that with the fast pace of technological change, practices taught in schools tend to be a bit outdated. Many schools also still include unrelated subjects like writing, philosophy, and ethics—subjects that may not be directly helpful for building a website.

Path 2: Online Schools and Courses

The beauty of the online world is that it is now filled with online schools and courses, both free and paid, that everyone can access anytime. This includes web design courses that teach people how to build websites from the ground up.

Compact Lessons & More Affordable

Online schools like Code School, Codecademy, and tutorial sites feature lessons by experts with years of experience. These tutorials and courses are usually a condensed version of what these experts have learned over the years. These courses and tutorials typically take a few weeks to a couple of months to complete, not years.

Another great thing about this? Compared to the costs of traditional schooling, this is a much cheaper alternative. There are courses online that teach web design for just $25 per month, if you know where to look.

… But It’s Less Thorough & Less Accepted

The problem with these online methods for learning is that it is common for these lessons to skip details, probably to save time and cater to their audience who are usually in a hurry.

Rather than the comprehensive content one would expect from a full 16-week course, you get a condensed version spanning 16 hours, which leans more towards practical use and less on theories. This poses the problem of giving learners less than the full picture for real-world application.

Nonetheless, the downside is that big companies shy away from self-taught web designers. While some companies value talent over certification, which is good news for freelancers, many industries that may use web designers still hold this social stigma.

Path 3: Tinkering & Experimenting

Self-taught web designers who started learning due to their curiosity are probably the most passionate people of the bunch. They have the desire to learn how and why websites work, which makes them natural problem solvers. Most tinkerers prefer breaking things into pieces and studying each part rather than reading an entire manual or watching a video.

Driven By Passion & Problems

By nature, tinkerers take action: they love to solve the mystery that is laid in front of them. They are comfortable learning new things from scratch, without the help of specific guidelines or a thought-out flow. Tinkerers usually start learning web design by opening HTML files and learning the syntax. It also helps that web browsers now allow anyone to inspect the code of each website and even change anything from the font size to the background color.

Tinkerers mostly rely on their analytic mind instead of looking for help, exactly the type of people that web startups are looking for. In this rapidly changing industry, people who can learn and adapt fast are indispensable.

… But They Have Different Priorities

Since tinkerers learn on their own, the conventions used by web designers who go through some form of education will be foreign to them. Collaboration between these two groups of web designers may suffer slightly from communication and uniformity.

Some tinkerers may not even care about how the backend looks as long as the front-end is working. The HTML and CSS can be a disorganized mess although it may look great on a browser.

Which Path To Choose?

So there you have it, the three common paths to learning web design. Take note though that degree holders tend to supplement their knowledge with more online reading, courses, and other materials. In a similar fashion, tinkerers and online learners also actively seek out and read books to further strengthen their foundation and skills.

All in all, the choice is yours. Weigh your options carefully. Do you have enough time to go through years of schooling? Keep in mind that you can develop helpful connections if you go through this path, although it will take years of your life to get a degree.

Do you prefer to self-study either by tinkering or enrolling in online courses? You will need to be your own biggest supporter so that you won’t quit halfway, and the passion should be there to follow through with your learning process. So, how do you want to learn web design?