Top 5 Things Programmers Should Know Before Starting Web Design

When you enter the world of web design, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer wealth of information that is out there. Here are a few things you would have to consider starting out as a programmer:

1. Content Management System

There comes the dreaded day in every young web developer and web designer’s life. When your client first comes to you requesting that, he or she wants to edit his or her own website. This is a huge leap to come from creating your own static websites in HTML and CSS to not only allowing your client to come and make changes to that but also getting your head around setting up a piece of software which allows this to be done. Now, the systems we usually use to do this are Content Management Systems (CMS) and these come in all shapes and sizes. You can get CMS’s, which are hosted services, these are websites that provide you with an account and they would manage this process for you. However, the majority of them are software, which you have to download and set up. To see which CMS is the best? Well, every client is different, every website is unique and that has a different set of problems and therefore is no one solution.

Action Point: When it comes to deciding the best CMS platform, the majority of people would mention Wordpress, Joomla and Drupal.However, there is not an ‘one-size’ fits all solution when it comes to CMS. As a web designer, you will have to flexible and be able to use more then one and build a toolbox that you can use to solve different problems.

1. Web Fonts

When designing your site, you will need to decide on your font type and size. This is not simple as you may think it is. Many factors come into play when deciding your font. You will have to consider how your font will affect the design of the page, and what kind of impression this would have on the reader. This will require research on your part. The main thing about your font size is that it needs to be constant throughout your site. Also, ensure that your reader is able to tell the difference between the text and your background. If these colours are similar, this will make t difficult for the reader and as a result, he or she would have to ‘work’ to read your text.

Action Point: Like with the CMS, there is no one solution. The type of font you choose has to match the design of your particular site. The problem with choosing a font for your page is that your font needs to be installed on the user’s computer to view the page as it was designed. It is therefore recommend, that you specify several fonts in either HTML or CSS.

1. Design Layout

My advice to here is to keep the design of your site simple, clean and user-friendly. You do not want to make things complicated, and present a lot of plug-ins and functions to the reader, in particular in the beginning. This will not help with the user trying to navigate around your site at all. There should be fine balance between making your site look different to other sites out there but also not making your site look like a Rubik’s cube.

Action Point: The layout of your page makes all the difference between your reader leaving your site within seconds or staying and reading the content you have. The first thing you would have to consider what the purpose of the site is. Is it to provide information? Is it geared to selling a particular project? This helps you in deciding where certain web graphics, banners etc should go.

1. SEO Search Engine Optimisation

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is designing your site in a way so that it appears higher up in the search engines. The higher the ranking the site has, the more chance it would be likely to be visited by a reader. Every web designer should consider this and at least be aware of the basics associated with web development. For example, in HTML, tags should take into account specific keywords in which the clients wants to be ranked for. If you are not familiar with SEO, then I highly recommend that you look into this, as it is a sign of a great designer.

Action Point: The best thing to do is to research SEO and find out information on how you can rank your site better in the search engines and avoid ‘Black hat SEO’ Black hat SEO are attempts to improve your site in an unethical manner. The best thing to do for a programmer is to clearly distinguish between what is good and bad SEO.

1. Awareness

As a rookie, you will have to be aware of what is happening in the world of web design as we speak. What is in, what is out? What skills should you be developing? If you learn the skills that are in demand now, clients will be knocking on your door. It is as simple as that. In addition, you will need to have the knowledge of any legal or industry requirement affecting your site and clients. For example, you could be selling a product unsuitable for younger people.

Action Point: At the beginning of your journey, you should engage yourself in learning. Make a habit to read some of the forums and news surrounding web design so you keep on top of the latest issues and trends. This will enable you to stay ahead of the competition and give you an indication of what may or may not occur in the future.