MasterWeb Design

Internet use has virtually exploded since 1995, when only .4% of the world’s people were online. As of December 2009, that number has soared to over 26%–over 1.8 billion people now use the Internet, with more being added every day. Web designers are an integral part of keeping people and businesses connected worldwide, and more people than ever before need web designers to help them “get where they want to go” on the Web. Web designers-also known as information designers, information developers or Web developers-are responsible for designing and maintaining websites for a wide variety of clientele. It’s their job to make sure that websites are visually appealing and present needed information in an understandable way.

According to wisegeek.com, web design professionals usually have many tools that they use in helping a client achieve a perfect website: they often have extensive experience with graphics software and programs that can animate figures, and are well-versed in multimedia, adding sound and/or video clips where needed. They need to know what’s current in the Internet industry, and have a good grasp on what makes a webpage stand out-how to keep it ranked high with search engines. A background or aptitude in art is important, as well as good interpersonal and communication skills.

There is a difference of opinion among designers about whether or not formal training is needed. Some web designers have accumulated experience in navigating the Web and programming pages, and believe that this is sufficient, while others have taken a Read more…

The number of specialties in the web design business is expanding as more elaborate features are added to web pages, features that require varying types of expertise.  It’s a burgeoning field, clearly; web pages for businesses have gone from being an interesting and optional addition just a few years ago to a necessity today.  The entire retail business model is undergoing a tectonic shift as the result of web-based product sales.  Service businesses use web pages to solicit business, and corporations use them as public relations and investor relations tools.  As a result, new careers are emerging.

Most of the web design specialties today require some formal training.  You can select from a number of degree programs, depending upon your area of interest and your innate talents.  The permutations of web site use have occurred rapidly and continue to do so.  Businesses that use their web site as a marketing tool are suddenly confronted with the methods that have been contrived to use the social networks as outreach tools.  Many retail sites are developing more elaborate product displays.  Finally, many businesses see the need to upgrade their sites as competitors put up more attractive and livelier web pages of their own.

Here is a list of academic choices that can lead to a career in web design.

Animation.  Multimedia art and animation are often used interchangeably.  In fact, animation is closer to the development of video-type presentations.  An animator may be called on to develop characters or product drawings, and then put them in motion using a computer animation program.  Video presentations are at the top of the list for quality web site features, provided they fit into the flow of the site properly. Read more…

There are a number of applications out there that allow you to design websites using WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editors. We’re going to look at the best web design software that falls into this category. We’ll also look at the benefits of using such software to help you decide whether or not it’s right for you.

The principle behind WYSIWYG editors is that whatever you see on the page is what you’ll get when your website is published. Basically it gives you an interface where you can build your website exactly how you want it to look when people visit it online.

The most popular web design software packages are Dreamweaver, FrontPage and XSitePro. Adobe Dreamweaver is the professional choice due to its massive range of features and ability to create dynamic websites. The downside being it’s difficult to pick up and use ‘out of the box’ and requires a lot of hours to learn just the basics, especially if you’re new to web design. It’s also expensive to buy. Read more…