Considering a Career Change in Web Design

[subrosa]

I really appreciate the information and straight forward advice. I'm not making this decision lightly and I'm not quiting my day job either. Dusting off my brain won't kill me and your suggestions that come from real world experience are invaluable. If any others have advice, I'm willing to listen. As I discovered a long time ago, you learn more by listening than talking. Cheers!

[Spinny]

Some inexpert advice from someone who's had this thought cross his mind, too:

Get some practice in doing "freebie" web sites. Maybe you're in a sports league, or belong to a church or a civics club, or anything "semi-organized" along those lines. Even a family-oriented site, if the subject matter's not too personal. I add that last because those sites can become the kernel of your portfolio when you're trying to talk would-be clients out of their money.

In the meantime you get experience dealing with clients, translating their vision into design, facing their critiques and reactions to your drafts, and all of that--not to mention all the good karma you get from the beneficiaries of your work! Just be sure to stipulate when you do the job that you can use the site as a showcase, and maybe they'll even be okay with you putting a discreet link to your own commercial presence.

Just some thoughts.

[subrosa]

Just in case anyone was wondering how this all turned out I decided to bite the bullet and go for it, I'm glad I did. I was able to get my hands on Dreamweaver CS3 (ugh) and some other programs such as Kompozer, XX5, WebDesigner, Artisteer and some others. After immersing myself in these for about six months and doing some free sites along the way I picked up some paying gigs as well. No one is getting rich but I have to tell you the reason they went with me over a couple of local competitors was because I visited them in person, talked with them about what they wanted in their site and then delivered in a timely manner. I'm not a tech guy but I didn't really need to be, they just wanted someone to take if off their shoulders and get it done. I'm still running into snags like everyone else but we all learn as we go. Thanks all!

[ChrisBro]

they just wanted someone to take if off their shoulders and get it done. I'm still running into snags like everyone else but we all learn as we go

This principal is probably the most important thing you have learnt so far and has been paying my bills for the last 2 years fulltime. People especially smaller businesses that realise they need a web presence but dont really have any idea about anything lol, just love for you to take over tell them what they need then do it, it really works, dont rip anybody off and you will be amazed how quickly your business will grow just through word of mouth.

I would also look into setting yourself up as a web host, not too make money because you probably wont but when it comes to installing server scripts dealing with your own server although being a huge learning curve to begin with is much easier than trying to communicate with sometimes dreadful web hosts trying to get setting etc changed, and if the client is in a truly traditional shared environment forget it if it wont work out of the box then the chances of having default settings changed are a million to one.

I run 4 servers now all in all to VPS and 2 dedicated, all of my client are now on these servers, I charge them £10 per month for hosting b ut I provide great support and even go to their home when needed just to set up things like email addresses, I am not interested in the mass £1 per month hosting market you do get what you pay for as a lot of people are starting to realise my clients are more than happy with the hosting fee, I dont reallt make anything from this but it pays for all my servers which in turn host all my own sites as well

I have just recently starting to roll out hosting commercially not because I want to be a web host I most certainly dont it can be a nightmare, make sure if you do go down this route whoever you get your servers from have great support you will need it, I have rolled it out or am rolling it out rather in the hope of picking up more design clients rather than expanding the hosting side to my business.

I too am self taught, dont know everyhting far from it but I enjoy learning and when I cant figure something out I see it as a challenge, great forums like this place are invaluable as well. I have always tinkered on the net for the last 7 years all in all, even back then designing my first site for various marketing projects, it is only recently I have acknowledged my flair in web and graphic design, even now there is a million and one things for me to learn just take it day by day and have fun if you dont enjoy it then dont do it, I can sit behind my machines some day for 20 hours you have to enjoy it especially when you start to get busy.

Glad it all seems to be working out for you, you only ever get back what you put into something and you seem to be going in the right direction, so far as software yes try and lay your hands on as much as you can, as you earn buy something new, I sped lots and lots and lots every year on software but I see them as tools of my business as an electrician would buy the best screw drivers I buy the best software, I used to always use Photoshop, dreamweaver and Expression Web mainly now I find more and more of my sites especially new clients I am using XXP5 with some great results, I have even converted a few of my old dreamweaver sites into Xara now, it cannot be beaten for ease of editing and updating simple as that.

Best wishes

Chris

[pauland]

That's great news subrosa. Do you have links to some of the sites you have made commercially?

[subrosa]

Chris,
I didn't mention it but I do in fact host sites, however I don't go after the hosting business so much as just host sites I've created. Some sites I've completed are www.arthurcenter.com www.friendsofmexicoschools.org www.bucksbuilds.com www.rushhillcommunitychurch.org and some others. They probably aren't the most sophisticated sites but I think they are pretty good. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. I have discovered that I will need to expand my knowledge to other programs but in the meantime I'm going to stick with the basics of HTML and CSS.
Thanks to all!

[badhairday]

WOW you guys are really inspirational.

I have all the required software,just don't seem to find the time.


There is this idea in my head that its so damn hard to build a site, yet I know its not really,yet my hesitation remains. I am at that age when I feel my learning abilities are getting harder to put into action, weird but true. Geez I sound so old..lol

But when you have worked just to keep a roof over your head for so many years it is kinda daunting to try something new.

That feeling of self worth with self doubt fighting for superiority can make you just stop,put the slippers on and gouge out of TV.
I don't want to be comfortably numb and I lied earlier,I do have time its the will power I lack.

But reading your posts I think its time I got my arse in gear and built something.
So many sites in my head, now thanks to you lot I will put them onto the Net.

NOW!!!..can I put Dreamweaver,Flash,XXP5,XWD into a big pot,stir them up and pour out perfect websites one after the other?!! That would be a site to see

Thanks Peeps

[ChrisBro]

Hello Badhairday
Give it a go you never know you may find some natural ability.

My advice throw Dreamweaver in the bin if you are new to design it will just confuse you, get used to Xara first when you are starting out you need some good experience before frustrating ones

best wishes

Chris

[pauland]

Ah, the much-maligned dreamweaver. I think the real confusion is that people don't really understand what Dreamweaver is about, or indeed Xtremes web generation is about.

Xtremes web generation is all about translating design to the web with little reference to the underlying technologies of the web - HTML and javascript. It is a design program that "does the web".

On the other hand Dreamweaver is a development environment to allow designs produced elsewhere to be realised using the technologies of the web - it's all about technology and a very little bit of design. Dreamweaver will take you into the low level technologies of the web and help you by taking some of the drudgery away. Dreamweaver isn't really about design - it's web technology that "does a little bit of design".

If your customers aren't too demanding, or the technology requirements aren't too great and you are going to be an independent rather than a team player, then Xtreme's capabilities are going to serve you well and you can avoid a lot of the technology knowledge that is normally needed to get websites operating. That's great for the vast majority of Xtremes user base.

On the other hand, if you have to share web designs or co-operate with others, have more demanding customers that will insist that a fluid layout is required, or they want to commission designs that work with a CMS or need a blogging template or email newsletter, or need frequent updates to a website then you will find yourself in big trouble.

I'm not knocking Xtreme, it does a fantastic job and as we see people are making money from it, but it's not really a competitor to dreamweaver and anyone seeking to work as a web designer should consider that Xtreme has limitations in professional use that will limit what it can practically be used for.

The point of my post is not to knock Xtreme, or promote dreamweaver, but to suggest that binning dreamweaver is OK, but understand that using Xtreme exclusively will ultimately limit what you can do and it won't allow you the flexibility that other software will allow (at the cost of more complexity). At some stage you will encounter a customer demanding something that Xtreme can't handle and you will have huge problems attempting to work on a design originally started by someone else.

Xtreme is great, use it as a kickstart or for jobs where it is suitable, but don't bin dreamweaver or neglect to learn at least the basics of html, CSS and javascript if you want to be flexible or produce more sophisticated designs, or collaborate/integrate with anyone else in the web design world.

Binning dreamweaver prompted me to mention dreamweaver, but you can replace my mention of dreamweaver with any HTML-centric tool of your choice - even notepad.

In short - use Xtreme, but learn about HTML, CSS and javascript too. As a career change that isn't optional.

[Soquili]

I completely agree with Paul.

Web Designer is great at design, but if you plan on making a career by being a web designer you must learn the technology behind the web.

Learn HTML, CSS, javascript, php scripting, etc.