Web Design – An Art, More Than Just Coding
Web design is an art of applying visual concepts to information in the form of web pages. It involves a lot of thinking, creative and often hard work. A good designer should be able to present his ideas on all fronts, including presentation, functionality, usability and aesthetics. This way, the end product will have both high visual appeal and user usability.
HTML is one of the most widely used languages for designing web pages. All major browsers support the HTML code, and so designers are not forced to use other languages for web design. HTML can be a markup language that is inserted into web pages with the help of tags. There are many advantages of using HTML over other languages, for example it is easy to learn and write, there are no inconsistencies in the way the text is displayed across different web browsers, and it allows the developer to create interactive web pages.
There are two main ways to go about web design. The first is ‘pathfinder’ method, in which a web designer maps out the look of the website, making it as close to the original design as possible, while at the same time keeping the look ‘interactive’. This means that a visitor to the website can interact with the website, changing the content or the overall design of it. The second method is ‘steps’ approach where a developer crafts the entire website from scratch, customizing it as he goes along.
HTML gives web design an additional dimension, allowing web pages to be designed as well as created on the fly. It can be combined with other languages as well, in order to achieve a full-fledged website solution. Some common combination examples include Adobe Dreamweaver and PHP. This way a person does not need to learn Dreamweaver, as well as understand PHP – he just has to know how to use the HTML codes, by creating his own web pages. This has proved very useful to non-technical persons who want to create their own websites.
HTML coding has come a long way over the years, from simple text commands, to complex programs controlling web pages. However, web designers have managed to make it even easier for themselves, by writing more complex programs in HTML itself. A web designer can use templates or custom designs, to craft web pages. A simple search on the Internet will reveal scores of web designers all over the world.
Nowadays there are scores of companies offering web design services, both online and offline. However, when you hire a web designer, there are certain things that you need to keep in mind. First, the person must understand your needs perfectly; so before you even talk about web design, you need to decide what you want your site to portray to your visitors. Second, check for the company’s portfolio, to check if they are able to meet your expectations. Lastly, make sure that you work with a reliable company, as web design is a delicate and sensitive issue.