I've had a Blogger for a while (Lauren's Blog). Since that blog is more about traveling, hiking, music, etc., I decided to make a separate blog about my adventures in learning web design. So, here we are!
Right now, I'm taking three web design oriented classes. One of them is Adobe Dreamweaver. When I first decided to go into web design, I assumed (like I think many people do) that I would spend most of my time making web pages in programs like Dreamweaver that generate code for you, and not as much time actually writing code. I didn't think I would be too interested in the code writing portion of things since I always considered myself more of a visual artist type. But, last semester I had to take Web Development I, which required us to learn to code HTML and CSS by hand using simple text programs such as Notepad. I found that I actually really like the detail-oriented efficiency of writing code myself. I was in complete control of what showed up on the web page and I didn't have to work within the rules and buttons of a web design program to make it happen.
As a result of taking that class, Dreamweaver has been a different experience than I expected. I've learned how to do some cool things that I don't know how to do yet on my own such as creating dropdown menus using Spry and, but I've also found that I would rather complete some of the more basic tasks in Dreamweaver in a simple text program. I'd rather just quickly type in the code myself than push a bunch of buttons and make selections from various dropdown menus to do the same thing.
However, Dreamweaver does have some convenient tools to help create elements that are usually very tedious to create with code. For instance, it has a tool that allows you to create image maps by simply drawing the area shapes with your mouse and designating a link. It also has a table creating tool very similar to the one in Microsoft Word that allows you to create a table simple table and merge and split cells with the click of a button. One of my other favorite features of Dreamweaver is the way that it helps you organize all of your site files and keeps track of your links. That is very helpful when your website starts to get large and you have multiple pages, images, and CSS sheets. One tool in particular that I wish I had been able to use last semester was the split view function. It allows you to see the code you are working on in one half of the screen and the "What You See Is What You Get" design interface on the other. That is a definite time saver.
What I have learned so far in my experience with Dreamweaver is that it is a very helpful tool, but it is not a substitute for being able to write code. The two way of creating web pages should probably be used together in order to create the most efficient design experience. I will use Dreamweaver, but more as a tool to help my code writing and site building and not as the main designing tool.
Side note:
In designing web sites, it can be very helpful to look at some outside resources. Here are a couple I've found helpful so far:
Net Magazine
http://www.netmagazine.com/tutorials
I love this site because they post all sorts of useful tutorials. I found this site to be particularly helpful when I was creating the mobile version of the Downstream Photography site.
Tutorial 9
http://www.tutorial9.net/
This is another good site with some cool tutorials.
