You've decided that Web design is the career for you. You're ready to jump into the game, but you're going to need some education on what to develop Web sites first. However, with literally hundreds of schools offering courses in every possible permutation -- Web site design or video design with a focus on Web sites; certificates or full degrees -- how do you decide which program meets your needs?

Skills taught in a Web design program

Web site designers require a vast range of skills, not all of which are (or can be! ) taught in the class room. However, there are certain skills that all Web-site designers should be aware of. First among these is HTML (HyperText Markup Language) code, which includes the building blocks of the Web. All Web sites, no matter how fancy or how focused on Flash animation, consist of HTML at their core.

Although most designers now use Web editing programs such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver to develop Web sites, in order to know very well what is actually happening when the web site loads, you need to understand HTML. For entry-level positions, this markup language can be enough, but for more advanced positions, you should learn more than one other markup dialects, such as XML (eXtended Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), as well as more than one scripting dialects, such as JavaScript and ActiveX.

You will also should find out the basics of making a web site look neat and professional. Although it may seem elementary, there are a wide range of techniques involved in creating a web site that flows well. A logical site is designed to allow the user to quickly understand the intention of the web site, and to easily find the information he or she needs. domain registration Although this is obviously more of an art than the usual science, there are many techniques that help users navigate each page within a site more effectively and quickly. As a web site designer, you should be fluent in these techniques.

To work on Web sites, you'll also need to understand the basics of how a computer operates. These technical skills enable you to set up and modify the web site. Being able to use FTP (File Transfer Protocol) clients to add pages and distribute site changes is paramount. So is being able to modify the site contents hand by using text publisher software. Some of this software allows you to view changes promptly, such as the Real-Time HTML Publisher, which is available online. Other text writers are offered with your workplace computer, or can be installed, enabling you to work on site contents outside of a web site editing program.

Finally, depending on the specific career path you have in mind, you might want to have other skills. If you are focusing more on the video design area of Web design, you will need to focus on learning about vector and raster graphics. Raster graphics, made up of grids of tiny pixels, are dependent on the size and quality of the image -- pictures are raster images, for example, and can look blurry or sharp, dependant on image size and resolution.

Vector graphics use geographical points and coordinates

instead of pixels, and can be resized without losing image quality. Typography, or the art of choosing and using fonts and typefaces, is also important. Page layout, or the skill of combining pictures, text, links, and computer animated images on a web site to manufacture a pleasing overall design, is also very important.