See Web-technology is considerably large KNOWLEDGE AREA today. You need to break it up and then target learning if you are beginner. If you are mid-way and know something strongly in Web-technology, you should not be asking this question any way.
Commonly before learning any TECHNOLOGY my approach from childhood was always to understand how those techniques (TECH) impact our life (OLOGY), means… understanding the APPLICATIONS. What we will use to SOLVE what…etc.,
So there are following applications of web-technology possible:
A. Simple website – content delivery
B. Content management systems – packages based content delivery – both commercial or open source
C. Custom web applications
D. Web application packages both commercial or open source
E. And other complex areas (which you can think of at a later point).
After you read more and understand what the above are you will come to realize, any web application is broken into something called Layers or Tiers…
Layer 1 : Front end – means what works in the browser (your content, HTML, CSS and mostly javascript). If you get deeper into Javasacripts there are 1000s of modules..or frameworks you need to learn
Layer 2 : Back end – CGI (old technology) or MVC an application framework laid around CGI concepts and scaled to higher levels to build rohbust server side.. Along with this you need to learn the techniques to leverage different services be it HTTP, FTP, Encryption/Decryption and so on…..
Layer 3: Surely would be Database.. OR a Data Storage like BigDATA.. this is a world by itself …
Once you read A-E and 1-3, you can start investing time in any one area…and start, it would be a good idea to go all through and do a little here and there to complete everything at one level…and then..become expert in one layer to start with.. that itself would be a decent 2 to 3 years goal I would say !
To learn web designing you need to acquire a skill set which consists following :
TECH SKILLS
1. VISUAL DESIGN
Seems pretty obvious that you need the design to be a web designer. But what this includes when it comes to the digital realm might be different than what you expect. In this case, design principles are what sets the look and feel of a site.
Visual design is different from what you expect. It primarily focuses on digital products. Design elements will decide the look and feel of a site. They can range from proportions to grid systems, to color theory, to typography. Visual design helps you to create mood boards and lets you experiment with web fonts and color palettes.
2. UX
Here come those funny abbreviations! UX stands for user experience, or how people feel (calm, frustrated, etc.) when they use a website.
It stands for user experience, or how people feel when they visit a website. UX is all about user perspective. How can you design a user-friendly website? To do that you need to research your user base. You’ll layout the pages and content with a site map. You’ll figure out the path users take on your site in user flows. And you’ll build wireframes to sketch out the key parts of each webpage. All of these components are essential to practicing user experience design.
3. DESIGN SOFTWARE
Like any craftsperson, to do your work, you’ll have to the right tools. And knowing your way around the industry standards will be helpful in any case and critical in many.
Like any other job, you first need to get acquainted with the right set of tools for designing software. Knowing your way around the industry standards will be helpful in understanding the demand of your clients. While designing a website can be done right in a web browser, tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Sketch are ones that almost all designers use for important parts of their job like creating mockups, designing assets, and of course, modifying and enhancing photos.
4. HTML
You might not have imagined that a web designer would need to code. But, nowadays, it’s an expected skill for most design jobs. And, hey, it’s a pretty easy way to get your tech on and actually build websites from scratch! HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, which is the coding language used to put content on a web page and give it structure.
It stands for HyperText Markup Language, which is a coding language. It helps a designer to put content on a web page and give it a format. With the help of this, you can turn some words into headlines, paragraphs, and footers, also the photos, videos, and graphics as well.
5. CSS
And then there’s HTML’s partner, CSS or Cascading Style Sheets. CSS is the code that tells browsers how to format and style HTML for a web page. In other words, it’s what makes all the text and other content look good.
It stands for Cascading Style Sheets. CSS is the code that tells browsers how to format and style HTML for a web page. In simpler terms, it makes all the text and other content look good. With CSS, you can adjust the colors, change the fonts, or add a stunning background—and so much more! This is where you can show off the creativity and leave a stamp on every site that you create.
SOFT SKILLS
Now that you have the design and tech part down, you only need to add some management to keep yourself organized and effective in your web design work.
6. TIME MANAGEMENT
Whether you go freelance or work for a company, you’ll need to stay on top of your schedule and your projects to be a standout web designer.
7. COMMUNICATION
Staying in touch and getting your point across are also must-have skills for a designer. You’ll be keeping clients up-to-date on the progress of their projects plus pitching ideas and explaining your creations.
8. SEO / MARKETING / SOCIAL MEDIA
The skill set of SEO (search engine optimization), marketing, and social media might seem like it’s meant more for a salesperson than a web designer.
9. BUSINESS / CLIENT MANAGEMENT
And, as an employee or as a freelancer, understanding the bottom line will help you make sure you or your company is profitable and sustainable.
But, then, you’ll get stuck. What comes next? There are dozens of frameworks. People say they design websites in Photoshop and Illustrator and others use Sketch. You should probably start learning how to use one of these frameworks and try making a design in Photoshop… Right? WRONG.
Some Online Learning Web Design Resources
- W3Schools Online Web Tutorials
- University Consortium | Google Developers (http://code.google.com/edu/submissions/html-css-javascript/#css)
- Start Learning at Treehouse for Free
- Lynda: Online Courses, Class, Training, Tutorials
- CSS-Tricks
- Computer programming