Learning to design before learning to code HTML/CSS is a number one priority for some web development newbies. However, there aren’t that many benefits for those that go down that path. There are in fact other benefits for those that take the leap of faith and get their heads stuck into thousands of lines of code. Of course, if you’re looking to make a career out of graphic design, you’ll want to move on and open Photoshop or Illustrator. But, there are a number of other benefits if you learn to code HTML/CSS first and these are outlined below.
Gain Knowledge into What Helps Coders Undertake in Their Work
As a web designer, you’ll continuously build relationships with programmers who turn your creative design pieces into full-scale web applications. Therefore, knowing how they work and what they need to ensure their jobs are made easier will help you immensely. Designing websites using layers will be a big part of your job. However, programmers get fed up with working with designers who can’t organize their PSD files properly. If you learn to code first, you’ll see how organized layering is important.
Learn Why Pixel-Perfect Designs Are Important for Programming
For most basic web designs, pixel-perfect PSD files aren’t necessarily important. But if you’re designing something that’s more complex, a pixel perfect design could be the difference in a programmer’s job being made easy. The last thing a programmer wants to do is alter the size of images or their programming frameworks just because you couldn’t be bothered to spend time using the rulers in your Photoshop (or equivalent) environment.
The Benefits of Learning How Software and Computers Work
Programmers usually have the added advantage of knowing how different software and computer products work. Typically, a programmer would have taken an online masters computer science course to better their knowledge in everything from web development to software design and engineering. A course to obtain a master in computer science online through the New Jersey Institute of Technology isn’t always necessary, but it’s a great alternative for those that want to build a solid learning foundation rather than using the free online resources that aren’t always accurate. Designers who know how to use different types of software on different computer platforms usually have more creativity and more resources at their disposal.
Make Your Design Job Easier
Once you’ve mastered programming in HTML/CSS, you’ll find your job is much easier because you’ll be able to take shortcuts you probably wouldn’t have known before you started programming. Alternatively, you could spend hours creating layer upon layer when they weren’t necessarily needed for the programmer in the first place.
Your overall learning ability will determine whether you learn to design or learn to code first. You can, of course, learn to do one without the other and there’s nothing stopping you from being a success. However, if you’re willing to learn both aspects of web development, you’ll find it’s much easier to complete work that’s going to make your life and other lives much easier from start to finish.
