Is it worth it

[Baconator]

To learn Web design and get certified? I've always messed around with websites and I've got a whole suite of adobe software. Was thinking about actually learning all of it do do cheap websites for people. What do you think? Trying to make myself more marketable.

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[Peter.Steele]

Adobe stuff is not bad to know, but perhaps more useful would be the Autodesk stuff. Learn how to use Inventor, Max, Alias, the Simulation suites, etc., and you can get into some very interesting fields.

I started using Inventor about 3 years ago more or less on a whim, because a friend of mine needed something drawn up. Now, I'm a Certified Professional, and I use it every day to make my living designing stuff.

[Baconator]

Adobe stuff is not bad to know, but perhaps more useful would be the Autodesk stuff. Learn how to use Inventor, Max, Alias, the Simulation suites, etc., and you can get into some very interesting fields.

I started using Inventor about 3 years ago more or less on a whim, because a friend of mine needed something drawn up. Now, I'm a Certified Professional, and I use it every day to make my living designing stuff.

Cool, will check out.

Sent from Obama's Mind

[Peter.Steele]

Cool, will check out.

Sent from Obama's Mind

You can get 30-day trial versions of stuff, play with it, see if it's something you think you'd be interested in using further. It's worth checking out.

[Baconator]

You can get 30-day trial versions of stuff, play with it, see if it's something you think you'd be interested in using further. It's worth checking out.

As lame as it sounds. I bought Web programming for dummies. Are there good books for these programs?

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[gundad]

Web based skills are good to have. Online retailers are seeing double digit growth while brick and mortar.....is not. If you had combo of web design and google adwords / analytics it could open up some doors for you as well.

[ElvenSoul]

Your doing good add Ruby and SQL.

[Peter.Steele]

As lame as it sounds. I bought Web programming for dummies. Are there good books for these programs?

Sent from Obama's Mind

Many, many, many books.

If you start with Inventor first, there's also a TON of good tutorials included with the software. Some of the other software - Alias, I'm looking at you here - is a bit more esoteric and poorly documented, therefore difficult to learn. Inventor, however, VERY well documented, great tutorials, REALLY GREAT earning potential.

[2shotjoe]

No, web design is outsourced and you gotta know people within jobs to get it. Trying to find a job as one it gonna be hard.

[Corbin Dallas]

Better off learning java, java script and sql.

[NorCalXJ]

Learn javascript. Web design is very easy to learn and doesn't do much.

[bigbearbear]

If you plan on doing cheap things for cheap people, you won't get paid much.

Go for big expensive stuff that requires specialized knowledge. I'll recommend shooting for Microsoft SharePoint or their CRM product lines if you want to learn a web based skill and earn big $$$ with it.

Highly technical stuff so be prepared to put many hours into it.

[Peter.Steele]

Another thing worth doing is google "XXXX jobs," where XXXX is the name of the software package you're considering learning. See what the jobs are, how many there are, what they pay, that sort of thing.

In my particular area - 3D CAD stuff - there are more jobs available using Solidworks than Autodesk Inventor, but they tend to pay less. Fewer people know how to use Inventor, it seems. There's even fewer jobs out there using CATIA, but they tend to be 6 figure type things, because those guys are the best of the best of the best, the real varsity.

[choombak]

In my opinion, Web Design is a large space and comprises of - mastering the web concepts, UI (user interface design), and using the tools (like Adobe, etc.). I would start with the concepts - once they are understood, it is much more clear as to what needs to come next. Here is a link that I came across on google that captures some ideas: http://css-tricks.com/app-from-scratch-1-design/

Yes, learning web design is surely helpful and does have a job potential, however to get really good at it one must master the concepts that are common to all web applications and then pick the correct tools. I am sure it is no different in the gun land - master the concepts first! :-) good luck!