Stoping by to introduce myself!

Hi everyone! Just registered with this forum so thought I would introduce myself. My name is Nicola, 21 years old from Watford. I am completely new to web design and thought this looked like a very useful website. I am a sign maker/graphic designer, currently working at my Dad's business.

To cut a long story short (lol!)...I am hoping to begin a career as a web designer. I know some very basic html but that is about it! I am just after some advice for the best way of getting my foot in the door to this industry. I am debating on whether or not to complete a degree at university. I am 21 now so would prefer not to spend 3 more years of my life studying but if it is essential then now is my only time I can do it. I have completed a national diploma in graphic design and have learnt some basic skills where I am working at the mo. Would a design company take on a junior with such little knowledge?

Any advise is appreciated!!

PS. I wanted to personalise my profile but couldnt work out how to put up a profile picture! Any one know? xx

Welcome Kiki21!
Glad you joined! Hopefully we can answer all of your questions!

Many people here are self- taught and many people have been to a university. So I think you be successful either way.
The road to success is to learn (which ever way you choose), be great at what you do and have a gorgeous portfolio of work.

With that, you should be able to get hired.

to answer one of your questions, only staff or supermembers can have avatars

What do you know about web design? When you have learned the basics of HTML, (which isn't that hard to do actually), you should take a look at CSS(cascading style sheets).

In web design today, these are used to control the design/layout/appearance of the page.

For tutorials on these check out the CSS section of this site, and also http://csszengarden.com for what can be achieved by using just CSS

I no i rambled on a bit here but hope it helps

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welcome to the forumz, there are loads of resources here to help you get started, and if you have a question then please ask, we are here to help.

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Thank-you very much for getting back to me, I think I've stopped of at the right place! I know you must get questions like mine all the time. I think I now need to make a decision as to whether or not to study at uni. I have heard mixed opinions on university courses, some people have told me that they had to teach themselfs the majority of things.

How did you all get into web design?

I had another business in the 1990's and needed a website. So I taught myself how to build one. I decided I liked building the website better than the business I was running! hahahaha

Hey hun, and welcome!

I started teaching myself HTML ten years ago (when I was 14!) and after leaving school I did an IT course at college hoping to learn more advanced stuff and to have something on my CV that said "I know what I'm doing" ! - the IT course had very little web design on there, and it turns out the only thing I needed to say "I know what I'm doing" is a top notch portfolio!

If you can learn HTML and create great websites then all you need to do to get a web design job is show that portfolio in an interview. That's what I did when I went for my first web design job

Also, if you're already good at graphic design, maybe get a job doing graphic design at a web design company - that way you could possibly learn some web design there and possibly lead to a web design job!

Good luck!

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Wow you started learning HTML at 14!! I think I was too busy playing with my barbie dolls . I am 21 now so I hope I am not too old to learn and be just as good as other people my age. Best start working on this portfolio then!!

Thanks for all your advice.