Nowadays Web designing is the most popular way to earn. Young generations are getting interested about this profession. In this article, I tell you how to start a career as a web designer. Before you start a career as a web designer, almost every newbie has a lot of questions for which no answers due to lack of experience. What knowledge must have a web designer? what programs need to learn? how much time given to learning?  how to acquire professional skills?, where and how to look for the customer as ready to take the job?  - To these and other essential questions I tried to give answers in this article. I hope it will be helpful to everyone who wants to be a successful Web designer.

1. What knowledge needed for web designer?

Generally, for a start, I would advise to read some discreet book design. In principle, it cannot even read, and simply scroll diagonally, stopping at those moments, that’s understandable. At the basic stage, it is important to understand "that a shelf is" what is the general theoretical framework. And in consequence, gradually turn to it for a more detailed explanation on a particular subject with a deep study and understanding of the material. In fact, it should be a working manual, which should always be at hand.

In particular, the necessary basic knowledge about the elements and principles of web design, fonts, and colour theory. Special attention should be paid to such a concept as "website", its structure and principles of the existence of the Internet. By the way, on my website you will find a lot of theoretical materials that will help you obtain the necessary basic knowledge.

Another place on which you want to have an idea - it is based on HTML5 and of CSS3 . Even if you are not going to impose themselves, you still need to understand how to typeset the site. This will help you avoid making mistakes at the stage of creating a website design. Programming Fundamentals - is optional. And have a good understanding of WordPress,  because it is the majority of websites run on this platform.

2. Which programs need to learn?

In this matter, I stick to minimalism. I sincerely believe that in order to make the normal design, enough to know Photoshop. However, this program should be on hold at the beginner level. And so you have to take the time to study it. All other programs - this is optional. To typeset enough Notepad.

3. How much time given to training?

In general, everything is very individual in this matter. I was in two stages. First, I learned to use Photoshop and I began to receive advanced lessons on Photoshop. By the time it took well, maybe three or four months. After that came the idea that all, now I'm a designer and I can do websites. I tried to make the design of the site, and I have nothing at all happened. It looked very mediocre and sloppy.

Then I gave up trying to do anything, and just began to study the work of other designers. I just stared at with a magnifying glass as a favourite I made the sites looked into their bones. Along the way, I continued to work on the tutorial, but not really straining. And after months of looking at best sites I really was a qualitative leap, and I somehow easily made two unpretentious site, one of which immediately bought.

So, we can say that after somewhere 4-5 months of training, there are already quite strong design skills and an adequate understanding of the design process. But of course, provided that during all this time is really engaged in the self-education, training, study the theory, try.

4. How best to acquire practical skills?

Post I definitely advise you to copy favourite sites. But just as the workout! Do not reinvent the wheel. Just try to do well. I assure you, you get a very different, not like in the original. And the next step, I would advise to take some quality Wordpress theme and thoroughly understand its code. In order to try to control design elements. Then the disassembled code can be used as a fish for future designs

Used as a fish for future designs.

5. What it is necessary to take care in advance?

Be sure to take care of two things. First, be sure to get an online account for the adoption of means of payment for your services. In runlet for these purposes ideal system Web Money ( WebMoney-related ).You simply tell the customer your purse number for which it should transfer the money. Secondly, it is sure to somewhere to place their portfolio online. So arrange the portfolio accordingly. If there are no jobs, make work for yourself and put in a portfolio.

6. How to decide on the rates?

My advice to you is sure to define its quotation before you communicate with customers. There is nothing worse when you knock on the customer and you have to answer something unintelligible, the question of how much it costs. Better still, that there was a page with different rates for your services. It is convenient for you and the customer. And yet, never overestimate the price, at least at first. As long as you are a beginner it is best to price was ten percent lower than similar conventional rates.

7. How to search for the customer?

To begin you should not neglect the traditional search methods of the customer. You can create all sorts of popular exchanges of freelancing and place there the page with description of services and examples of work. In principle, it is likely that you will find there the customer. Although, I think that can be a long wait. Since first turning to freelancers masthead. But I will not argue.

But there is, I think, and more effective ways. Pay attention to the SEOs forums. These guys are mobile and they need all the time, any  Landing Page, spam blog feeds, or PPP. Therefore, they are very interested in design services. Is the "Design" section at almost any large forum. Carefully read this section, see what works out there sell for whatever price. Do something similar and expose it for sale. I did so at the time.

In principle, if the string up and shows imagination, then look for the customer is not so difficult. For example, one time I had the idea to do redesigns working sites on the Internet who absolutely lousy design. And then the owners offer to buy the new design, if you like, of course. The main thing is not to sit Sydney and do not expect that you line up the entire customer. At first, you have to work hard in the search.

8. How to communicate with the customer?

And then, finally, you have a potential customer, who is interested in your services. At this point, try as much as possible to find out in detail what the customer wants to see the result. I always ask the customer to show sites on the Internet, which he likes. Also, ask about what he would certainly not like to see. Also, never underestimate the terms of the order, as you would not like it! It is better to throw with a couple of days for the insurance and hand work earlier than annoy the customer by stretching time.

9. What is the order fulfilment mechanism?

My interaction with customers is as follows. First, I get the terms of reference (TOR) of the customer. Then for some time (usually three days or more, depending on the complexity) of the work and I give the customer site layout in jpeg. This is usually the main page, the page posts and auxiliary page. Sometimes a home page , but this must be arranged in advance with the client.

If the client approves the layout, then I start to make up. At this stage, you can take an advance payment, but I usually do not. I prefer to work to be paid after delivery. Not least because it is very stimulating to finish the order. Once a site up and running and tested, I give the client file ready site with installation instructions (if WordPress).The client pays for the work done.

Sometimes people ask, and whether it is necessary somehow to insure against the fact that you throw on the money. Basically, from this no one is safe. So to start check the history of your customer's existence on the Internet. What are its sites, where he lives, what his reputation, as it is available. If the client is doubtful, then give up and do not take chances. If you still have thrown money, try to take it easier. At least, you get only the value of a single order, but now you know that with this client, you will no longer work.

10. How to keep yourself in good shape?

Once you develop basic skills in creating designs, try to gradually expand their technical arsenal. Try to keep up with all the innovations in the web design industry and promptly implement new chips into your designs. Now a lot of manuals and tutorials, with which is very easy to learn all the innovations. It firstly contributes to your professional growth, and secondly, will make your designs with modern and more competitive.