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18 October
Future Of Web Design: In The Browser Or Dreamweaver CS5?
Dreamweaver CS5 vs
webdesign in the browser
by
SoftwareGuru
To write an article discussing the value of
Adobe Dreamweaver
CS5 I only have to look at how my own web design techniques have
changed in recent years.
Learning and experimenting with the
historic Dreamweaver 2.0 years ago, allowed me to create templates, build static pages
and launch websites.
Early versions of Adobe's design program encouraged the user to use the
design window and then evaluate the HTML which had been
generated via user actions.
As someone starting out with HTML, Adobe Dreamweaver was like having
your own mentor. Mistakes were highlighted, code suggestions
were made and it became the most valuable tool that any beginner
could possess.
Fast forward to today and techniques have clearly changed.
The majority of websites I build
are often done both in the browser via CMS platforms such as
Joomla and
Wordpress as
well as using programs like
Expression Web and Dreamweaver CS5.
Some critics might argue that this has resulted in too many
websites looking the same and lacking their own identity.
Unfortunately, this is often very true and it's why I continue
to custom design in dedicated software programs as well as using
CMS platforms.
As society grows more impatient, the quality of website design
suffers as designers are expected to produce unique creations on
a cookie cutter time frame.
However, it has enabled many
companies and individuals worldwide to launch their own sites
quickly at low cost without the need for a full time graphic
designer.
So that poses the interesting question...
If a student in 2010 is interested
in learning web design is it really worth buying Adobe
Dreamweaver CS5?
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What makes you a designer?
As as regular reader of the always excellent
.NET magazine, one quote that struck a chord with me was, "just
because you use Dreamweaver doesn't make you a web designer".
Web design industry peers have continuously emphasised the need for
proper design education.
The fundamental principles of great web design should always be
followed but you won't find them in any Dreamweaver manual.
If you're passionate about the web then
learning all you can shouldn't be an insurmountable obstacle to
a successful online career.
To put it bluntly, web design students should not rely on software such as Dreamweaver CS5 to
highlight and automatically fix mistakes.
Yet in 2010, compared to CMS website building, using Dreamweaver almost does
make you a web designer!
I say almost bearing in mind the gravity of the .NET quote but
all joking aside, the whole point of a CMS solution like
Wordpress is that you require very little HTML knowledge to get
up and running.
It's also why you'll see long lists of "Help me!"
posts on Wordpress forums from users who clearly don't have a
clue about either HTML or the fundamental principles of building
for the web.
You could even compare this to the advent of blogging and social
media.
The Internet may have given everyone a voice but when the majority of
people don't have a well-informed opinion, there's always
the danger that all they
add to the conversation is meaningless noise.
This is the social media era where anyone can set up and manage their
own website easily.
Ever since students started dabbling in HTML in simple blogs,
forum comments, or redesigning MySpace pages, the doorway to
greater things has been in place.
Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 is that doorway to greater things.
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Ahead Of The
Curve
The web will continue to evolve at an incredible pace so today's
HTML5 revolution will one day be as outdated as Dreamweaver 2.0.
Despite this, I fully expect Adobe's flagship design program to
remain both relevant and a source of empowerment for web design
students.
Learning how to create a website from scratch in Dreamweaver
CS5 is an incredibly useful skill.
It's a lot easier to fix problems as they arise if you
understand the basics.
These days it's rare for me to build a website entirely from a
blank page. To save time, I find the most suitable template from
online design stores, buy it and then customise it.
You'll notice I said buy and not steal it from torrent
sites. I respect the work that goes into building a good
template and with an average price at under £30 it's not
expensive.
Websites like
Themeforest.net and the recently .NET magazine nominated
Obox Design
provide excellent web templates at low prices.
Obox are probably one of the coolest template companies
on the planet right now so students should check them out for
inspiration.
Providing you pick a template that satisfies your criteria such
as usability and features, with the heavy lifting already done
you can customise the code in Dreamweaver CS5.
Tailoring any static HTML template or CMS design allows you to
put your own style or approach into the website.
This is where your own coding knowledge comes in handy.
You may wish to integrate the latest social media features into
your homepage. You could require a password locked area for
client access.
The list of possible adjustments and improvements you can make
is endless.
Even if the idea of learning how to create websites properly
seems daunting at first, remember that everyone has to take that
first step sometime.
If you've ever wanted to be more than just a passenger, now is
the time to play a role in shaping how the web will look in the
future.
The best tool for the job is already here and it's worth every
penny.
At Software4Students get up to 80% off
Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 deals.
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Posted by
admin
at
10:08
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Future Of Web Design: In The Browser Or Dreamweaver CS5?