44 What Web Designers Think
Do you plan for mobile and tablet versions of your web
designs?
As you can see from those responses, web design has progressed
a heck of a long way from HTML and spacer .gifs. No matter what
your expertise or tenure, you’re going to find new skills and con-
cepts to master. Continually experimenting and learning new things
is at the heart of the field and the one piece of advice that was
echoed over and over by both our experts and survey respondents.
Here’s just a few words on the importance of learning by the pros:
“
Luckily, we’re involved in an industry which thrives
on the very thing it contributes to: the Internet. By
checking blogs, podcasts, tutorial sites, technology
feeds, and web communities, you can’t help but be
influenced by, and carried along with trends and
developments.
”
—Ian Yates
“
...Sharing your work, in whatever medium you choose
and accompanying it with what you learned from doing
it, has always been my motto.
”
—Sarah Parmenter
“
Not all techniques are reliable, and not all practices
are bulletproof, but there is a lot of discussion going on
in conferences, meetups, workshops and blog posts.
And it’s fantastic—fantastic because it drives and
pushes our community forward.
”
—Vitaly Friedman
Finally, keep in mind that learning is not a passive activity. The best
way to improve your talents is to get involved with a community—
learn what you can from others and teach what you can. It may
be cliché advice at this point, but that’s because it’s true. What’s
2011 18.9% 19.1% 7.7% 35.9% 18.5%
Yes, always.
Sometimes, for popular sites.
Sometimes, only for client sites.
Sometimes, only if the client requests it.
No, it’s not a priority.
