21 Getting Started Right
Getting Started Right
The majority of this book assumes you’re somewhere on the path
of a professional web design career. However, everyone—even our
tenured experts—had to start out somewhere. We all began as
fresh faces in industry, whether as new college graduates with a
smattering of school projects or as self-taught transfers from other
disciplines.
However you got here, every web designer has tales of things they
wish some kind soul had told them or explained when they were
starting out. The right advice that can make all the difference.
Luckily, web designers benefit from a community that is generally
quite helpful. Many experienced designers are passionate enough
about their craft that they’re glad to share what they know to help
newcomers succeed. Without these willing mentors, I know I would
not have the career I enjoy today.
If you’re just starting out in the web design world, this chapter is for
you. We’ll look at some important advice for newcomers:
• Landing your first web design gig and what to expect
• What your peers and the web design community expect
of you
• A few vital steps to succeeding over the long-term in
web design
Decide Where to Start
There are basically two breeds of web designers: those of us who
work freelance and those of us who work for employers, whether
independent design studios or on a web team for a large corporate
entity.
