50 Resources for Students Attending Online Web Design Schools

web-design-html5The web design industry has taken off with the boom of the internet in the late 1990’s. Today there are many aspiring web designers choosing to begin their career with an online web design school. The convenience of attending an online web design school is not something easily achieved by going to a regular school and is much appreciated in today’s fast paced environment.

Below you will find a few stories from thousands of people in the web design industry. These are people who have opened up a window into their lives and have allowed others to see their struggles and triumphs as they became professional web designers. Their stories and wisdom serve as valuable resources to those just beginning their journey.

The web design industry has taken off with the boom of the internet in the late 1990’s. Today there are many aspiring web designers choosing to begin their career with an online web design school. The convenience of attending an online web design school is not something easily achieved by going to a regular school and is much appreciated in today’s fast paced environment.

Below you will find a few stories from thousands of people in the web design industry. These are people who have opened up a window into their lives and have allowed others to see their struggles and triumphs as they became professional web designers. Their stories and wisdom serve as valuable resources to those just beginning their journey.

News

Technology changes and evolves at rapid speeds. Keeping up to date with the latest news in the web design world is of utmost importance. To meet the demand of the fast paced world many web sites are updated daily and some hourly.

  1. Design Your Trust
    Design Your Trust is a unique design blog that is updated hourly. Rich with informative content such as new design trends, news and events.
  1. Build Internet
    Build Internet is informative blog on web design, development and the latest in the web design business. The blog is owned and maintained by twins, Sam and Zach.
  1. Design Your Way
    The latest news and trends in web designs including 30 best logo designs, 44 fresh and detailed Photoshop tutorials and top 87 fonts a designer should download are found on this informative blog.
  1. Positive Space Blog
    Positive Space is Anthony’s graphic design blog sharing his views on working as a web designer. Discover the latest news in the world of web design.
  1. Line 25
    Line 25 is a blog containing numerous web design tutorials, news and ideas to help and inspire a seasoned web designer as well as an amateur. Also included are interviews and 30 inspiring examples of texture use in web design.

Professional Web Designers

Below are just a few stories from successful web designers who have paved the road for themselves through schooling, hard work and creative force. The road to success is never an easy one, but seeing established professionals at their best is bound to inspire anyone. 

  1. Larissa Meek
    Larissa is an experienced web designer Larissa who enjoys sharing her knowledge, talent and skills with her readers. A collection of her own personal work is included n the site.
  1. Web is Love
    Web is love is a woman’s blog about her life and experience as a web designer.  She gives her followers an introduction to web hosting along with tutorials and tips.
  1. David Airey
    David Airey is a seasoned designer sharing his experiences as a professional brand identity designer. On his blog David answers interesting questions such as the ever changing trends in the web design industry.
  1. Design Notes
    Design Notes is the personal blog of Michael Surtees, a writer and designer. An observant designer Michael enjoys interacting with his readers.
  1. Rob Goodlatte 
    Rob is an experienced web designer. He shares his thoughts on designing and life in general. Rob believes in being opinion in life, sharing views and breaking through personal fear to create the best work possible.
  1. Blog Design
    Blog Design is the online home of Vinh Le, a web designer. Vinh shares tips such as 37 ways to design the comments form and 30 must see comment designs for web designers.
  1. Web Design by Lee Munroe
    Lee is a web designer who shares tips which every web designer starting out should know. In his blog he talks about getting paid as freelance web designer and shares tips such as 5 essential documents for freelance writers.
  1. Graphic Design Blog
    The blog of a freelance graphic designer who shares her opinions on website design, graphic design training, and all things related to graphic design.
  1. 0at
    0at is man’s blog about working as a web designer, developer and online marketer who has managed to build a full featured online dating website in 66.5 hours.
  1. David the Designer
    David is a designer and blogger who enjoys in sharing humorous, uplifting and helpful advice. David offers his readers interesting advice such as 52 fonts you could use instead of Helvetica.

Amateur Web Designers

Starting out in any profession can be hard and intimidating. Today amateur web designers have an advantage of being able to connect, share and help one another. Here are just a few of the many amateur designers who have decided to share their experiences with the world.

  1. Jenzlau Concepts
    Jenzlau Concepts is the blog of an amateur graphic designer and web developer who describes himself as a slow learner and a an aspiring web developer.
  1. Color Burned 
    Color Burned is blog featuring a collection of design tutorials, resources, and web design news in general. The goal of this site is to better prepare amateur web designers to creating better designs in less time and with more ease.
  1. Design Blog
    Design Blog is a valuable resource for aspiring web designers. Included in the blog are design tips, tutorials and inspiration.
  1. Cult Foo
    Cult Foo is an inspirational web design blog that offers suggestions on how to get the perfect web design and find the latest techniques in web developing.
  1. Design Reviver
    Design Reviver is a blog designed to inspire and educate aspirating web designers with tutorials, information and the chance to ask the creator of Design Reviver for guidance concerning web design.
  1. Afar25
    Afar25 is blog belonging to outspoken man who is passionate about web and graphic design who blogs about his life and interests as well. Afar25 contains a collection of his latest works.
  1. Logo Design Love 
    Logo Design Love is a blog filled with valuable information such as how to find success as a self employed designer. Find useful logo designs resources and vector logos.
  1. Inspiration Bit
    An inspirational and unique web design blog meant to inspire designers to create better work. Articles include topis on how to choose the best font for web design and the do's and don'ts of designing a site.

Tutorials and Tips

The learning never stops in the web design industry. Web designers strive daily to improve and deepen their knowledge with each piece of work they do. Knowledge is power and below are just a handful of creative and helpful tutorial websites.

  1. Tips, Tricks & Bookmarks on Web Development 
    The owner of this blog, Jonathon Snook enjoys sharing his wisdom and experience on web designs and development. Included in the blog are tips on how to build a URL shortener and how to use Yahoo Pipes to turn XML feeds into JSON APIs.
  1. Tutorial Blog
    Tutorial Blog is a blog rich with tutorials including a photomatix tutorial for beginners. Learn how to design websites that appeal across cultural divides, 10 quick & dirty tricks for easy custom web backgrounds and basic graphic designs.
  1. Wake Up Later
    Wake Up Later is a blog that covers a range of topics such as website building, online income and freelancing. Created by Samuel Ryan, a web designer and developer, it offers a variety of tools for freelancers.
  1. Web Design Blog
    Web Design Blog is a blog offering tutorials, free vector graphics, tools and templates. Choose from amazing love vectors, 12 neon vectors and 6 new year vector.
  1. Reencoded
    An informative blog with tips every web designer should know. Learn how to deal with a bad client, how to make a black website look elegant or discover the top 10 online image editing tools.
  1. Onextrapixel
    Created by two web developers this blog is dedicated to providing useful tips and inspiration to web designers. Learn how to use the pencil tool and the paintbrush tool to pimp your picture.
  1. Tutorialzine
    A blog filled with various tutorials, articles on web design and quizzes to test your knowledge of web design. Learn how to create animated bubble buttons and how to make a giveaway randomizer app w/ jQuery.
  1. Web Designer
    A blog designed to help web developers, web designers and freelancers improve their work. Learn how to get started with PHP and dynamic content.

Community & Advice

Support from the community is valuable in life and plays an important role for the new web designer. By inspiring one another to share their thoughts and views web designers can improve their work individually.

  1. Devlounge
    A site dedicated to web designers, web publishers and web workers. Learn what are the most 15 beautiful fonts for minimalist designs and more.
  1. Smiley Cat Web Design  
    An informative blog written by a seasoned web designer named Christian Watson. Christian shares with his reader’s advice on finding a job in the web industry.
  1. Queness
    A blog meant to encourage the creative spirit of its reader to flow. Discover 22 creative postcard designs and 21 extremely beautiful infographic inspirations.
  1. AEXT
    A blog designed by web developers for web developers. It includes tips for working as a web developer, tutorials, industry insights and more.
  1. The Web Design Blog
    A collection of web design blogs, articles and various tutorials are featured o this blog. Also included is a collection of informative and helpful how to articles.
  1. UX Booth
    A community of designers share resources and personal knowledge gained through experience. Learn how to pick the right tool for remote user testing.
  1. KnowTeBook
    A community blog designed to provide tips, education and information for aspiring web designers. It contains the latest news and web trends in the web development industry.
  1. Hongkiat
    An online community and blog devoted to providing tips and resources for designers and bloggers. Also included in the blog are inspirational photographs.
  1. Pelfusion
    A blog offering helpful tools, design tutorials, graphics and inspiration that can be useful to any web designer. Included are tips on making the best dark designs.

Unique in Web Design Graphics, Web Developers and Web Programming

Knowing how to stand out is a must for a web designer and knowledge of reliable web hosting, domain names to flash programs, html and more are a must. A web designer must allow creative energy to flow without merit. Below you will find a handful of sites every web designer would find useful.

  1. Design Meltdown 2010 
    The creation of this blog was inspired by a class in design school. Today it is maintained by Patrick McNeil, a graphic designer and web programmer.
  1. Just Creative Design
    The owner of this blog is Jacob Cass, a self employed graphic designer.  Jacob’s passion for web design has taken him from Sydney to New York which he blogs about.
  1. Idsgn
    A blog created to discuss in detail graphic design, branding and typography Included are the reviews of the latest changes in technology.
  1. Laughing Lion Design
    Jennifer, a designer and illustrator has created this blog as a way to showcase her work and provide useful tutorials and tips for fellow web designers.
  1. You The Designer
    You The Designer is a graphic design blog which includes a community of web designers, tutorials and jobs. Included in the blog are 35 blue inspirational web sites.
  1. Creative Curio
    Creative Curio is the blog of a woman who is an independent graphic designer and enjoys sharing her knowledge with her readers. She gives helpful advice that she has learned along her journey as a graphic designer and asks her readers to do the same.
  1. From the Couch
    A unique blog created by brothers Marc and David Perel who offer an online video show covering all web related topics.
  1. Randa Clay Design  
    Randa, a web designer offers expert advice, tips, tools, articles and more beneficial information. A great article included in Randa's blog is Website Failure: How to Avoid It and When To Accept It.
  1. Fadtastic 
    Fadtastic is journal with multiple authors who have come together to express their passion for web designs. Learn awesome tips for making a site and 25 ways to improve a site in 5 minutes.
  1. Beast Blog
    A man shares his story, services and enthusiasm about web development through his blog. Included are tips for posting code online and more.

Being a web designer is a fun, creative and challenging career. It is also a career that requires patience, understanding and people skills along with technical talent. However with the proper schooling and experience it can be fulfilling and gratifying.

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ocjess/4758676831/