Introduction
W
elcome to Web Design All-in-One For Dummies. This desk reference
book is ideal for both the Web entrepreneur looking to design her
own site and the new Web designer who plans to make a career of this excit-
ing profession. This book uses many Adobe products to demonstrate
common Web design techniques. Specifically, all of the graphic examples are
done exclusively in Photoshop, and all of the Web page–building examples
are done in Dreamweaver. That said, many other software programs are
mentioned and recommended throughout the book, and the examples are
easily adaptable to your preferred software tools.
Web design is a really unique occupation because it combines the best parts
of visual creativity with modern technology. A Web designer, in essence, is a
graphic designer, a creative organizer, a visual communicator, a markup lan-
guage technologist, and a cutting-edge trendsetter. What sets Web design
apart from other careers is that as the designer, you will play a key role in
helping businesses connect with their customers in positive and meaningful
ways. A good design can help attract the right target audience, sell more
products and services, communicate new ideas, and change people’s lives.
As a Web designer, you have the opportunity to put your visual and organi-
zational spin on the world, taking the complex puzzle of each Web project
and turning it into a visually pleasing, easy-to-navigate Web solution for
your client. What’s more, you will become inextricably part of the world-
wide network of Web professionals who help shape the visual realm of com-
munication in the twenty-first century.
Whether you’ve designed a site before or you are brand new to the world of
Web design, this book takes you through all the steps of the Web design
process. By the final chapter in the last minibook, you will have all the skills
you need to design, build, and publish your own Web sites.
About This Book
As a reference book, you have the luxury of reading this book any way you
like. You don’t have to remember anything you read because the answer you
are seeking will always be at your fingertips. Feel free to jump around from
chapter to chapter, reading particular sections of the book as the needs
arise, or go ahead and read this book from cover to cover like a sort of
how-to manual to understand the craft of Web design. The book itself
is divided into five minibooks, which are each divided into several self-
contained chapters on a variety of particular topics.
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