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One of the most common questions I receive from young people (or adults looking for a new career) is where to go to school to become a web designer. It’s a tough questions because as I pointed out a few days ago in another post, the jobs people do on the web are pretty poorly defined but if you’re dedicated to doing something on the web, my honest advice is not to go to school for the web. I’ve seen a ton of ads for schools offering to train you in this or that, give you a diploma (or even a degree) in web marketing etc. but since I’ve worked for both colleges and universities … I can tell you that the programs are for the most part simply designed to fill seats, not offer quality education. So then what to do? Well, it really depends on what you’d like to do both now and in the future.

Web Design & Rich Media Design

If tweaking pixels is your thing and you wake up every morning trying to produce great artwork like my friend Katie, then you’ll want to be a web designer. These people turn art into commercial marketing solutions, so the best place for them to go to school is a little service called their local design studio. If you’re good enough to kick Photoshop’s ass, spend ten hours a day proving yourself and by the time you have five years in the business you’ll be among the best.

I use my friend Katie as an example because when I was teaching at a local college she out performed expectations, her work was stunning but when asked why it was so good, her answer was always so humble … she sat in her room and drew most of her life. So, if you want to be a web designer … skip school, sit in the local park and learn to draw. Once you’ve accumulated a portfolio that out performs everybody else, you win.

Web Publishing

Web Publishers (as I wrote) are about paying attention to detail and formating content effectively. There’s no school that can train you for that but if you are going to go to school, I’d recommend taking an English program or something along the lines of Communication or Journalism. Being a good writer will add a strong ace in your pocket and being able to edit the work of others will only add to your marketability.

Web Marketing, Management & Masters

Running a website is effectively running a business, so take a Business or Marketing program to become a better web manager. These days a great Web Master is somebody who can analysis ROI (Return on Investment) as well as code or design, so having a background in business management will make all the difference for you. 

Web Programmers & Developers

The vast majority of the web is programmed in one of two languages, either PHP or ASP/ASP.net. Both of these are called scripting languages because they’re not real programming languages which means that they’ve been developed to accomplish simple tasks such as web applications but would not effectively translate to more complex programming languages such as Java or C++.  This causes a dilemma for people who want to become web programmers, since few schools teach scripting languages instead offering object orientate programming and theory.

While there’s nothing wrong with earning a Computer Science degree to become a web programmer, they are different disciplines and it would be like teaching a crane operator to pilot a boat, similar but different. My advice for people who want to become a web programmer is simple … just do it (is that trademarked?). Pick a simple project such as a form to email gateway and write it, then try something a little harder and eventually you’ll be a web programmer.

The Cost of Training

One of the reasons that I’m such a big advocate for people training themselves is the cost of education. Training to be a web designer at most schools will cost you $30,000 or more! For that amount of money, I’d recommend sening Seyd a few bucks for putting together his post 15 Sites Which Will Make You a Mind Blowing Designer which links to the best tutorial sites on the web.