So You Want To Be a Web Designer

Like clockwork, someone invariably asks me how to put a few web pages together. "Well," I usually tell them, "you've come to the right place!" I have a great collection of links to sites that can help you get started with HTML, graphics, and Internet technology in general. I've tried most of the programs and links below; those I haven't used myself are appropriately indicated.

Editors

The first thing you need to create web pages is a text editor. You can start with a simple editor like notepad, but that gets tired very quickly. The reason is that each HTML tag has a number of attributes, and it's a pain to remember all that stuff. A well designed HTML editor can help you easily find the attributes you can use, and can even help you select the attribute values, such as colours and fonts. So here are a couple of HTML editors you can use:

Dreamweaver MX: This is the editor I use, and it seems to be the industry standard. It takes some getting used to, as do all powerful applications, but once you know it, you're flying! $399 US, but really, quite worth it!.
HotDog Pro 6.6: OK, this is one I haven't used, but I keep hearing tremendous things about it. It's available for $100 US, but there's a 30 day trial version available for download.

Browsers

If you're going to create web pages for the masses, you must keep in mind there are many more browsers than just the very awful Internet Explorer:

Tutorials

Here's a list of sites that offer credible tutorials for a wide variety of topics, from HTML, to CSS, to XML, to programming.

WebMonkey: Great site with lots of cool tutorials. First timers hit the Beginners link at the top of the page.
builder.com: Also a good site, also has lots of tutorials. Addresses a slightly more Enterprise audience.
W3Schools.com: Solid free tutorials on HTML, XML, CSS and more.
lynda.com: An amazing site. Not free, but very affordable, and very useful! $25/month gets you access to a large library (over 2600 titles) of training movies (QuickTime) on design topics. Want to learn Dreamweaver? Flash? Photoshop? Acrobat? These movies will take you step by step through each of the necessary processes. Check out the free content for a taste of the very high quality of the tutorials!
A List Apart.com: Required reading for anyone who takes webdesign seriously. Published by the incomparable Zeldman, who, among other things, is the progenitor of the astounding Zeldman collection of icons.

Tools and Toys

hotscripts.com
needscripts.com: Two very useful sites. They have a cornucopia of scripts, applets and webapps for the well-tempered website. I've found a number of very useful utilities and applications here.