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One of the questions I'm often asked by newcomers to the field is what equipment and software you need to get started as a professional web designer. The answer may surprise you.
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All You Need is a Computer
In order to do web design work, the only thing you really need is a computer. Once you have a computer with an operating system built in the last decade or so, you have nearly all you need. This is because computers come with the software you need to build web pages already pre-installed.
On that computer you'll look for two things:
- software to connect to the internet
- a text editor
And if you don't have internet on your computer, but you do on your phone, you should see if you can move files from your computer to your phone so that you can get them to the internet.
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A Text Editor Lets You Edit HTML
Don't get me wrong, building web pages with just a text editor is more difficult than with the many fancy web editors that are available these days, but you can build a page or an entire site with just that. And what's great about it is that every operating system out there comes with at least one (if not more) text editor you can use.
- Windows has Notepad
- Macintosh has TextEdit
- Linux has vi and Emacs (and many others)
These editors are on all computers, you just have to find them. And once you have a text editor, you can edit HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and thus edit web pages.
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But What if You Don't Have a Computer?
What's great about now is that even if you don't have a computer, there are ways you can build, edit, and maintain web pages without one.
One way is to use computers and internet connections that are available. Many public libraries in the United States offer free internet and computers, and I know of several web developers who got their start using those or are still using them. There are also internet cafes that offer computers and internet for a fee. Check your area for details.
Another option is to use a smartphone or tablet device. There are dozens of apps available for iOS and Android that you can use to edit, build, and maintain websites. Many of them are getting quite good. The link at the beginning of this section takes you to a list of some of my favorite iOS apps for building web pages.
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Don't Be Afraid to Get Started
In my experience the number one thing that blocks new designers is a lack of confidence. If you're willing to work at it, you can learn to build web pages using very little in the way of expensive hardware and software. You just have to be willing to try.
If you've got the hardware and software, here are a few links to help you get started learning HTML and building web pages:
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