A few months ago I was desperately trying to find a part-time/evening course web design course in CSS and HTML. I hunted through course listings from local colleges, but there was very little out there locally for me apart from a few 2 day Dreamweaver courses, which were still teaching tables rather than CSS. I found a couple of downloadable courses in HTML and CSS and learned some of the basics but what I was really looking for was something which included support when needed.
I finally found an online web design course with the Open University and though I wasn’t interested in following it as a exam course I decided I would take the course and just skip the end written dissertation. The 12 week part time learn from home course promised that students would become confident users of HTML and CSS. I searched the web for reviews of the course and even asked in a couple of forums but could find no impartial information about the course.
It is now week six of the web design course and I have all but abandoned it. I had high expectations of this course but I am deeply disappointed. The majority of the course seems to be on a theoretical basis, in my opinion far too much. Take for example one lesson which teaches you that the size of images should be kept to a minimum for fast loading, now I agree this is something everyone should know but it then proceeds to tell you how to calculate loading time with a formula. To me some of these theoretical lessons would be fine if it was a one or two year course but not for a twelve week course. Another lesson asks you to work out how you would manage your team (who does what, programmers designers etc) to create your website – now if I had that team would I really be taking this course? The book that is provided is also not very easy to follow, I have far superior books from http://www.sitepoint.com
If you are a print based designer like myself looking to learn more CSS, HTML and web design I would give this course a miss. The people who might find this course useful are people who have a good understanding of CSS and HTML but want to fill in some theoretical gaps they may have missed. I am still trying to teach myself more about designing websites so will pass on any useful links I find.
Have you tried any online or local evening classes in web design, what did you think to them?
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54 Comments
Oh Tara, I’m so sorry to hear you had such a rubbish course with the OU! I wish I could just come round your house and show you how HTML / CSS works…
Hi Rachael, thanks – I have been reading other books and looking at CSS sites and its starting to sink in.
Shame their course didn’t live up to their logo design.
That’s a shame, Tara. Maybe they’ll give you a refund and you can pay Rachael’s travel expenses.
Nice idea David
but they don’t give refunds (or part refunds) on short courses which I have already checked which sucks.
Acht, no joy.
Hi Tara
That’s very disappointing. My husband started a Masters through OU last year and gave up after about 2 months because he felt they were left swinging in the wind by themselves with little or no feedback.
I think with something like web design, it is nearly essential to have an instructor to talk to and to point you back in the right direction when you veer off the road.
In lieu of that, I recommend the Dreamweaver “Hands On Training” Books and also the “Classroom in a Book” series (if you have Dreamweaver CS3). They are very practical and provide the exercise files to work on.
I’m always happy to answer a few questions too!
Tara,
That’s unfortunate about your experience. I learned a lot about HTML and Flash Development at Brooks Institute of Photography. I would highly recommend http://lynda.com if you want to learn any type of web development. It is inexpensive and there are free chapters to the tutorials to give you an idea of the teaching style and what you will be learning. Good Luck!
Hi Jennifer,
I’m sorry your husband didn’t get on very well either. It is so hard to find any reviews about their courses (that are not on their site). I will take a look at the classroom in a book series thanks for the suggestion. I am going to risk trying another course too – not with the OU though but through Exeter University distance learning. I had a chat on the phone with the tutor who seemed very helpful and it sounds much more practical. Thanks for the offer of help too
Hi Justin,
I have tried a few of the Lynda.com videos and they are ok but I have a bad habbit of getting really sleepy (pracicaly dropping off) watch training DVDs
Hi Tara,
My response is a bit premature, but just this Monday I signed up for an online web class “CSS and XHTML” through the local community college here in Pasadena, but I thought I’d share the link and a few other options I found. I could have paid through the nose for an Art Center at Night (public) class, or a few hundred dollars for a UCLA extension class. I settled on the community college budget option because (besides of the budget part) it claims it will give me background in tables, but also gives a few lessons on sans-table CSS design, which is where I’d like to end up. I can let you know how it goes, it’s just six weeks long and will wrap up by Christmas.
Also, I second Justin in Lynda.com – I really like for all sorts of software tutorials.
My tip would be Lynda.com too – they have such awsome DVDs!
I’ve tried to find something like this, when I started out but found that they couldn’t really help me. I started learning by trying and that worked out quite well because I know a great deal of webdesigners from various forums and they were gret to help out. I would be happy to help you out if you have any questions. I would also encourage you to try and replicate a design from the ground. That works wonders for understanding how it’s built.
there are few things more annoying then a bad course, sorry to hear that. There are a ton of wonderful resources online for this topic though, so I hope you find what you need!
Oh dear. I follow your blog quite a bit but have never been driven to post before.
I’m actually senior instructor for digital arts at an online school, including Web Design – although for full-year diploma programs; online schools like that make it difficult for the rest of us, those who truly want to stay current and help our students start out that way.
As somebody suggested above, I use both Hands on Training and Classroom in a Book texts in my programs, plus several others written by giants in the industry, plus proprietary tutorials I write myself, and we do the minimal amount of theoretical discussion before diving into the practical work each week. Not all online schools are like the one you tried, I promise! I know I sound defensive, but I feel personally insulted by the poor education you received!
I feel terrible that you didn’t get what you were looking for! I hate when people seeking knowledge get thwarted. Feel free to email me (I assume you get my email with my comment?) with any questions you might have about XHTML/CSS and I’ll help out. I’ll also recommend htmldog.com as a good place for some free instruction.
I hope you can sort it out soon! CSS is super amazing once you figure it out.
Addendum: I just clicked the link to OU and read the description, and a few things became clear. First of all, it was part of a Web Applications Developer program, which is why you got all the codey crap that programmers love. Blech. Not a good thing for a designer to dive into, most times!
Second, the book you got stuck with is the same one *our* web applications developer instructor chose, and I was not at all impressed with it when I had to correct the assignments. I don’t like that Web Warrior Series at ALL.
Seriously try lynda.com – her books are treasures around here.
Does any one know a good online school to learn graphic design.Anyones suggestion will help.
Thanks in advance
Jimmy: check this out, there you get lots of free previews of their CSS course: http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/modPage.asp?ID=216
Hi Kristin, thanks for he info I’d love to hear how you get on.
Thomas – thanks for the suggestion of replicating a site – now I just have to find a simple one
HI Polera, Gayle, Supra – thanks to you all for also suggesting lynda.com I’ll have to make a strong coffee and try and watch some of the videos
Jimmy – I hope someone has suggestions for you – try clicking on Gayle’s name for some courses. I have actualy contacted other online schools and requested information so I could write about it here but with no response.
Scottsdale Web Design – thanks I hope so too
I don’t think anybody learns much from specific courses these days. I did multimedia at university only to find that they expected you to have an advanced knowledge of Director and Dreamweaver straight away. I transferred to graphics where they taught you how to draw a blob of water on paper?! Nothing about print, the print process, or even a snippet of web design. (Even the tutors were on design courses!) Appalling.
I have gained my knowledge from all my jobs and fantastic websites such as yours and from friends in the business too. Having someone next to you who can point and teach well is the best way to learn. Maybe it’s just my personal experience but I can’t say I rate the media education system in the UK as it’s all waffle and does not give you any solid knowledge.
Perhaps you could advertise yourself as seeking a private tutor and make an offer on an hourly rate? I’m sure a web developer would jump at the chance to teach what they enjoy?
I’d quite like to do a course in web design / web development which results in some kind of qualification, just so I have bragging rights / evidence that I’m actually good at what I do. *sadface*
I wouldn’t wory about the qualification. I have a one day certificate in HTML – now that’s really impressive eh!
My courses give you a diploma approved by the Canadian Department of Education, and we have pretty stringent rules to follow in order to stay in business. I’ve been doing this for 8 years, and I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of students.
However, I agree, you DON’T need a course or a diploma to do this work. It seems to be helpful to people who need structure or a person to guide them, though.
I learned CSS by copying other people’s. My personal site (www.gaylebird.com) is about as simple as it gets, Tara, so feel free to tear it apart and use any of the code.
If you don’t like training videos (I don’t either), try Lynda’s Hands On Training textbooks.
Best of luck!
Jimmy, I just started a Graphic Design program this year, and I’m pretty proud of it. Feel free to check it out! Somebody in admissions will be happy to help you out if you get in touch with them… we even have live chat directly on the site.
Sorry to hear you guys didn’t enjoy or get much out of your courses. Tara how far in to the course where you and what is it you hope to achieve out of the course as I’m thinking about adding some tutorials to my site in a subdomain or as a blog as this seems to be a common problem on this blog. Let me know.
HI Gayle, I will take a look at the hands on training books and have a lok at your site too – thanks.
Hi Sam I know the basics of HTML and CSS but am yet to put it into pratice, what I would like is some step by step tutorials into creating a web page with CSS – header – navigation – 2 or three columns – footer that sort or thing – thanks
cool well I have just started writing a tutorial and am probably going to finish it this weekend so I’ll post a link for you when it’s done if you want.
I feel your pain too, Tara. I’m actually glad you shared this, otherwise I may have been more tempted to try out an online course, rather than just sticking to books.
Thanks!
Sure Sam that would be great
Armen – I am sure there are good online courses I just picked the wrong one.
Its Good to hear from you sam, waiting for your tutorial site link to learn about webdesigning.
Hi Tara
I found that the only way to learn, especially CSS is to to find useful articles tutorials etc on the web the experiment with the techniques. It can be frustrating I know but CSS and other cutting edge techniques are very difficult for educational establishments to design courses around because the subject is rapidly developing.
On a separate note I have now registered my CSS HTML skills with some IT Training agencies so that I can help others in a similar situation that you and many others find themselves in; and to earn some money as well.
Someone recommended W3Schools, and I am currently working through the CSS lessons. http://www.w3schools.com/
The information is presented in ‘lessons’ with a split screen notepad on one side, with the CSS style sheet, and the ‘browser’ on the other, so you can see what your CSS changes do to the presentation. You go forward or back, or skip around if you need to. It seems to be pretty well paced. There are lots of links to the online W3C HTML/CSS/XHTML reference, and a bit of theory.
I do have Meyer’s ‘Cascading Style Sheets’ from O’Reilly, and an old copy of Powell’s ‘HTML: The Complete Reference’ from McGraw Hill. Both are pretty useful books. I also use Flanagan’s ‘Javascript’ from O’Reilly, even though the basics of Javascript are covered in the HTML reference book.
The HTML Writers Guild offers classes in most aspects of web site design and development. It has been several years since I took one of their courses, so I don’t know how they are doing now – but the material and interaction were quite effective then.
Hi
Happened to pick up your post and thought we would let you know you are not alone. We have recently contacted the OU regarding a complaint we received about their website design course. This is too academically oriented and appears to lack a vital constituent, the importance of search engine optimisation and marketing. A website is more use when people can find it.
If they come back with anything valuable (unlikely), we’ll let you know. On the whole though, many posters here are right, the best way is practice. Painful at first but so rewarding.
HI Thanks for the tips everbody.
Surrey Website Support, thanks for letting me know, yes please let me know what response you get I would be interested to hear. I voiced my opinion on the forum, but was pretty much dismissed, the tutor saying that this was a university course and so all the theory was a requirement. While I appreciate theory is useful its not much use if you have no idea how to put it into practice, a much better balance. I really can’t work out their target audience.
I think the course is aimed more at people who will be “managing” rather than “doing” web sites….I would imagine you would go on from these web technologies courses and go in depth into the areas that interest you. I have always found OU courses to be first rate.
Hi Elizabeth,
If that is the case they don’t make it very clear – they say by the end the student will be a confident user of HTML and CSS. I am glad you have had better experiences with the OU.
I think the course described here, TT280, is being a little misrepresented. I have to declare an interest – I tutor on it. I’m very sorry to hear that it is not fulfilling your needs, but I suspect that you wanted it to do something it is not designed to do.
The course description, which is available for all students to read before they sign up – http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C01TT280 – makes it clear what the course does and does not do. To quote: “It provides a broad exploration of the questions and issues surrounding technical choice”. It’s neither a skills course nor a design course. Further on it lists the outcomes that will result – they include being confident with html and css, and most of our students do end up with that, but that is not its primary goal.
I see that you’re on the current presentation, in which case you have a tutor. I’d be interested to know whether you contacted your tutor to discuss your concerns, and what the response was.
I think that the comment made by Surrey Website Support is particularly wide of the mark. TT280 is not “too” academic. It “is” academic. It’s a second level university course – it’s supposed to be academic and to deal in theory. That does not mean that it has no application in the real world. Quite the opposite. Its purpose is to promote not just the skills involved in doing website design but a clear understanding of the reasons why we do the things we do. For instance, it gives a thorough grounding in the standards required for validation and for accessibility, and the reasons why they are important, which are often patchily approached in skills based courses.
If anybody has been put off TT280 by reading the comments above, then I suggest they have a thorough read of the course description, so they understand exactly what it is about before dismissing it.
Hi Rob
Thank for your comment.
For me (others may disagree) the description is vague it doesn’t tell/show how you learn and can be interpreted in different ways. Perhaps a viewable example of one of the weeks/part of a weeks learning would enable prospective students to see if the course would be for them. I know a grounding in theory is needed but the course to me is too much theory (not enough practical to back it up) – as I said it would have made more sense if it was a longer course.
I posted a comment in the cafe forum expressing that the course was not what I expected early on in the course and this was responded to by a tutor. To be fair there is not much a tutor can do if I am not happy with the content of the course, and refunds aren’t available on short courses.
I can accept that the description seems vague to you – the eye of the beholder and all that. And you make a valid point about viewable excerpts, though it’s still difficult quite often to get the flavour.
The theory/practice debate is always an animated one, and sometimes we find, I think, that a course just isn’t right for some people and just is right for others.
If you haven’t given up entirely, your tutor might be able to help you to get what you can out of the course – I’m constantly aware that there’s an art to being a student, and often people focus on things that are less helpful at the expense of those that are more helpful – it’s a very personal thing, and sometimes needs digging out.
But if you’ve moved on, I wish you all the best.
Thanks for the heads up.
I am living in Japan, so remote study is the option that seems best.
Lynda.com looks great, I checked out some of the free trial stuff, and the teachers seem good.
Hi Tara,
I am basically a self-taught hobbyist web designer who enjoys amateur-level flash animation. I am doing a BTEC Foundation in Fine Art, and had considered studying Web Design at degree level. This is proving to be a problem…
None of the colleges in London seem to specialise in this subject at degree level. Apparently you need to study Graphic Design with Web design as a “bolt-on” optional extra. I’d rather be doing Web Design with typography and digital photography as modular units.
I have also noticed from attending various open days at colleges that many of the tutors in graphic design are alot older than the students (I already have a part-time degree in another subject so have some familiarity with universities). I suspect that many (not all) tutors did their design trainng in the pre-digital age. Many of them seem reluctant to engage with web design. I get the impression it’s beyond their remit – like some kind of necessary evil they’d rather not know about. I have met some who openly admit that they don’t really like computers!
I had considered the OU BA Computers and Design, but if it’s theory-based then I will steer well clear of it.
Interestingly, there was a CIW course (in the US) on web design but it seems to get bad press in the UK? I don’t know if it is still operating?
What I am looking for is a degree level course that combines web design and web develoment on a practical level (minimal theory, please), including both microsoft and opensource technologies. If anybody out there knows of such a course I’d be mighty interested to hear about it!
Good luck to all those seeking web design training. I hope you all find whatever course/training you need.
Hi Wigglyblob
Probably not degree level but I am going to try one of the distance learning course at Exeter University:
http://www.education.ex.ac.uk/dll/list_courses.php?code=llc
Dear Tara,With your knowledge and experience please advise me.
1)I am looking for a Graphic Design course online from some reputable institution which offers the course with a certificate and is least expensive and can be finished in shortest possible time.
2) A real good book/learning CDS or DVDS which is good to learn/ study Graphic Design and perhaps is used in in some leading universities as a course material.
3)Web sites where one can-FREELY- read or study and download materials for Graphic Design.
Thanks a lot
Hi Max,
I will write a post for your question soon and see if anyone can help you with answers.
I too had been looking to train in website design for a long time. I knew that online training would be no good to me as i need hands on training. So i researched different courses, the only appropriated courses i could find where by Adobe and where extremely expensive and short. Plus to learn everything you’d need to know to be a competent web designer you’d have to participate in several different expensive courses. What i have found useful are online tutorials, which can be found on UTube for most subjects. In these tutorials you’ll see the actual on screen action whilst being talked through whats going on. Added to that i found a new job that was prepared to train me completely in web design.Best way to learn iv always to just get stuck in!
PLZ can someone help me i really badly want to learn html css javascript and everythingelse to become a web developer but havent got any idea where to start and i dont have the finances to pay for a home course plz help!!!!! ricky.
Hi Ricky
If you read all the commenths there are quite a few of free/cheap learning resources. Try http://www.w3schools.com/
http://www.sitepoint.com is a good resource too
Hi Ricky,
I don’t know how far you’ve got with researching courses and training, but if you live in London (and maybe you don’t…) there is a small independant college right in the heart of town that offers a few FULL scholarships in the BTEC Foundation in Fine Art. The course is for a year, and can be tailored to cover web design, Photoshop, Illustrator, digital photography, graphic design and Flash animation. The course is generally considered pre-degree level and could well be used to complement home learning from a book on the more technical side of computer languages and web development. If you want to check it out the college is called Blakes at http://www.blake.ac.uk
Alternatively, in London again, the Metropolitan University offer a string of really useful (mostly degree-level) courses in multimedia and web design/development. The advantage of the Met is that you can do most of the courses part-time and (I think) pay in installments. I’m sure they also offer various scholarships and bursaries. Otherwise, you might be able to apply for a career development loan.
Many of the CBT courses are excellent. I will usually have a 2 monitor system and watch the CBT on the one monitor and practice what they are telling me on the other one!
Hey, I’m currently studying the CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) course at the University of the West of Scotland – in Paisley just outside Glasgow – and the course, books which are included in the course fee and tutoring is awesome. It’s a distance learning course (online), but the tutors and other students are available to chat about stuff anytime. Really worth checking out – honestly. Jamessy
Sorry to hear you were not happy with the course. Not that I am surprised though, I quite often fined this on courses that I am roped into.
I have also been looking for some class on web design. I, too, checked out the local community colleges, etc. and there is nothing. I then checked out some online courses, but none looked great. One wanted to send someone to my house. Don’t think so. Is there any good online course out there?
I will suggest lynda.com. It helped me get a leg in onto Dreamweaver, Xhtmls, Css and PHP. After you get the basics, you can go further with some reference volumes for each and also from web coders blogs.
It’s worked great for me.