I’ve learned the art and science of web design from the ground up—starting with coding in HTML. I decided early on that if I was going to be good at it, I needed to know just what it takes to make it work correctly. In the end, my stubborness paid off —I had a client who needed me to fix an imagemap that was getting messed up every time he posted it. As it turned out, his software was breaking the code. I was only able to figure out the problem because I had actually hand-coded an imagemap. I had stubbornly acquired the necessary skills for reading the code and was therefore able to pinpoint exactly where the problem was and find its cause.

Being able to deal with code is only one part of web design. Having an eye for color and layout and for the effective use of blank space and knowing how different screens will affect the look of the page…these elements are just as important. An overcrowded layout or one with poorly chosen color contrasts will drive visitors away.

Using WordPress for content management, it is no longer necessary to learn the nuts and bolts of coding in order to create a beautiful and quite functional website. There are many WordPress templates available, both for purchase and as free downloads. However, it may be necessary to find someone with experience in code to help get things set up initially. Your chosen template may require a bit of tweaking to get it “just so”, especially if you’re wanting to make a standard template more your own.

For an example of a customized template, visit SitaraHaye.com. The purchased template was Simplix from NattyWP. The customizations were done based on Sitara’s requests and personality. We worked together to create a site that genuinely reflects her goals and message as a writer.

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