Do you remember when you wanted to learn web design and couldn't decide where to start? You invested a lot of time and effort in learning everything you could. You browsed through umpteen tutorials and an endless number of tools, with minimal real practice. But most of those things were practically useless.

If you want to relearn website design now, you can take a smarter, more effective path. Here are some things you should try to make your learning path easier. 

Stop chasing tools unthinkingly. Learn the basic principles first

Most beginners in web design choose a tool; the most common ones are Adobe XD, Figma, Webflow, and many more. The problem with tools is that they keep changing and evolving. Instead, learn the basic principles of web design, as these will never change. 

For instance, as a web designer, you need to learn about color theory and contrast, spacing and alignment, readable text and typography, maintaining visual hierarchy, and similar topics. When you understand these, you can easily learn the various web design tools and implement them properly. 

Studying real websites matters, not just tutorials

Study well-designed real websites if you want to become a part of a leading web design company. You will get a clear idea of what a good website looks like. Browsing through good-looking and well-designed websites should be a regular practice.  

When you study only tutorials, you will learn the 'hows' of web design. When you skim through a well-designed website, you will learn about the right fonts and color choices. You will learn how to make the page feel easy to read. You will understand responsive design.

Learn to design for mobile first

Most designers learn to design for the desktop version and try to squeeze the same into the mobile. This approach doesn't work now. In the era of smartphones, you have to first design for the mobile.

When you go mobile-first, you get a clearer call to action with less clutter on the page. By default, loading times are faster on mobile devices, resulting in happier customers.

Work on rebuilding websites you admire

In website design, copying to learn is one of the most talked-about secrets. Pick a website built by a prominent service provider that you really like. Now, try to recreate it absolutely from scratch. You are not stealing or copying the design. You are trying to understand the website's design elements and style.

You indeed learn much more in one hour of rebuilding a website on your own than by watching someone do it. Practical learning is always useful.

Summing it up

Web design is a skill you have to learn practically. Just watching tutorials will not cut much ice. You have to implement what you learn while building a website. It may take some time for sure. Keep the basic principles in mind and study real work. Build several websites, get feedback, and try to learn from the experience. Follow the track, and you will ace the process in no time. Check out BigDropInc.com to get a clear idea about how to design interesting websites.