Are you considering a career in web design and want to learn how to use Dreamweaver? This article offers a comprehensive look at what Dreamweaver is, how to use it, the careers you can pursue with knowledge in web design, and the time it typically takes to learn this Adobe software program.
Key Insights
- Dreamweaver is an Adobe software program used for designing websites and web pages, with two design modes for users with or without knowledge of HTML.
- Web designers who know how to use Dreamweaver can work in a variety of roles, including Front End Developers, Back End Developers, UX Designers, Application Designers, Information Architects, and Visual Designers.
- The learning curve for Dreamweaver can be steep for those without prior knowledge of HTML and CSS coding.
- The time it takes to learn Dreamweaver varies, with experienced web designers being able to learn it in a few days, while beginners may require weeks or months of learning and practice.
- Noble Desktop offers hands-on web design courses in a variety of formats, including bootcamps and certificate programs, catering to different schedules and learning styles.
- The average salary of a web designer ranges depending on the role and experience but typically falls between $50,000 and $75,000 a year.
Like many aspiringWeb Designers, you might want to learn Dreamweaver or another web design program but worry that it will take too much time. The learning process for web design can range from days to months, depending on several factors, including how much web design experience you already have. Keep reading to learn about how you can learn Dreamweaver and some resources to help speed the process along.
What is Dreamweaver?
Dreamweaver is a downloadable Adobe software program used for designing websites and webpages. It works with either Windows or Mac. Using Dreamweaver, designers can create their own websites from scratch or use the provided starter template pages. The program integrates with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, making importing content from any Adobe app easy.
With Dreamweaver, there are two different ways to design. Users without any knowledge of HTML can use live view, where Dreamweaver generates the required code and displays the content as it will look in a web browser. Users who know HTML can type their code into the program’s code editor. These users will also be able to take advantage of Dreamweaver’s more advanced design options.
This application was created in 1997 and became a popular web design tool. However, in recent years, Dreamweaver has decreased in popularity, with many designers opting for programs such as Visual Studio Code or WordPress instead. It is still used by some Web Designers, though the overall percentage of websites created with Dreamweaver is estimated to be small. Dreamweaver is most popular among people who already have Adobe Creative Cloud or want to stay within the Adobe ecosystem.
Read more about what Dreamweaver is and why you should learn it.
What Can You Do with Dreamweaver?
Web Designers create and maintain websites. In some cases, one person is responsible for an entire website, while in other cases, several team members may work on the job. Knowing how to use Dreamweaver or another web design program can help a designer get started in the field of web design. Web Designers are needed in almost every industry since the majority of businesses and organizations now have websites. US News ranked web design number six in its list of Best Technology Jobs of 2022.
There are many different specialties within the field of web design. Front End Developers specialize in creating the part of the website that users see and interact with, such as the overall layout and individual features like logos or links. Back End Developers work on things that the user does not interact with but are essential to the website's function, like creating and maintaining the database. User experience (UX) design is another job related to web design. A UX Designer ensures that website users have the best experience possible. This includes ensuring that a website is intuitive and easy to use and that the experience is enjoyable for the user.
People with web design knowledge can also work in many other jobs. For example, some Web Designers end up as Application Designers, who develop applications for specific devices such as computers or mobile phones. Information Architects help make information on a website easier to find and understand. Visual Designers are responsible for the aesthetics of a website and work on things such as making sure it engages users. Overall, there are many ways to utilize knowledge of web design.
Average Time it Takes to Learn Dreamweaver.
The time it takes to learn Dreamweaver or another web design program varies depending on how much experience a student already has with web design. An experienced designer who knows how to code and create websites can learn a web design application in a few days. Students without this experience should expect the process to take longer.
Exactly how long will depend on the type of class a student takes. Some classes only take a few days. However, these types of classes teach a limited number of skills. For instance, Adobe XD Bootcamp is a 12-hour course that teaches users about the features of this design app. More advanced courses often last a few weeks or months. For instance, Noble Desktop’s Web Design Certificate gives students a thorough understanding of coding and the popular web design program WordPress. It takes six weeks full-time or five months part-time to complete.
Other Factors
For any design application, the learning experience varies from person to person. In addition to instruction time, students need to consider other factors influencing the time it takes to master a web design application.
Coding Experience
Learning Dreamweaver or another web design program without knowing how to use HTML, CSS, and other programming languages is possible. However, most users report that students should expect a more challenging learning experience without coding knowledge. For this reason, some people choose to learn coding in addition to Dreamweaver or another design program.
General Web Design Experience
Web design often uses programs like Photoshop or Illustrator. Designers use these programs to create the visual elements of a website. Thus, designers who already know how to use design programs might have an easier time learning Dreamweaver or another web design application.
Practice Time
To master any web design application, students must devote time practicing their skills. Most Designers say that in addition to a class, they put in many hours of practice to get good at web design. In fact, many stress that taking a class is only the beginning of learning about web design.
Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost
How difficult it is to learn Dreamweaver depends on how much web design knowledge a student already has. Dreamweaver functions so that it’s accessible for people who don’t know much about web design. For instance, rather than writing code, designers can use existing templates and drag-and-drop features. However, many Dreamweaver users comment that while the program’s basic features can be relatively easy to use, it is more challenging to master the more advanced features of Dreamweaver. This is especially true if the user has no prior web design knowledge. So while it can be reasonably easy to master the basics of Dreamweaver quickly, users who want to get the most out of the program will need to invest more time learning how to use all of its features.
Dreamweaver users do not need to know HTML, CSS, or other programming languages to use this application. However, it can be helpful. Many people report that the Dreamweaver learning curve can be steep for those without HTML and CSS coding experience. In addition, designers who use Dreamweaver without prior programming experience may need help troubleshooting any problems they encounter as they build their websites.
To get Dreamweaver, users need to pay a monthly subscription fee. The application is part of Adobe Creative Cloud. Adobe charges $20.99 per month for Dreamweaver only. Users can also choose to subscribe to all Creative Cloud apps for $54.99 per month. The business price for Dreamweaver is $35.99 per month per license or $84.99 per month for all Creative Cloud apps.
Read about how difficult it is to learn Dreamweaver.
Watch a Free Dreamweaver Online Course
Those who want to learn more about Dreamweaver and other web design programs, but aren’t ready to commit to a paid class, can find some free introductory courses online through Noble Desktop. For instance, Get Started in Web Design is an overview of how HTML and CSS are used to create webpages.
For Dreamweaver specifically, there are some free tutorials on other websites. For instance, a YouTube search will return a number of options. Udemy is another place to find a free Dreamweaver tutorial for beginners. Students can also access Adobe’s website to access numerous free Dreamweaver tutorials.
Students who decide to utilize free online courses should be careful to check the reliability and truthfulness of their information. To assess reliability, experts advise checking the author’s credentials or researching the information source. Sometimes, online tutorials and other free resources must be updated or corrected.
Read about more free Dreamweaver videos and online tutorials.
Learn Dreamweaver with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop
Noble Desktop teaches hands-on web design courses in a variety of formats, with something to fit every type of schedule and learning style. Every class is small and led by expert instructors. Noble also offers a free retake for all of its courses. With the free retake, students can retake a course once within a year without paying for it again. This can be an excellent way to gain additional web design skills.
One popular type of class at Noble Desktop is a web design bootcamp. Bootcamps are intensive programs that teach skills quickly and focus on preparing graduates to use those skills in the workplace. In 2020, tech company HackerRank surveyed 116,000 developers from 162 countries about coding bootcamps and found that about a third of hiring managers hired developers who gained their skills from a bootcamp. Noble Desktop teaches many bootcamps related to web design, including Visual Design Portfolio Bootcamp.
Students looking for a more in-depth web design course can enroll in Noble’s Web Design Certificate. This comprehensive program takes six weeks full-time or five months part-time and teaches students to build websites using WordPress. Students in the certificate program will also learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript coding languages and Figma for webpage layouts.
Key Insights
Learning a web design application can take days or months, depending on how much experience a student already has.
- Students with experience in web design should expect to learn more quickly.
- Some web design classes can be completed in a few days, while others take months.
- If you already know how to code and have some knowledge of web design, your learning experience will be easier.
- Don’t forget to allow lots of time for practice.
If you want to take a web design class but aren’t sure where to go, look at all of the options Noble Desktop offers. This New York City-based school offers numerous web design classes, in-person and live online.