How Did You Get Started? The Best & Worst Web Design Tools

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Recently, the return of Adobe Dreamweaver reminds me of the past. I used to be a loyal Dreamweaver user, but after turning to Linux, I almost forgot about its existence. This aroused my curiosity about other web creation tools I've used in my career, so I decided to review it.

I quickly searched on the bookshelf and found this treasure - "Frontpage 2000 Concise Tutorial". Frontpage (now discontinued) is an editor from Microsoft and the tool I used to create my first web page. Its WYSIWYG approach is attractive to newbies (most people were new to them at the time), and its tight integration with Microsoft's Office product range is also a big advantage. Unfortunately, the code it generates is very confusing and invalid, and the pages are often optimized for Internet Explorer. Once I realized that I was serious about web development, I knew it was time to change the tools.

In my first web development job, I got a copy of Dreamweaver. This is definitely an improvement over Frontpage and is full of new features I like, such as site-wide lookup and replacement, code suggestions, and file managers. For a while, I was a happy and efficient Dreamweaver user until I realized it had a bad reputation. The main complaint among people is (as with Frontpage), Dreamweaver comes with a WYSIWYG editor that facilitates the generation of invalid tags and bloat code. Although I only use the WYSIWYG editor to type in some occasional content, this still makes me realize that maintainability of the code is one thing, and more importantly, I should care about it.

When I switched from Windows to Linux, I said goodbye to Dreamweaver. Saying goodbye is hard, and I even tried to get Dreamweaver to run under Wine (but luckily, I quickly realized the stupidity of this approach). While familiarizing myself with my new operating system, I spent some time exploring some common Dreamweaver alternatives (i.e. Bluefish, KompoZer, and NVU). The tools themselves are great, but sadly none of them fully meet my requirements and I find it difficult to use them effectively.

End of the day, I decided to invest my time in mastering the text editor. By this time I had started programming web pages (mostly Ruby at the time) and had used something called SciTE on Windows (okay, but it looked a bit rude). After some consideration, I chose Sublime Text as my preferred editor and I haven't looked back ever since (I have to admit that I tried to master Vim for a while, but I found it too profound and gave up). Anyway, Sublime Text is completely customizable and offers plugins for almost anything you can think of (here is a great list of JavaScript developers). It is full of features such as multi-editing (allowing you to edit all occurrences of strings in a file at the same time) or jumping to anywhere (a great way to jump methods in large files). At first it all looks like magic, but once you get it, you'll wonder how you can't do without it.

It's it: I started with FrontPage, grew up in Dreamweaver, and finally chose Sublime Text. But what about you? What tools have you used to make web pages over the years? Which one do you like the most, which one is the worst? What is the position of IDE in JavaScript development? Please let me know in the comments below.

Frequently Asked Questions on Web Design Tools

What common web design errors should I avoid?

Some common web design errors can negatively affect user experience and overall website performance. These include cluttered layouts, poor navigation, lack of mobile optimization, slow loading, and overuse of popups. It is also important to avoid outdated design elements and ensure that your website is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

How to identify good web design tools?

Good web design tools should be easy to use, versatile, and provide a wide range of features to meet different design needs. It should also have a supportive community for troubleshooting and learning, update regularly to improve, and be compatible with other tools or platforms you may be using.

What are the benefits of using professional web design tools?

Professional web design tools provide many benefits. They can help simplify your design process, improve design quality, and increase your productivity. They also often come with advanced features that allow you to have more customization and flexibility in your design.

What are some free web design tools worth using?

Yes, there are some free web design tools that offer great value. These include Canva (for graphic design), Google Web Designer (for HTML5 content), and WordPress (for website building). However, remember that free tools may have limitations compared to paid tools.

How to improve the usability of my website?

Improving website usability includes making your website easy to navigate, ensuring it loads quickly, and making it mobile-friendly. It is also important to use clear and concise language, provide useful information, and ensure your website is accessible to all users.

What are the examples of bad web design?

Bad web design comes in many forms, but some common examples include messy layouts, poor color choices, difficult-to-read fonts, lack of mobile optimization, and slow loading.

How to keep up with web design trends?

Keep up with web design trends include regular reading of industry blogs, following influencer designers on social media, attending web design conferences, and trying new tools and technologies.

What are the key elements of good web design?

Good web design includes simple and intuitive layout, easy navigation, mobile optimization, fast loading time, and barrier-free design for all users. It is also important to use high-quality images and typography and to make sure your content is relevant and engaging.

How to learn more about web design?

There are many resources available to learn web design, including online courses, tutorials, blogs and books. You can also learn by trying different tools and techniques and seeking feedback from other designers.

What are some common misconceptions about web design?

Some common misconceptions about web design include that design is completely about aesthetics, that design is easy, and that design is not important to business success. In fact, good web design is a balance of aesthetics and functionality, requires a range of skills and can significantly affect the company's online image and performance.

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