This is the end. Only, it’s not really ever the end with web design. If you’re still thirsty for more there’s always advanced techniques, changes in the field, progressive web apps, mobile support, touch support, VR and augmented reality to consider, web games to build, servers to configure, build tools, server-side scripting or databases to be getting on with, isn’t there? Welcome to web design – the industry where you will never know everything there is to know, and as soon as you think you do know everything you need to know, the landscape changes and evolves and you are thrust back into learning a new language, technique or tool to improve the website building experience. But isn’t that all part of the fun? Imagine if that was it – you read this book, and instantly you were an expert in the field and never had to learn anything web related again. A builder can learn to build a brick wall, and never have to learn it again. By contrast, a web developer can finish learning one aspect of web design, for it to be outdated and no longer a best practice a week later. Becoming a good web developer is about reading the tea leaves of the industry; understanding what direction things are heading, and jumping on board at the right time with the new technologies that emerge every day in the field.
This is exactly what this book has prepared you for.
The single most important trait a web developer can have is resilience. The ability to tough it out during those moments where you think to yourself ‘I have no idea how to solve this problem.’ By getting to the end of this book, you have proved to both yourself and me that you have what it takes to make it in this industry. Even if you choose to not continue your path into web design, the skills you have picked up from this book will be incredibly valuable to you going forward. The logical way that your brain has had to work in order to complete the exercises is hugely beneficial for when you come face to face with a problem again in the future, web related or not.
I take my hat off to you, as I know web design can be a huge pain at times, and it really is full of strange quirks, but that’s what I have learned to love about it over the years, and hopefully you are starting to feel the same way. I know this book must have been a big challenge for you, but I sincerely hope you have enjoyed the journey and found it as exciting and interesting
as the day when I first introduced myself to web design. Hopefully I have managed to instil in you the same passion and curiosity that took me over on that day and has remained with me ever since.
Good luck with your future in web design. You truly have picked a fantastic field to journey through. I struggle to think of any job more rewarding and satisfying than web design.
Thank you for choosing my book as the one to have the pleasure of introducing you into this wonderful world. Now go off and build something revolutionary!