The only commercial software you'll need is:
Pretty much everything else you will need is free. I think you'll also need:
A text editor for editing HTML and CSS (there are lots of good free ones - the one I use is about 10 years old, but text is text)
Here are some recommended free editors:
You don't need any, but any experience you do have will make life easier. I'll be showing you a lot of Photoshop work, and if you haven't used the programme before, you could be running to keep up for a while.
I recommend spending some time with the tutorials to get used to the basic tools before the course starts in earnest.
Well, I've restructured the course to run over 6 months. You may need more time, or less time. Clearly, some students are working or have other time commitments. Others have more experience in certain areas.
I'd say that the course will last as long as it needs to for you. So don't worry if you think you may need a bit more time. You will get full access to all the course materials (including any new content) for a minimum of 12 months.
Yes, I would actually encourage you to download and keep the videos to review offline. Just remember that all the material is copyrighted, so don't post online!
Again, this is very much down to you. If you have time every day, that's the ideal way to learn for many people. But if you're very busy, you may combine your study into one or two sessions in a week.
It is not my goal to train you to be a pro web developer. For that you need books and lots and lots of practice.
I'm going to train you to be a pro web designer/architect. So I'll teach you the dev basics you need so that you can do your job.
You do, really. The video content may take hours to download otherwise.
We have several very talented designers on the course already. They find lots to learn about how to make a really successful site - and always get a huge amount of value.
Some of the SEO and architecture materials in this course are totally unique, coming out of the research for my next book. For a working designer, they alone could be worth the value of the course.
There will be plenty of nuances to pick up from the way I approach a design problem, think about users and goals, structure sites, lay out pages etc. Even someone already working professionally in design will get value from day one.
Don't worry! You can be colour-blind and still learn the principles that make the difference between a great web site and another one.
Even if you lack the aesthetic gene, you can pick up enough to be able to construct web sites that really work. Using templates would not be a bad place to start.
Students who successfully complete the course, and publish their own web site showing that they have fully applied the techniques, will qualify for membership of an exclusive new web site (a directory of Approved Pro Web Designers), which will be an amazing lead-generation resource. It would also give you a badge to display on your own web site that links through to your page on the new directory site, which will show evidence that you are a professional and trustworthy web professional. (Full membership is likely to be on a subscription basis.)
This directory will be linked from the PWDC web site, as well as from my other sites (including webdesignfromscratch.com, which gets thousands of visits daily).
I do not have plans at this point to get the qualification ratified by an institution. Partly this is because I don't think they are worth much (I have a University degree, which has almost zero bearing on how well I do my job today), and also because there would be a lot of red tape involved. I want to be free to deliver exactly what my students need, without jumping through administrative hoops.
You would not need to give any notice. Just cancel your PayPal subscription, and you would cease at the end of the current month. You'll be free to keep any materials you've already accessed.
Of course. I already have students in America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. As long as you have a decent Internet connection, there's no problem.
I'm committed to making the Pro Web Design Course the most comprehensive and valuable training you could ever do to become a true web marketing professional.
If you have a query that isn't answered by these FAQs, please email me () directly and let me know!
