Hey everyone! I've built a lot of sites using CMS, HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap, but I feel like I'm stuck in a loop of creating poorly designed websites on my own. I've realized that many people end up with 3-5 layers of divs per column, which doesn't look great. I want to improve my layout and CSS skills—not to be exceptional, just decent enough. While I'm okay with basic sites that sell, I often hear complaints about them lacking a polished design, which affects business. I'm looking for advice on how to enhance my skills, like finding go-to designs in Bootstrap or HTML/CSS that can help my sites pass the 'first impression test.' Here are my questions: 1. Do you rely on templates? 2. Do you have a few favorite designs? 3. Are you confident in creating aesthetically pleasing layouts with CSS? I need some suggestions on how to meaningfully practice 1-2 times a week.
5 Answers
I frequently practice by just fiddling around with my designs until they match my vision. I look up new features and experiment with integrating them into my work. I usually start with Bootstrap for the basic structure, and then I make minor adjustments to get the design right.
One approach is to take on a small project each week and try to rebuild it from scratch without using any frameworks. Maybe replicate a clean landing page you like from sites like Behance or Frontend Mentor, focusing solely on layout and spacing. This way, you're practicing the fundamentals without leaning on Bootstrap, and you'll quickly learn modern design patterns.
I find that if you're serious about improving, you need to practice a lot. Pick a design you admire and try to recreate it without templates or frameworks—just pure HTML and CSS. The more you try and tweak, the more you'll learn from your mistakes!
I stick to the basics and focus on simple layouts. Just using flexbox and grid can get you pretty far without complicating things, and it's easy to learn!
Honestly, I'm not a design expert, but I've seen great improvement by checking out dribbble.com. I select a few designs I love and try to build them, aiming for pixel perfection. It has helped my CSS skills a ton.
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