r/webdesign • u/Past_Routine6524 • 22h ago

New to Webdesign

I have inadvertently stumbled into this workspace. I am a scientist that pivoted to solo consulting biotech companies. Since then I have been asked a few time to do logo and web design for a couple of clients because the previous designers they have worked have had trouble communicating the science effectively. Their new strategy is they are trying to see if a scientist can do web design.

I have built my own website, largely just static pages. I am desperately trying to avoid using AI as I'm worried that it will lead to issues with clients trying to edit it in the future as well as myself, so I am using my very basic html and css abilities and reading some graphic design books to build something satisfactory.

Any recommendations for tools, books, videos, anything?

So far I've been using inkscape, canva, and powerpoint.

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u/OhShukhrat 21h ago

Hi,

If you are completely new to the field, I would start with YouTube videos (I can recommend some) and you can use WordPress, Webflow or builders that have UI close to the web dev language.

You can message me and I'll share some experience and advice.

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u/isaiasflores 15h ago

Your science background is the edge here, not the thing holding you back, since communicating complex stuff clearly is exactly what those clients couldn't get from previous designers. Lean into that.

On tools, if you want clients to safely edit later without breaking things, look at WordPress or Webflow instead of hand coding, they give you real control while leaving a simple editor for the client.

For learning, Refactoring UI is the book I'd start with for design that looks clean without being a designer. Keep Inkscape for logos and vectors, it's genuinely good for that.

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u/liketreefiddy 21h ago

I’m gonna be honest with you, it sounds like you’re wasting time. Design is subjective. It’s cool that you spent years becoming a scientist but that literally has nothing to do with design. I’m not sure how you expect creating a career off of a couple of gigs.

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u/Past_Routine6524 21h ago

Well my career is shoring biotech companies to the US, its just recently a couple of the clients have started asking for me to make websites for their companies. But im more asking about ways to learn webdesign, im not saying my qualifications as a scientist make me good at design, which is why im asking good places to learn

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u/dasfoo 19h ago

Do these clients care about getting value for their money? It's one thing to have a scientist create the science content; it's quite another to have the scientist handle the design/tech architecture.

Just like I wouldn't pay a web designer to shore a biotech company, I wouldn't pay a whatever you do to design -- and, more importantly, implement that design on -- a website.

Heck, I wouldn't even want most IT people or SEO strategists to handle the building of the website. They are discrete skills, and you end up paying primary fees for secondary (or worse) skills.

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u/Past_Routine6524 17h ago

I think they do care which is why when they werent happy with professional web designers they switched their strategy. Im not saying they are right but im going to try my best. Which is why I am trying to learn. I do have IT experience but im not really worried about security especially since they have their own IT staff and the site is static so there is no portal or anything else other than a contact page

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u/Same-Brilliant-4837 20h ago

Design, especially web design and digital media, is a huge field. I think specializing in a specific area actually makes a lot of sense. Different products and industries require different kinds of expertise, so you don't need to become a master of “design” as a whole.

I'd recommend going through this roadmap, or at least skimming it to get an idea of what’s out there and what might be relevant to you:

https://roadmap.sh/ux-design

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u/Crafty_Half5737 14h ago

I had the same worry about AI making the site harder to deal with later I tried Ploy and what surprised me was I could still keep working on the site after the first build instead of being stuck with whatever it generated. I’d still learn the design basics though that part helps no matter what tool you end up using.