Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Web Design and Content : Top 5 programs that a webdesigner must get

[lokodezine]

What in your opion are the 5 programs that every
WEBDESIGNER/PHP/ASP CODER/GRAPHIC MAKER/ANY OTHER PARTS OF WEBDESIGNING
should get

I am looking to get some more programs that can make me better

Thanks
AIM: lokodezine
YIM: lokodezine


once agaign thanks

[speedy007h]

You'll probably get these replies:

Macromedia Suite MX
Adobe Photosuite

As for ASP,PHP coding, it's not so much the program you use for it, as it is your skill and understanding of it. If you learn it well and become a good coder, you should be able to work in pretty much anything from notepad to more advanced editors designed specifically for PHP or ASP.

[VRonline]

there have been numerous posts about such things, some are even on page 1. why dont you want to look through them?

[Firefuze]

Adobe Photoshop
Macromedia Flash MX 2004
Macromedia Dreamweaver
Discreet 3ds Max
Adobe After Effects

[ANMMark]

Please keep in mind that web "designer", and web "developer" are two different things.

A designer primarily creates the visual aspect, and sometimes the HTML code, while a developer creates the entire backend as well.

As for the top 5...this is primarily preference, not something based on any fact.

Top 5 Apps:
1. FlashMX or SwishMax (SwishMax is now as good, but lower cost)
2. Adobe PhotoShop or PaintShop Pro (PSP = lower cost)
3. CrimsonEditor or Notepad (for all coding. Both are free)
4. Dreamweaver or WebExpress (if you plan to use wysiwyg)
5. A copy of every browser you can think of (for visual testing)

[-alb-]

1.) A loan from the bank to afford the programs...

[nicholasm]

Go for the tried-and-tested.

1. PhotoShop (w ImageReady) or Fireworks
2. DreamweaverMX
3. FlashMX
(optionally) 4. Color Schemer

For coding:
5. Crimson Editor

[Rich2k]

Web Designing can be split into two and not often in the business world do both mix.

They are graphic designers and coders (well ok there is a third of database admins).

Graphic designers
Photoshop CS (or 7)
Freehand (or Illustrator)
Flash MX

Coders
Photoshop (as sometimes you need to do some simple graphics)
Flash MX
Dreamweaver MX
XMLSpy

If you are looking to do business full time in the world of web design then you should be earning enough to cover the costs of this software. In terms of other specialist fields the software costs for web design are actually quite low when compared to engineering for instance.

It's only expensive for part-time or hobbiests (in which case there are cheaper alternatives that are almost as good).

[nicholasm]

Indeed, if you're new you can always go for lower-costing alternatives just to get you started, then invest in more expensive software as you go along. Instead of Photoshop, you can opt for PaintShop (Jasc), which is really good.. Instead of Dreamweaver you can go for Homesite, etc... and if that's still a problem then just mosey on over to download.com and grab something there (for Flash, swish.com and flashkit, among others can be high in your list, etc.)..

Just like a business, reinvest what you earn in getting more and better tools, and you'll just wake up one day having all the fine stuff.

Hope that helps.

[Xyphix]

1) Adobeshop CS or 7
2) Discreet 3DSM
3) Flash MX
4) Notepad or UltraEdit
5) Top 3 Browsers

Also, Dreamweaver is not needed imo. Neither is FrontPage. You can do what these programs do if you know the coding with NotePad or other similiar program.

[Firefuze]

You can't split web designing into two. A programmer, or coder is a web developer, a web designer is more like a graphics designer, but makes the designs for websites. So there's actually 3 categories:

Web Designer
Web Developer
Graphics Designer

Graphics designer tend to do logo's, posters, business cards, etc.
I don't understand why a graphic designer would need flash mx, that would be a program suitable for a web designer.

[Synthetic]

Originally posted by Firefuze
I don't understand why a graphic designer would need flash mx, that would be a program suitable for a web designer.

To create an effective Flash movie, one would require both technical and creative skills. So I wouldn't say that the program is more suitable for someone in the web design field, but rather someone that has had exposure to both web design and graphic design.

[sasha]

programs I (developer) could not do without

joe (text editor)
ssh client
...
and that is about it.

[1AsianChic]

notepad
notepad
notepad
Adobe Photoshop
did i mention notepad ?

[DennyTang]

I don't need 5 programs to create a good and complete website but here are my top 5, not in order:
Photoshop
Illustrator
FrontPage/Dreamweaver (FrontPage preffered for bigger sites)
Macromedia Flash
Microsoft Access (for building databases and scripts)