What You See is What You Get (Wysiwyg) Web Design

Contributed by Carpesomediem

What is WYSIWYG web design?

WYSIWYG web design is the acronym for What You See Is What You Get. Basically, it's a drop and drag program that codes HTML behind the page while you effectively "draw" the page without having to learn a messy coding language like HTML, Perl or PHP. You can draw similarities between a WYSIWYG web design program with a graphic and illustration program like Adobe Photoshop; while Photoshop draws on pictures already presented, WYSIWYG editors draw while the code is added to the page.

How can I get started in WYSIWYG web design?

First, you need to find a WYSIWYG web design program. There are many available on the market. Some editors are quite costly, however, so it's important to make sure you are ready to make the commitment and create web pages. Some programs are freeware, some shareware, so pick and choose wisely to find the best program for you. Most come with manuals and many web sites can help you with the more difficult aspects of the program, but the whole goal of a WYSIWYG program is that it allows you to control the environment. It's now there to hold your hand.

Next, once you have the program, it's time to begin to play with it. Don't start out thinking you will be designing high-quality, highly viewed web sites off the bat, because when you're new to the web design world, chances are your first pages are going to be disasters. You will learn over time what makes the best sites and how to go about creating them. It's just a matter of patience, a bit of self-education and a lot of time on your hands to tinker around with different aspects, concepts and designs until you get the hang of how to crank out decent web pages.

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