5 years as Website Designer and Developer

As you know, I have been designing websites since 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Today, I want to share my personal experiences and explain how I started my journey in web design.

When the pandemic hit, many activities shifted online, and I realized the importance of having a digital presence. This motivated me to learn more about creating websites, not just as a hobby but as a valuable skill for the future. I started by exploring basic HTML and CSS, experimenting with simple layouts and designs. Over time, I became more confident and began building websites for myself and others, discovering new tools and techniques along the way.

Through trial and error, I learned how to make websites more interactive and visually appealing. The process was challenging at times, but each project helped me grow and improve my abilities. My passion for web design continued to develop, leading me to explore more advanced topics and eventually work on professional projects.

Back to December 2019, during my first year in vocational college, I began learning the basics of HTML and how to use simple HTML tags to design a static website. At that time, I was fascinated by how web pages were structured and displayed in browsers. One day, I discovered that some teachers at my former secondary school had their own personal homepages hosted on the school’s web server. This inspired me to think about creating my own personal homepage to showcase my skills and interests.

While I was learning HTML in college, I started researching options for hosting my website. I compared the prices of different domain names and hosting services, but as a student, I was hesitant to spend money on these services. I realized that using a free hosting provider would be the best solution for me, as it would allow me to experiment and learn without any financial commitment. This decision marked the beginning of my journey into web design and development, motivating me to explore more advanced techniques and tools as I progressed.

Luckily, I found a free web hosting provider called freewha.com. I registered for their hosting service, which included a free domain name. I still remember the domain name: chavezpoon.freewha.com. Unfortunately, I didn’t upload my first website to the Web Archive, so I don’t have a record of it today. After this initial experience, I explored other free web hosting providers such as Neocities and Space by W3Schools. These platforms allowed me to experiment with different features and layouts, helping me improve my skills and understand the importance of reliable hosting.

As my confidence grew, I decided to invest a little money to register a custom domain name for my website: chavezpoon.com. This step made my website feel more professional and personal. Along with the new domain, I added hosting services powered by cPanel, which enabled me to easily upload and manage my HTML files on the server. Over the next couple of years, I continued to update and refine my website. Eventually, I installed WordPress on my server to simplify the process of publishing blog articles and managing content. WordPress provided a user-friendly interface and a wide range of plugins, making it easier to maintain and expand my site.

My journey into web design and development was also shaped by the support and encouragement of my friends. Many of them knew about my expertise in designing websites and asked me to help them build their own sites, often free of charge. These opportunities felt like the beginning of a startup, allowing me to gain valuable experience and learn from real-world projects. Each website I created for my friends helped me develop new skills and deepen my understanding of web technologies.

That’s all for today. Next time, I’ll share tips on how to start your career as a freelance website designer and developer, including advice on building your portfolio, finding clients, and staying up-to-date with the latest trends in web design.