Being a professional web developer takes a lot of time and effort. Becoming a master of JQuery or a great Photoshop designer, all these skills take time to master. With the world wide web changing so fast, learning is a daily requirement. Here we look at important tips and tools that will be necessary for you to be a better web designer.

1. Look at other great designs

Being a great designer is about always being ahead of the game. With so many great designs around the web, there are many sources from which to draw great inspiration from. There are many great sources that include web design ledger, Design M.ag, the Design Cubicle and Smashing Magazine. These are great sources from where you can find inspiring design galleries that can get your creative skills flowing. Communities such as Behance and Deviantart also offer great places to build relationships online and find great examples of design and creativity. There are always great sources of inspiration for design and it is a good idea to keep a portfolio that you can add to anytime you see something that inspires you for a future design. Seasoned web designers will keep scrapbooks of ideas that they can draw inspiration from at anytime. Evernote is a handy tool that allows you to store images and text from online sources.

2. Build up your font library

Choosing to use the right font can be essential for a great design. In many cases it can be make or break so be sure to have an extensive library of fonts. Font park and your fonts are both great sources with a massive library of fonts available.

3. Master Photoshop

Photoshop is a must for most web designers and its capabilities are endless. One important element of getting the best out of Photoshop is by increasing your shape and brush collections. Shapes can be used in designs and there are many sources that have extensive libraries.

4. Have a great Image library

Images form an important part of web design and there are many image libraries online. Shutterstock and dreamstime are both excellent sources where you can basically find any image. Both offer monthly subscriptions allowing you to download up to 25 images a day depending on the amount of usage you require.

5. Analyse great designs

There are many great designs out there so why not see what makes them work and add these skills to your portfolio. Improve your design theory by analysing other great designs. See what makes the design so good and what design rules are being used. Find out what components are working together to make this design great. Gaining a true understanding of sophisticated design theory is essential to making you a much better designer.

6. Use a Programming Text Editor

A programming friendly text editor is important to a programmer. Windows and OS X are recommended.

7. Network online

With so many online communities out there, finding and sharing information could not be easier. There are many inspirational galleries, editorials, resources and tutorials online many of which are free. Connecting with the design community online could not be easier and there is an abundance of resources online that will help improve you as a designer. Most of the best web design websites will have blogs that are normally filled with useful information and resources. The following blog list below provides some useful blogs

• Astheria


• Blue Faqs


• Abduzeedo


• ActiveTuts


• AETuts


• A List Apart


• Carsonified


• Colorburned


• Colour Lovers


• Creative Fan


• David Walsh

Sharing information with these online communities will be the ideal place to make connections that could provide valuable tips and ideas for your next design whilst increasing you learning.

8. Plan successfully

Planning a design can be a great way to draw inspiration. With any new design research and planning are key so be sure to know what your client is expecting first. Consider researching about the client's company and ask what he expects from the web. See what his competitors are doing better and what is making their websites so successful. Sketch map your website out first which will save time, money and resources in the future.

So there you have it, not a definite list but just 8 useful tips that can help you become a better and more accomplished designer in the future.

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Image credit: Jon Rohan on Flickr