Introduction to Web Design

Web Design Fundamentals: What Every Beginner Should Know Before Choosing a Tool

So you want to learn web design? Solid move. Whether you’re planning to design for clients, your business, or just out of curiosity, I want to help you start smart — without overwhelm, without fluff.

Before we even get into tools like WordPress, Webflow, or code editors, let’s understand the basics that make web design make sense. This isn’t about being a pro overnight — it’s about giving you a clear mental map. Once this clicks, everything else becomes easier.

This blog is the beginning of your journey. Later, we’ll go deeper into design principles like typography, colors, layout, etc. — but first, let’s build your foundation.

Need to watch a video on this? Here’s a practical, beginner friendly option

1. What Is a Website, Really?

A website is more than just a pretty page online. It’s a structured collection of information that people can access using a browser and a domain name.

Every website has a few core building blocks:

Header – Top section, usually with a logo and navigation.
Hero Section – The main first impression (headline, image, call-to-action).
Body/Content – The meat of the site: services, blog posts, about info, etc.
Footer – The bottom section: social links, contact info, legal pages.

Understanding this layout early helps you visualize how pages are structured — no matter the platform.

2. What’s the Purpose of the Website?

Websites aren’t one-size-fits-all. Every site is designed to achieve something:

Inform (blogs, portfolios, news sites)
Sell (ecommerce, digital products)
Convert (get people to sign up, book, or download something)
Showcase (case studies, testimonials, art, etc.)

Ask yourself: Why am I building this? What should visitors do when they land on it? Answering that gives your design direction.

3. User Experience (UX): Make It Make Sense

Before we think about colors and buttons, we think about the user.

UX (User Experience) is how someone feels when they’re using your site. You want to make things smooth, not confusing.

Basics to keep in mind:

Clarity – Can they find what they came for?
Navigation – Is the menu clear? Are things organized?
Responsiveness – Does it work well on phones and tablets?
Speed – Is it fast to load?

If users feel frustrated or lost, the design doesn’t matter — they’re gone.

4. Web Hosting & Domains (Don’t Skip This!)

To actually launch a website on the internet, you need:

A Domain Name – Like your street address (e.g., yourname.com)
Web Hosting – Like the land where your website files live

Some platforms (like Webflow or Squarespace) include both. Others (like WordPress.org) require you to set this up separately. It’s not hard, but knowing this early will save you confusion later.

🔍 Want to practice without spending money? Try LocalWP — a free way to install WordPress on your laptop.

5. The Website Creation Process

Here’s a beginner-friendly version of the web design process:

Understand the Goal – What’s the purpose of the site?
Map Out the Structure – What pages will it have? What goes where?
Wireframe – Simple sketches of layouts (pen & paper is fine)
Choose a Tool – WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace, etc.
Build – Add text, images, sections, menus
Test – Check it on different screen sizes
Launch – Connect your domain, make it live!

This is a process you’ll repeat over and over, so learning it early is a huge win.

6. You Don’t Need to Spend Money to Start

Here’s how you can actually start practicing:

Set up a local WordPress site using LocalWP
Recreate a site you like — just for practice
Design mockups in Figma (free)
Offer to build a site for a friend’s project

You’ll learn faster by doing. Start scrappy, improve as you go.

What’s Next?

This post focused on how the web works and what to think about before designing. In the next part of this series, we’ll zoom in on visual design principles — colors, layout, typography, and how to actually make things look good.

Don’t worry — it’s not about being a design genius. It’s about understanding the rules so you can break them on purpose.

Also: I’m turning this series into beginner-friendly YouTube videos: Watch the series here.

Stay in the Loop

Got questions? Let’s connect:

Billian Gadi
aka Wholesomely Billian
YouTube: Wholesomely_Billian
Instagram: @wholesomely_billian
TikTok: @wholesomely_billian