I'm interested in focusing on the Web Design aspect of IT.

I would like to know the basic areas a good Web Designer should be proficient in.

Thanks

It somewhat depends on whether you want to do the graphics part of it or the programming part. You can do both, but it's usually better to separate them unless you have a lot of time. Not to mention programmers are typically left-brained while graphics people are right-brained. It's not imcompatible, it just means that some people are better at one aspect than the other.

Beyond that, some general skills would be HTML, CSS, Javascript, a server-side language (PHP, Perl, Python, etc.), and some graphic layout theory. Using Photoshop and Dreamweaver (or equivalent) are also good, since it's easier to make a site quickly using them. Plus using Photoshop lets you create your own graphics.

Oh, and knowing how to use web servers and some networking skills are also good to have.

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