Web designers - what languages do you need to know?

[slappy sam]

I've dabbled in web design over the past few years, making many different sites and templates for myself and getting a good grasp of html, css, and xml. However, these are pretty basic and I'm looking to start expanding my knowledge. I am also interested in possibly doing web design professionally at some point (in conjunction with photography). Anyway, I really just want to learn more about it and am wondering where I should go from here.

I have heard of PHP, AJAX, know a bit of JS, (I also know some c++/java), and was thinking I should learn PHP next since that seems like a big one. What other languages are essential to being a successful web designer?

Not really looking for comments on web design professionally, just wondering what I should be learning next :)

Thanks

[BaumannPhotography]

I think you are headed in the right direction with learning PHP next. But I would learn JS next as this will help in the understanding of some other high languages (in my experience) JS is not that bad and will give you a good idea of whats to come in the next languages. Hope that helps!

[TheHoff]

I run a web dev company so I'll give you a good answer... What exactly do you want to do? The basic split is designer v. developer.

As a designer I'd expect you to be an expert in Photoshop and hopefully Illustrator. If you can do Flash or even Actionscript, huge bonus. I'd expect you to be able to slice your own PSD templates but some hoity-toity designers just design and don't even go that far. You should be extremely proficient at User Interface / Human Interaction.

As a developer I'd want you to have a working knowledge of the above but not necessarily be impressive in any of it. You should be able to slice a PSD template if asked into a well thought out split. Then take that slice and turn it into valid HTML / CSS. You should be an expert in Javascript, like at least 7/10 skill level. It is similar to java so you should be on easy terms with it. Flash development and Actionscript programming are generally specializations of a certain developer but if you can do those on the side, great.

Now past that in developer-land there are a few branches... PHP/mySQL, ASP/SQL, or Java/JSP/Oracle/PostGre/etc. Whichever language / database you choose is usually specific to what company you work at. I've done two of the three but I never worked at an ASP house. Java/JSP is generally used more for larger and complex systems; the other two are split. ASP is used more on the west coast (ie, the nearer to Seattle you are). The lowest paid are PHP/mySQL since they are more common, but good ones still rare. ASP is middle ground and JSP developers are the high-end.

[slappy sam]

I run a web dev company so I'll give you a good answer... What exactly do you want to do? The basic split is designer v. developer.

As a designer I'd expect you to be an expert in Photoshop and hopefully Illustrator. If you can do Flash or even Actionscript, huge bonus. I'd expect you to be able to slice your own PSD templates but some hoity-toity designers just design and don't even go that far. You should be extremely proficient at User Interface / Human Interaction.

As a developer I'd want you to have a working knowledge of the above but not necessarily be impressive in any of it. You should be able to slice a PSD template if asked into a well thought out split. Then take that slice and turn it into valid HTML / CSS. You should be an expert in Javascript, like at least 7/10 skill level. It is similar to java so you should be on easy terms with it. Flash development and Actionscript programming are generally specializations of a certain developer but if you can do those on the side, great.

Now past that in developer-land there are a few branches... PHP/mySQL, ASP/SQL, or Java/JSP/Oracle/PostGre/etc. Whichever language / database you choose is usually specific to what company you work at. I've done two of the three but I never worked at an ASP house. Java/JSP is generally used more for larger and complex systems; the other two are split. ASP is used more on the west coast (ie, the nearer to Seattle you are). The lowest paid are PHP/mySQL since they are more common, but good ones still rare. ASP is middle ground and JSP developers are the high-end.
Wow thanks for the informative reply. Here is where I stand:

Designer: I dunno if I'd call myself an expert, but I have a good amount of experience designing templates. My templates aren't on the level of a lot of the top designers that I really admire, but they aren't bad. I've been using photoshop for a while, and I have a fairly thorough understanding of it. I've played with illustrator a bit and I know some about it, but I'm definetly no expert. I can slice no problem, thats fairly easyy.

Developer: Yeah, I know HTML/CSS. Again, slicing is no problem. I have used javascript before but I think that is what I am going to work on first, because I really didn't do very much with it, just some basic scripts IIRC. I have done flash and actionscript sites with drop down buttons and some dynamic photo gallery type things, but it was a huge pain and I'm not that great at it. Though I do know basic actionscript and am familiar with designing a site in flash.

Past-developer: No idea about any of that stuff :D That is what I was looking for though. I knew there were a few different sectors of this... and how they are grouped together. Cool. I think I will look into learning the basics of php and mysql to maybe just get a basic understanding of what these allow me to do, and how they are similar to things I already know.

I'd really love to work on my flash templates, but I just haven't been able to find a good resource to get me from the point where I've got my template all sliced up and adding little effects to the point where your making sites like bludomain. There doesn't seem to be much material on the subject, and when I looked at the .fla for one of these templates it was pretty ugly to say the least. Hundreds of layers, seems like a lot of "tricking" the program to get it to do something "cool". Like setting a little white bar to scroll right over a button, giving it the illusion of a reflection. Etc.

Anyway, I might be overestimating my abilities, heh. I'm also pretty rusty, but looking to advance my design skills, particularly.

I'd like to get to the point where I can make designs like this - http://kwaku.deviantart.com <-- check it out, I like most of his work at least (never mind doesn't really load).

[WMDunkin]

basic HTML and flash :D