What is Dreamweaver?

Dreamweaver is an Adobe software program created in 1997 and used for designing websites. It allows users to create a website without knowledge of HTML or other programming languages. Popular when it was first released, Dreamweaver is now only used by a small percentage of Web Designers, with most people favoring other design applications. However, it can be a valuable tool for those who want to stay within the Adobe ecosystem. In this overview, you’ll learn more about what Dreamweaver is, what it can do, who uses it, and how to learn it so you can determine how to add this skill to your professional toolbox.

What Can You Do with Dreamweaver?

Web Designers create and maintain websites. In some cases, one person is responsible for an entire website, while in other cases, several team members may work on the job. Knowing how to use Dreamweaver or another web design program can help a designer get started in the field of web design. Web Designers are needed in almost every industry since the majority of businesses and organizations now have websites. US News ranked web design number six in its list of Best Technology Jobs of 2022.

There are many different specialties within the field of web design. Front End Developers specialize in creating the part of the website that users see and interact with, such as the overall layout and individual features like logos or links. Back End Developers work on things that the user does not interact with but are essential to the website's function, like creating and maintaining the database. User experience (UX) design is another job related to web design. A UX Designer ensures that website users have the best experience possible. This includes ensuring that a website is intuitive and easy to use and that the experience is enjoyable for the user.

People with web design knowledge can also work in many other jobs. For example, some Web Designers end up as Application Designers, who develop applications for specific devices such as computers or mobile phones. Information Architects help make information on a website easier to find and understand. Visual Designers are responsible for the aesthetics of a website and work on things such as making sure it engages users. Overall, there are many ways to utilize knowledge of web design.

How Do You Download Dreamweaver? How Much Does it Cost?

Dreamweaver is part of Adobe Creative Cloud and can be installed on up to two devices. To get Dreamweaver, users need to create an Adobe account, and then they will be able to download the application. All Adobe subscribers also get access to many other Adobe resources, including Adobe Fonts, Creative Cloud Libraries, Creative Cloud Assets, and Creative Cloud Market.

Adobe offers a free seven-day trial for either Dreamweaver or all of its Creative Cloud apps. After that, designers who want to keep using the program must pay a monthly subscription fee. Adobe charges $20.99 per month for Dreamweaver only. Users can also choose to subscribe to all Creative Cloud apps for $54.99 per month. The business price for Dreamweaver is $35.99 per month per license or $84.99 per month per license for all Creative Cloud apps. 

What Are the Benefits of Learning Dreamweaver?

After learning Dreamweaver or another web design program, a designer can create or edit websites. Websites have become an essential part of business and communication around the world. A website is a way to showcase a product, business, or other types of organizations and to create public awareness of it. It also allows members of the public to research that brand or entity. For these reasons, most companies now have a website, and many without one plan to create one in the future. As a result, website design is a valuable and desirable skill. 

Not only are websites needed in almost every industry, but people with the skills to build good websites are particularly valuable. A website’s design can have a significant impact on the audience. For instance, a good design can attract people and give them confidence in the site. In contrast, a bad design can frustrate or deter people from a website. There are many employment opportunities for Web Designers who can create good sites.

Read more about why you should learn Dreamweaver. 

Dreamweaver Careers

Almost every industry needs designers who know how to create websites with Dreamweaver or other web design programs because websites have become an essential part of life worldwide. Many businesses and organizations have their own websites, and surveys show that many people now visit websites before they call or visit a company in person. 

The US Bureau of Labor lists the largest employers of Web Developers and Digital Designers. It reports that the largest category of employers is companies that work in computer systems design and related services. Other major employers are software publishers, educational services, advertising and public relations, finance and insurance, and retail. The Bureau also reports on the states with the highest employment level for web and digital interface designers. These are Washington, California, New York, Texas, and North Carolina.

Statistics show that web design is likely to be an excellent field to work in both now and in the future. The Bureau of Labor finds that in 2021, the median pay for Web Developers and Digital Designers was $78,300 per year. It predicts that employment in this field will grow much faster than average in the next ten years. Between 2021 and 2031, the organization projects that overall employment for Web Developers and Digital Designers will grow 23 percent, with about 21,800 new job openings each year.

How to Learn Dreamweaver

Students who want to learn Dreamweaver or another website design program can opt for either live or on-demand classes. Each format has its own benefits and drawbacks. In addition, students who want to learn website design can take advantage of numerous free online resources.

Live classes are generally considered the best way to learn Dreamweaver and other web design programs because students receive real-time instruction and instructor feedback. They can also collaborate and network with other students, enhancing the learning experience. Students who want these benefits but cannot attend a live in-person class can enroll in a live online class. Live online classes also include live interaction and feedback, but rather than having to commute to a school classroom, students can attend from any location as long as they can sign on at the scheduled time.

Another way to learn web design is through an on-demand class. This format lacks some of the interaction of a live option but has far greater flexibility. On-demand courses let students learn at their own pace, spreading the syllabus over weeks or months if needed. Another benefit of an on-demand education is the lack of a commute. Students who enroll in on-demand training need to consider that they may find it more challenging to stay focused and motivated because of the lack of a live instructor and a classroom full of peers.

A final way to learn Dreamweaver and other web design programs are through free online seminars, tutorials, and other guides. Noble Desktop’s Learning Hub is an excellent place to find free information about Dreamweaver. Noble also has several free seminars on topics related to web design. YouTube can be another good free resource. For instance, it has many web design tutorials and overviews.

Read the full guide on how to learn Dreamweaver.

A Brief History of Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver 1.0, the first version of Dreamweaver, was released in 1997 by Macromedia. Initially, it was only available for MAC. However, a version for Windows was released the following year. In 2005, Adobe acquired Dreamweaver, which is currently part of Adobe Creative Cloud. There have been numerous versions of Dreamweaver; the most recent is 21.3, released in June 2022.

A team of people led by Kevin Lynch, now VP of Technology at Apple, developed the Dreamweaver application. Jay Hoffman, author of “The History of the Web,” explains why Lynch and his team named their new application Dreamweaver. He says that Lynch had been talking to lots of Web Designers in order to understand what features they were looking for in a web editing tool, and he compiled all of their suggestions into a document called “19 Dreams.” Dreamweaver was the web tool he and his team created, and it addressed all 19 of the needs of the designers he talked to, hence the name Dreamweaver.

Dreamweaver was very popular when it first came out because it doesn’t require users to know HTML or other programming languages. Its live view displays content as it will look on the finished website rather than in code. This makes it easier for less experienced designers to use. In recent years, however, Dreamweaver has been displaced by other web design apps, and now it is only used by a small percentage of Web Designers.

Comparable Applications

A number of other web design applications are comparable to Dreamweaver. WordPress is one of the most popular. Designers without HTML or other programming languages often opt for WordPress. One advantage of WordPress is that it has ecommerce plugins, which make it easy to create a website that allows the owner to sell goods and services and collect payment. WordPress has far surpassed Dreamweaver in popularity. An estimated 43 percent of all websites use it. 

Wix, Squarespace, and Visual Studio Code are other popular apps used for web design. Wix is user-friendly and comes in a free basic or paid premium version. Squarespace users need to pay a monthly subscription. This app has a drag-and-drop editor designed to make it easy for any company to build its own website. VS Code is a free code editor used to build and debug websites. It is more challenging to learn.

Learn Dreamweaver with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop teaches hands-on web design courses in a variety of formats, with something to fit every type of schedule and learning style. Every class is small and led by expert instructors. Noble also offers a free retake for all of its courses. With the free retake, students can retake a course once within a year without paying for it again. This can be an excellent way to gain additional web design skills.

One popular type of class at Noble Desktop is a web design bootcamp. Bootcamps are intensive programs that teach skills quickly and focus on preparing graduates to use those skills in the workplace. In 2020, tech company HackerRank surveyed 116,000 developers from 162 countries about coding bootcamps and found that about a third of hiring managers hired developers who gained their skills from a bootcamp. Noble Desktop teaches many bootcamps related to web design, including Visual Design Portfolio Bootcamp.

Students looking for a more in-depth web design course can enroll in Noble’s Web Design Certificate. This comprehensive program takes six weeks full-time or five months part-time and teaches students to build websites using WordPress. Students in the certificate program will also learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript coding languages and Figma for webpage layouts.

Key Insights

Dreamweaver is an application used for designing websites. It is available from Adobe.

• Dreamweaver first debuted in 1997.
• Designers who know how to use Dreamweaver or other web design apps work in various industries.
• A Dreamweaver subscription starts at $20.99 per month.
• Other popular web design apps include WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and Visual Studio Code.
  
  

If you want to learn Dreamweaver or another web design program, you can find a number of course options at Noble Desktop. The school teaches web design in person at its New York City campus. It also offers live online classes that students can attend from any location.