What's the best Web Design program? Dreamweaver, Expression Web, FrontPage, Golive, or?
They're all web design programs, right? They all create HTML pages and all that, don't they? So what's the difference?
Well for one thing, they don't all create web pages the same way, and two of the web design programs listed here aren't even being supported anymore by the companies that created them (hint: GoLive and FrontPage are officially out of the running...).
What program is right for you?
Whether you're looking to improve your web design skills with a new program, or you're trying to find the best program to start with, the following reviews should help.
In the early days of the Web, there were loads of HTML editors . Today, only a few web editing programs have survived. Here's a quick review of the two most popular options: Adobe Dreamweaver and Microsoft Expression Web (and a few references to the two programs that aren't getting upgraded anymore -- GoLive and FrontPage).
As you read through the descriptions, consider your own background and experience. If you love Photoshop, you'll probably prefer Adobe Dreamweaver, but if you work in a Microsoft shop, you may like Microsoft Expression Web (which is designed to work with Microsoft Visual Studio.)
If you currently use FrontPage or GoLive, it's time to think about upgrading to Expression Web or Dreamweaver. Really. It's time.
The following reviews are presented in alphabetical order:
Adobe Dreamweaver
By far the most popular Web design program on the market is Adobe Dreamweaver.
Latest Version: CS5
Runs on Mac and Windows Computers
This award-winning program offers high-end development tools, excellent design features, and great support for all of the latest in Internet technologies including HTML, CSS, XML, PHP, AJAX, and so much more.
Dreamweaver features customizable palettes, floating dialog boxes, and toolbars, and as part of Adobe's Creative Suite, the interface is similar to other programs in the suite, such as Photohop, Illustrator or InDesign.
This is a complicated program designed to create advanced interactive features, including drop-down menus, rollover images, and collapsible panels. Useful widgets and panels extend the features taking Dreamweaver's capabilities far beyond what any of the other programs in this category have to offer.
Creating a very simple site in Dreamweaver is not too hard, but most people still spend several hours, if not days or weeks, learning enough to create a Web site that takes advantage of some of the more advanced features of this program.
If you use other Adobe programs, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, or Flash, you should definitely choose Dreamweaver. And if you used to love GoLive, it's time to learn to appreciate what Dreamweaver does have to offer (even if you still miss some of the things GoLive used to do for you...)
Full Disclosure: If you haven't figured it out already, Dreamweaver is the program I use most of the time, and I love teaching other people to use it.
Learn more about Dreamweaver:
Microsoft Expression Web
Just because I loved Dreamweaver first, doesn't mean I don't respect Expression Web. Microsoft has a lot to be proud of with this relatively new professional design program.
Expression Web (available only for Windows) offers strong CSS support, and follows standards better than FrontPage ever did. You can create HTML pages, XML, CSS, and you'll find special feature for ASP.NET development.
If you generally prefer Microsoft products and/or work with a developer who uses Visual Studio, you should appreciate the compatibility between Microsoft Visual Studio and Expression Web, especially if you work with ASP.NET.
If you are still using FrontPage, Microsoft and I both agree, it's time to upgrade.
Learn more about Expression Web:
How can I choose between Expression Web and Dreamweaver?
Here are a few things to consider as you make your decision.
Dreamweaver is a more mature program than Expression Web. It’s been around for many years, and is by far the top choice among professional Web designers. Dreamweaver has excellent CSS support and includes features you won't find in Expression Web, such as the Spry menu, which makes it easy to create drop-down menus and other AJAX features.
That said, Expression Web is also designed for professionals and if you generally prefer Microsoft products or work with a developer who uses Visual Studio and ASP.NET, you may be better served by their compatibility with Expression Web.
When all else fails, choose the program everyone else uses...
Although in theory you could use both Dreamweaver and Expression Web on the same site, I don't recommend it.
Both programs create decent code and you can transfer a site from any program to another (say from FrontPage to Expression Web), but once you've gone over, you shouldn't try to go back.
That general rule becomes even more important when two or more people are working on the same site. You should all use the same program. Although these programs can play together, but they are best kept in separate rooms.
No matter what program you use, I wish you all the best and I hope my videos and articles are helpful to you,
Janine
I teach both Dreamweaver and Expression Web and you'll find free tutorials and videos on this site for both.
- Expression Web Training Center
- Adobe Dreamweaver Training Center
- Video Training Center
- Web Design Bookstore
Is Adobe Contribute Easier to Use than Dreamweaver?
Oh yes, this little program is almost as easy to use as a Web browser, and it's a great complement to Dreamweaver, but it’s not designed to create Web sites all by itself.
Contribute is designed to make it easy for anyone to “contribute” to a Web site. This reasonably priced program (with great educational discounts) is easy and intuitive to use, even if you don't know HTML or much of anything about Web design.
Get Contribute for all the people you want to help you edit and build your site after you create it in Dreamewaver. Contribute is designed to work with Dreamweaver so a professional (or at least experienced) Web designer can create a site, and other people can participate in the ongoing updates.
Contribute is an ideal choice if you’re hiring a professional Web designer to create your site and you just want to be able to make simple changes yourself, or if you have a team of people with different levels of experience.
If you get the Adobe Web Design suite, contribute comes included. It's so darned easy to use, you won't find many books about it, but if you can use Dreamweaver, you can definitely figure out Contribute (and then teach other people to use it).
Contribute works almost like a Web browser and makes it possible to edit specific pages over the Internet, even if you don't have the entire site on your own computer.
What about Adobe GoLive?
Adobe GoLive was a popular program among graphic designers and Adobe fans, but when Adobe acquired Dreamweaver, they stopped promoting and upgrading GoLive.
Today, Adobe encourages customers to make the switch to Dreamweaver and the company is clearly fazing our GoLive.
I know some of you GoLive fans are very disappointed about this, and I hope you'll keep encouraging Adobe to add back the features you miss even as you start apreciating all of the cool new features Dreamweaver has to offer.
You will find a few special tips for making the switch in my video: "Adobe Dreamweaver CS3: From GoLive to Dreamweaver CS3"
Is Adobe Flash a Web Design Program?
Adobe Flash: Flash is a vector-based design program that is ideal for creating complex animations and integrating video, audio, and images.
You also get great design control when you use Flash and pages that display consistently across many different kinds of browsers. So why doesn’t everyone use Flash for their photography sites? For one thing, the learning curve is steep (it takes longer to learn Flash than Dreamweaver, for example). But increasingly, many people are redesigning their websites with CSS, AJAX, JQUERY and other technologies that are faster loading, more flexible, and more search engine friendly than Flash.
