Web Design as a 'new language'

Graphic Designers today in general should be aware of the fact that web design has become a subset of graphic design. As a student graphic designer I feel I need to take action in learning web design because it will help you have something on the side when times are tough. I have been approached by several people (including myself through thought) that I should be cautioned in becoming a graphic designer. Graphic design has been a field that has become very popular and competitive to say the least. Also, know web design has become a field that is synonymous with graphic design. While job searching for reference I could not help but notice the requirement of proficiency in web design. So I took action and the advice of my friends to learn web design. I currently am taking web design, but have missed two class meetings due to health and personal reasons. It worries me that graphic design know has another branch that not only competes with print but has become a part of graphic design altogether. Web design is a beautiful thing, but it also is a challenge to learn a "new language" as noted by Steven Heller from the AIGA Journal "Web design as a foreign language". I am struggling as a graphic designer to think of my art moving on a different page with such fluidity and crispness required in making a website. The notion of graphic design moving from page to page such as links to get to the next page has become a bit of challenge for graphic designers a like because of the often ignored technical aspect of things rather than the static aesthetic qualities of the piece that speak to the people as one common language. Web design should be a subject or field in which we all as graphic designers should learn about. Web design should has and know should be a "real estate" degree of sorts because if you are not versatile in today's day and age it's going to be tough to find a job. Graphic designers now are looking over your shoulder constantly to see whether there is a more versatile version of themselves looking to snatch the job you have been so accustomed to all these years. Therefore I feel that I myself and others should look into learning the basics of web design in order to better ourselves as graphic designers. Great sports players such as Kobe Bryant strive to excel in what they do by constantly adding to their game, why not do the same.

http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/web-design-as-foreign-language