My Journey
Web Design
Never Too Late
From Urdu Medium to 300+ Websites: My Web Design Journey
In 1998, I passed my matric from an Urdu medium school, and I didn’t know English. Today, I have built more than 300 websites for clients around the world. Here is my story, with all its funny, messy and beautiful parts. 💛
By Mariam • • 8 min read
People often ask me how I became a web designer. So today, I am sharing my web design journey, from a girl who couldn’t read an English sentence to a woman who builds websites for clients in Pakistan, the USA, the UK, the UAE and Canada.
Grab your chai, because this one is a story. ☕
My Web Design Journey, Year by Year
Every big thing starts small. Mine started with a dictionary and a lot of courage.
1998
Matric From an Urdu Medium School
I studied at an Urdu medium school and passed my matric in 1998. At that time, English was like a locked door for me. I couldn’t speak it, and honestly, I could barely read it.
Where it all began: an Urdu medium school bag.
2001
Learning English, One Course at a Time
College was not easy for me, so I chose a different path. In 2001, I joined an English institute, and it was really hard! In two years, I did three or four short English courses at different places. Along with that, I did a computer course, and my parents supported me at every step.
Books, a dictionary and a lot of patience.
2004
Life29, My Very First Website
Then came my first website, Life29. I made it in HTML, using Microsoft FrontPage. I designed pictures in Photoshop, made a page of poetry pictures, and wrote about my Ammi and Abu with so much love. The other pages were just fun and silly. Honestly? If I saw it today, I would call it a beautiful mess. 😄 But it was mine, and it was my first.
My first website: colorful, cute and a little crazy. See my old Life page here.
💡 Funny fact: I saved a backup of Life29 on a CD, and that CD disappeared somewhere. So if you ever find it, please send it back! 😂
2006
My First Client Websites
In 2006, I started building websites for clients. By then, I had moved to Dreamweaver, and every website was hand-made in HTML. I made websites for a company that worked with Caterpillar machines, a CNG bus company, an accounting firm and a fabric machine business.
The Dreamweaver days, when every website was hand-made.
💡 None of those websites are live today, because those small companies closed over the years. So I can’t show them to you, but I still remember them with love.
2009
A Coloring Book for PIA and a Kids Website
2009 was a special year. I designed a kids’ coloring book for PIA, and it was given to young passengers for two years! I also built a big kids’ website in HTML, full of stories and poems. Graphic design was fun, but my heart was always in web design. (I will tell you the full PIA story in another blog. 😉)
A kids’ website full of stories and poems.
2011
A Little Break
In 2011, I took a break from work. Life has its own seasons, and that was one of them.
2015
A Mentor Who Believed in Me
In 2015, my mentor, Sir Naveed Hussain, believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. He gave me the confidence to start again.
2018
Back to Work, for Real
Then in 2018, with encouragement from my mentor, Syed Faisal Ahmed, I came back to web design. And this time, I never stopped. I learned WordPress, built most of my websites on Divi, and later moved to Elementor.
Back at my laptop, and this time for good.
Today
300+ Websites and Counting
Today, I have built more than 300 websites for clients in Pakistan, the USA, the UK, the UAE, Canada and more. Many of them are medical and healthcare websites. And in 2026, I started Fresh Idea With Me to share everything I have learned with you. I even built this website with AI!
300+ websites, and still counting.
What My Web Design Journey Taught Me
If I could sit with you over chai, these are the three things I would tell you:
English Is Not a Wall
You don’t need perfect English to start. You learn it on the way, one word at a time.
Start Messy
My first website was a beautiful mess. But without it, there would be no 300 websites.
Good Mentors Matter
One person who believes in you can change your whole path. Thank you to my mentors!
A Little Note for You
Dear Girl Reading This 💛
If you studied in an Urdu medium school, if your English is weak, or if you think it is too late, please read this twice: I was you.
You don’t need to be perfect to begin. You just need to begin.
Questions About My Web Design Journey
Do I need good English to become a web designer?
No. My English was very weak when I started. Of course, English helps, so keep learning it slowly, but don’t wait for it to be perfect.
Did you study computer science?
No. I did a computer course, and then I learned the rest by building websites, again and again.
Can I see Life29 or your old websites?
The CD backup was lost, but recently I found some old copies of Life29 on the internet. I will share them with you soon! 😊
Is it too late to start a web design journey?
It is never too late. I took a long break and came back stronger. So you can start today, at any age.
Final Thoughts
When I look back at my web design journey, I don’t see a perfect path. Instead, I see an Urdu medium girl with a dictionary, a lost CD, a lot of HTML, and a few kind mentors. And that was enough to build 300+ websites.
So if I can do it, you can do it too. Start today, start messy, and keep going. 🌱
With love,
Mariam
Your Journey
Where Does Your Story Begin? 🌱
Tell me in the comments: where are you starting from? Urdu medium, a late start or a big dream, every story is welcome here. 💛