How to bring my web design skills to the next level
For the past five years, I've been playing around with creating websites.  I've used HTML and CSS, I've modified existing Javascript, and I've become quite proficient with PHP.  On top of this, I'm nearing the end of a Computer Science degree where I've been introduced to a lot of programming languages (I'm quite comfortable with C, C++, Java, F# and smalltalk), but haven't really touched web development.

My experience with web development to this point has been far from formal.  I haven't really read any books, I've just done tutorials online and learned new things by Googleing them when I thought of them.  It's worked fine to build simple sites, but I want to expand my skill set and REALLY learn the ins and outs of web design.

How should I start?  What skills does a competent web designer have?  What's the best way to practice these?  Out of the available programming languages, where should I start? Javascript?  PHP?  CSS?  Good books?

Thanks for your guidance!
How to bring my web design skills to the next level
===

For the past five years, I've been playing around with creating websites.  I've used HTML and CSS, I've modified existing Javascript, and I've become quite proficient with PHP.  On top of this, I'm nearing the end of a Computer Science degree where I've been introduced to a lot of programming languages (I'm quite comfortable with C, C++, Java, F# and smalltalk), but haven't really touched web development.

My experience with web development to this point has been far from formal.  I haven't really read any books, I've just done tutorials online and learned new things by Googleing them when I thought of them.  It's worked fine to build simple sites, but I want to expand my skill set and REALLY learn the ins and outs of web design.

How should I start?  What skills does a competent web designer have?  What's the best way to practice these?  Out of the available programming languages, where should I start? Javascript?  PHP?  CSS?  Good books?

Thanks for your guidance!