Self-lauding is for professional web designers. My name is Josh Kahan, I'm a medical student and currently doing a PhD in Neuroscience, and in my spare time I'm a bit of an amateur web designer.
Here's some good news:
Creating a simple web presence does not require a professional, or spending a lot of money. My work is testament to what can be achieved by a self-deprecating medical student and an Adobe Creative Suite (that is, the piece of software I use to design stuff).
I have worked with small businesses, university societies and individuals wanting a simple point-of-contact on the web that people are going to remember.
I have no web design qualifications, and I haven't won any awards to impress you with. Thankfully(?) though, we live in an era of austerity and I'm pretty cheap and sometimes my work can be 'quite good'.
