These days, almost everyone seems to be creating their own websites, whether it’s for personal use or to accomplish some professional goals. In this era of digitalization, having a professional-looking, attractive website has simply become imperative for any business. And when it comes to building these kinds of websites, hiring creative professionals with a solid understanding of the latest web technologies is a must.
Therefore, if you’ve got some artistic skills and enjoy solving design-related problems using advanced technologies, opting for a career in web designing is probably the best thing you can do right now. As a professional web designer, not only you can open up a plethora of rewarding opportunities but work independently and set up your own business as well.
If the above two blocks have made you interested in pursuing a career in web designing, continue reading this post till the end. We’ve created this comprehensive guide for all aspiring web designers out there. Here, you’ll get detailed insights into every step of the web design career along with some invaluable tips.
Let’s start with the basics!
What Do Web Designers Do?
As the term implies, web designers design web pages. However, the reality is substantially more complicated than that. When we talk about building a website, different types of specialists contribute to it and perform different tasks – from planning and coding to artistic efforts and content creation. Being part of this team of specialists, web designers are responsible for establishing the aesthetic and visual appearance of a website.
First, web designers interact with the client to get a clear understanding of the message that they need to communicate through a website. Once the details are finalized, they create designs and layouts that appropriately portray the client’s message to attract the target audience.
Web designers typically focus on a site’s front-end, which is the part the users of a site see and interact with. It means they can choose everything from the color schemes, photos and imagery, buttons, fonts, and how all these elements properly appear together. They create image-based representations or mockups of the final appearance of a website after developers apply code to it.
Sometimes, clients may hire a web designer only to design a microsite to supplement their primary website. Or, they may want ongoing design support to make updates as required. Some web designers take care of these updates themselves for the clients while others may use a platform to enable the clients to handle them. Sometimes, a web designer can collaborate with other digital firms to manage certain areas of the design.
Understanding the Job Responsibilities of Web Designers
Web designers essentially use their knowledge in various designing software and creative skills to design, improve, and build websites. They must be able to understand user experience and design sites that users can easily understand and navigate. One of their essential responsibilities is to develop user interface designs that can both attract and keep a site’s users engaged.
Having a thorough understanding of human psychology is also a must for successful web designers. Regardless of the job they’re tasked with – from designing sites, microsites, and mobile apps to social media initiatives and online advertising – the end product must be intuitive and compelling for the customers. Web designers are also responsible for communicating complex technical aspects in an easy-to-understand manner. It means strong communication skills, both verbal and written, are also necessary requirements for becoming a successful web designer. As these professionals are often tasked with designing a company’s website to promote its products/services, developing strong business acumen is also required.
Web designers often need to work as part of a large team that comprises diverse professionals – from the management team, art directors, and media buyers to IT professionals, photographers, illustrators, copywriters, and others. Therefore, self-motivation, organizational skills, and teamwork also come under the job responsibilities of these professionals.
Lastly, these professionals need to be able to install and configure the software applications that power their designs. Web designers also need to have proficiency in various programming languages to be able to write and format them. Sometimes, they may have to ensure compatibility of their visual designs with other platforms and build links to improve a site’s online visibility and search rank. Therefore, having knowledge in these areas is also a prerequisite for becoming a good web designer.
Some Exciting Stats for Web Designers
As mentioned by the U.S. BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), the employment opportunity for web developers and digital designers is anticipated to grow 8% from 2019 to 2029. In India, the situation is also somewhat similar. A web designer’s average salary in India is Rs. 275,763 per annum, according to PayScale. And it could vary from Rs. 117,000 to around Rs. 675,000 per annum based on factors like company profile, experience level, location, etc.
Now that you’ve got a clear idea of the attractive prospect of choosing a career in web designing, let’s see how your job responsibilities might change depending on how and where you work.
Working For a Design Firm
If you work for a small design firm, you might have to perform one or multiple (but related) tasks depending on its size. For instance, you might need to manage both its digital and print campaigns, perform some tasks related to back-end development, and play the role of the copywriter for the website you’re designing. In a larger firm, web designers generally work on many projects. However, some may work as part of an in-house team that handles a single client or a small group of them.
Working As a Self-Employed Web Designer
Freelance or self-employed web designers must have expertise in different fields – from designing and developing to copywriting, billing, etc. As an independent contractor, you’re free to accept projects and decline those in which you aren’t interested. While an experienced freelance web designer generally has steady clients, finding clients may prove to be challenging sometimes. Additionally, financial uncertainty is a typical aspect of working as a freelancer. While you can set your own rates, you may or may not get them depending on your clients.
Working As an In-House Web Designer
Sometimes, large organizations may hire a web designer to become acquainted with their brand. It means the professional gradually gains expertise in the company’s design preferences, its design and legal requisites, and brand direction. Often, these professionals make design-related decisions for the company and mentor other in-house professionals.
Major Qualities Required For Becoming a Web Designer
As the task of web designers involves the whole canvas of a website, they must be creative and technically sound. They’ve to be able to solve clients’ unique problems while adhering to the rules and regulations of web design and development. They need to be able to work within strict budgets, meet deadlines, and come up with an end product that helps a client accomplish his/her objectives.
Crucial Skills and Competencies
Here’re the skills and competencies that you must develop to become a successful web designer.
- Knowledge of the latest versions of graphic design applications such as the Adobe Creative Suite including Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, etc.
- Wireframing tools like Balsamiq
- Understanding of SEO principles
- Knowledge of JavaScript and jQuery
- Proficiency in HTML5 and CSS3
- Knowledge of MySQL and PHP
- Knowledge of Enterprise Content Management Systems
- Proficiency in Visual Studio
- Understanding of website builders like WordPress, Weebly, Wix, and Squarespace
Key Attributes
We’ve already mentioned that web designers typically need to work in coordination with a diverse range of professionals. Therefore, they must develop some other crucial traits along with technical skills. These include:
- Organized: Self-direction and organization are two must-have skills for every web designer to be able to complete a project within a specific deadline.
- Team player: A web designer should be able to brainstorm and develop concepts, and modify expectations for the benefit of the whole team.
- Ability to take direction: Web designers must remain flexible and be able to accept inputs from different sources without involving the ego.
- Consistent: Being able to maintain cohesiveness is another must-have trait of a successful web designer. He/she has to ensure that the end product remains fully aligned with all the requirements of a client. Also, the design has to be consistent with all other materials of a client – from social content, ad banners, and printed materials to microsites and other digital content.
- Mathematical skills: Web designers need to work with many different sizes and dimensions, and hence, they need to develop mathematical expertise.
- Ability to handle negative feedback: The web design process generally goes through many alterations with many changes in direction. So, a good web designer must be able to handle negative feedback and use them to learn and improve his/her work.
- Creative: Web designers must be able to come up with unique and innovative design concepts.
- Empathetic: Web designers should be able to visualize their end work from the customer’s point of view to fulfill his/her needs during his/her visit to the site.
- Detail-oriented: The web designing process involves a significant number of minute details, which a good web designer must address properly.
- Lifelong learner: As the web design field undergoes rapid changes with constant advancements in technology, web designers must be able to keep up their proficiency level through lifelong learning.
How to Become a Web Designer?
If you’re interested in taking up web designing as a career, you’d need to complete several steps. While most firms need a degree in web design, it isn’t always necessary. However, in all cases, you’d need to earn a certification from a reputable web designing training institute.
If you want to obtain a degree in web design along with such a certification, your first option is earning an associate’s degree. These are typically two-year degree programs where you’ll learn concepts for designing digital work for different devices. Foundational courses typically cover topics such as JavaScript, CSS, HTML, typography, etc.
Your next option is obtaining a bachelor’s degree in web design. These four-year programs cover topics, which are taught in an associate’s degree program, along with topics related to visual frameworks, graphic design tools, design programs for web applications, etc.
Many web designers also earn a master’s degree in web design to bolster their careers. You must have obtained an undergraduate degree from an accredited university or college to join these programs. Coursework includes subjects related to enterprise architecture, advanced information technology, database design principles, usability design, among others.
Regardless of the program you plan to attend, the provider will most likely want to see your portfolio. So, be sure to create one that exhibits your best work and keep it updating as you gain experience or receive awards. You also need to create a professional resume and apply for jobs to stay abreast of the industry requirements.
Looking to learn web designing from the top IT training institute in Jaipur? Join Web Matrix Pro today!
Why Learn Web Design from Web Matrix Pro?
Web Matrix Pro is one of the leading IT training institutes in Jaipur, offering the best web designing course to help aspiring web designers accomplish their goals and expedite their professional growth. All our faculties are industry experts with real-time experience in the web designing industry. They come with two decades of working experience in the field of web design and development. We have set up the best web design and development lab facility so that each of our students can get complete practical exposure to the tools and techniques necessary to produce the best results.
Why Is It Best To Do A Web Designing Course from Web Matrix Pro?
At Web Matrix Pro, we’re invested in your professional achievement and successful career. That’s why we enable our students to understand the problems, not just the solutions. Here’re some of the features that set us apart from the pack.
- 100% Practical training in our state-of-the-art lab
- Personal attention to monitor each student’s progress and provide special guidance if required
- Exam at the end of each topic to ensure students’ complete understanding of them
- Project management/tools to keep track of timely progress of students
- Interview preparation to provide students with the opportunity to “test drive” their answers
- Live projects to help students transform into successful web designers
- Certificate to help students establish their knowledge and get a competitive advantage
Tired of tackling the plateau in your career? Join the web designing course at Web Matrix Pro today and start exploring a new world of opportunities!
