How To Get Started In Web Design
Web design plays a fundamental role in our everyday lives. Web design shapes traffic, user experience, and ultimately profits. Few people ever stop to think about what the internet would be like if web design had not evolved so significantly since the 1990s. Still, you admire beautifully-designed websites and often find yourself full of ideas to improve mediocre designs.
You want it all. You want a career in a highly creative field that will continue to challenge you to grow into a better version of yourself, and that never gets any less exciting. You also need a job that’s actually in demand.
Web design could be the perfect career path for you. How do you get started in web design, though?
What Skills Do You Need to Learn to Become a Web Designer?
You won’t necessarily need a related degree to succeed as a web designer, but you do need the right set of skills and aptitudes. Because web design is such a dynamic field, aspiring web developers need to be lifelong learners and problem-solvers and, of course, creatively-inclined people who can see the box but are also ready to think outside of it.
If you’ve got those foundational traits, your next step lies in building the skills that allow you to start dabbling in web design. They include:
- Graphic and visual design. To create awesome websites, you will need to understand the principles of colour theory and psychology, typography, effective use of space, and grid designs. You’ll also need to familiarise yourself with the software tools used in the industry, such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Being able to sketch on paper will help, as well, as web designers have to communicate their ideas to clients quickly and on the fly.
- Technical skills. Although our web developers in Southampton, rather than web designers, create the technical framework for websites, web designers still need to delve into coding. HTML, CSS, and Javascript will open up a whole spectrum of job opportunities. Become familiar with a range of Content Management Systems, such as WordPress, Wix, and Joomla, so that you can later build beautiful bespoke websites using these frameworks.
- An understanding of branding. Web designers build business websites that play a critical part in any company’s success and make their vision come to life.
Maybe you don’t aspire to be a professional web designer but simply want to see where you can take your skills. By learning web design as a hobby, you will be able to create beautiful websites for yourself or use your new skills in various related tasks and jobs.
After you have mastered the basics, you will want to pursue industry-specific certifications to continue building credibility.
Web Design: Can You Make a Career Out of Your Hobby?
So, you already have a solid skillset? You’re proud of yourself, and you are interested in exploring the possibility of working in web design? Keep on training yourself by creating a variety of mockup web design projects. Design a website for the business of your dreams, or explore the websites of local businesses and see how you would redesign them.
Armed with a solid web design portfolio, you could start testing the waters by looking for entry-level positions at web design companies. This will enable you to find mentors who will inevitably help you grow as a web designer by solidifying and upgrading your skills as well as allowing your creativity to bloom.
Gaining on-the-job experience will also allow you to begin exploring the areas of web design that you are most excited about — because web designers do tend to specialise.
UX designers focus on the user experience. By understanding the target audience (often better than they understand themselves), user experience designers can build a web experience that seamlessly fits into users’ lives. UX designers are responsible for web design related to user behaviour and enjoyment. When a website works for its end-users, it also works for the business, so it is no surprise that UX design is becoming increasingly important.
UX designers enjoy solving complex problems, delving into the psychology of internet users, and carrying out marketing research.
UI designers, or user interface designers, build on the user experience by creating the visual interface visitors interact with. UI designers focus on colour palettes, grids, lettering, buttons, and other visual elements. They ultimately determine how a website will look.
Visual designers are web designers who walk the line between the two. They are big-picture thinkers who can anticipate challenges before they arise and make it possible for every brand to tell their unique story with their website.
Related roles include Manchester SEO specialists and marketing consultants, which are essential to any digital project. They’re there to ensure that the perfect website the web design team crafted will be able to reach as many customers as possible.
A Final Message
We made it sound easy — although anyone can now “build” a website with the help of website-building platforms, future web designers will need commitment and grit, as well as talent. No matter what some people think, becoming an expert web designer takes years. Because web design is an ever-evolving field, you’ll have to move as fast as the world does, so your professional development never hits a pause button.
That’s precisely why we haven’t recommended that you “just start freelancing”. To truly grow as a web designer, you’ll benefit immensely from working with a talented and experienced web design agency in Southampton, allowing you to immerse yourself in all aspects of the industry and discover where your passion lies. An entry-level position at a web design company can show you what is possible — and then help you achieve it.
