If you’re a beginner in tech, it can be tough to figure out where to start. There are so many paths available to you — from development to design to digital marketing, and every specialization under the sun. That’s where web design comes in. It’s often a great place to dive in if you’re new to the scene. Like many roles in tech, being a web designer requires both the creative and analytical sides of your mind. And web design is a versatile career with lots of opportunities to niche down or course-correct once you discover exactly what you love. This article will help you understand the top skills for a web designer.
To succeed in their web design careers, these full-stack designers are expected to be highly proficient in the arenas of graphic design, proprietary software, UX/UI, SEO, code writing, and so on. In other words, these designers are required to deal with both front-end and back-end designing processes in an efficient, futuristic and effective way. However, for doing this, they need to acquire some basic web designer skills. Here is a list of the top skills for a web designer, developing which can easily help you land an attractive web design job within no time.
- Basic Designing Tools
The first web designer skill that you must acquire is an understanding of basic designing tools. These tools are the primary platforms using which you can craft a promising website. However, you will need to make sure that you use the right tools at the right time. For instance, Photoshop is a good instrument for image processing, but when it comes to graphic design, Adobe Illustrator will prove to be more helpful. Getting familiar with such intricacies will acquaint you with the entire designing canvas.
- UX/UI And Visual Design
According to recent research, 75% of people form an opinion about a website, based completely on its look and feel. This means that to become a web designer, you will have to master the craft of enhancing the UX (user experience) & UI (User interface). Begin by designing a website that is visually appealing. Use tools like grid systems, colour psychology, type hierarchy, and web fonts. Ensure that the website is responsive to all kinds of devices. Learning these will instantly give a forward push to your web design career.
- HTML
You might not have imagined that a web designer would need to know how to code. But nowadays it’s an expected skill for most design jobs. HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, which is the coding language used to put content on a web page and give it structure. That means it’s how you turn a bunch of words into headlines, paragraphs, and footers. And it’s also how you get the “cool” content like photos, videos, and graphics on a website.
- CSS
And then there’s HTML’s partner, CSS or Cascading Style Sheets. CSS is the code that tells browsers how to format and style HTML for a web page. In other words, it’s what makes all the text and other content look good. With CSS, you can adjust the colors, change the fonts, or add a stunning background — and so much more! This is where your eye for design really shines and how you can put your creative stamp on every site you create.
- Programming Languages
Apart from HTML and CSS, if you can learn a couple of other programming languages, your web design career prospects will definitely improve. It will be great if you can master JavaScript, Python, Swift and C++ but if you have to choose amongst any one of these, go for JavaScript. This is because, as per a Stack-Overflow survey, more than 65% of designers already prefer to work with Java. Knowing these languages will immediately make you stand a class apart.
- Web Server Management
A highly overlooked web designer skill<, which most designers are not very proficient with is – web server management. Although web servers are not technically within the domain of web designing, understanding their basic functioning will help you prevent downtime while solving problems in a quick and smart way.
- SEO And Digital Marketing
An important website design tip that you must bear in mind is that no web design can reap smooth results unless it is backed by the power of SEO. As web designers, you will have to focus on making the speed, layout, structure and performance of your website, SEO-friendly. For doing this, it will be wise to gain familiarity with the essentials of optimization & search engine operations.
As a web designer, you will most likely be an essential part of every digital marketing strategy. Therefore, being aware of how various components of digital marketing operate will prepare you to test your website and ameliorate grievances, if any. Furthermore, digital marketing will also inform you about the latest market trends so that you can manipulate your designs accordingly.
- Content Management System (CMS)
To become a web designer, you must acquaint yourself with the basic features of CMS. CMS is primarily a software application that integrates the management of digital assets. These assets include web designs, embedded graphics, video-audio files and other programming codes. Knowing how CMS functions will certainly equip you to design websites more effectively.
- Time management
Whether you are a freelancer or work for a company, time management skills are important. The rapid updating of project iterations means that the design must also be updated from time to time. Good web designers need to manage their schedules and follow up on project needs.
- Communication Skills
Communication is a necessity for almost any business professional, but it’s incredibly important in web design. A designer must not only understand the goals of the business but also be able to convey their decisions to the client and explain why they contribute to the success of the website. Good communication is a web designer skill that would help you go a long way in your web design career. This is because communication will enable you to convey all forms of technical information in a clear and transparent manner. If your colleagues and clients are both able to comprehend you better, your designing technique and aspirations will witness a great boost.
This list concludes the top 10 web design skills you must have in today. As you can see, there is no mystery to becoming a web designer. These skills form the foundation for the knowledge required. Keep learning and improving your Web designer skills, that’s the only secret to becoming a good web designer.