Career Advice

What Does a Web Designer Do?

With employment on the rise, and no sign of slowing down, a web design career is a great option for prospective professionals.

By Digital Marketing Jobs Board

Do you plan to pursue a web design career? The web design industry is as promising as ever. There are close to 2 billion active websites across the globe.

Billions of people are transitioning from the brick-and-mortar stores to eCommerce. It’s simply easier to shop online.

And when it comes to eCommerce, web design plays a crucial role. A survey revealed that 48% of internet users consider website design as the chief factor in determining a business’ credibility.

Considering all these numbers, the job of a web designer is vital for any business that uses a website. But the question now is this: Are you fit for the job? Do you have the skills to succeed as a web designer?

Continue reading below as we discuss what the job is and what it entails.

What is Web Design?

Web design involves disciplines and special skills that work together to maintain websites. People often confuse web design with web development. Web design focuses more on the user experience aspects of websites.

On the other hand, web development deals more on software development.

Companies use web design to ensure that their websites are mobile-friendly. This is crucial in today’s world where more people conduct their transactions using their smartphones and tablets.

Web design also ensures the pleasing appearance of the site. It also takes care of the layout, making it more user-friendly.

Furthermore, web design involves two important methods: responsive design and adaptive design. Responsive design pertains to making the content move dynamically with the size of the user’s screen.

Meanwhile, adaptive design ensures the content comes in layout sizes that match common screen sizes.

Web Designer Job Profile

If you decide to pursue a web design career, your tasks will mainly revolve in conceptualising layouts. You will come up with the visual elements to make the websites more appealing.

You are practically in charge of the site’s overall aesthetics. Thus, you will use elements like graphic design, colour theory, and information flow. You will use these three to design templates and incorporate branding.

Specific Duties

What does a web designer do? As for the specific duties of a web designer, you will:

Meet with Clients Ideally in Person

This part of the job is crucial since you want to understand the clients’ specific needs. You will sit down with clients and conceptualise creative ideas.

Test and Improve Sites

If there is an existing web design, you will test and improve its weak points. You will also establish the standards, guidelines, and best practices in design.

Through these standards, you will maintain the site’s appearance. Through the guidelines, you will ensure that the visual elements align with the clients’ branding.

Work with Various CMS

You will work with existing content management systems (CMS). You will utilise site maps, process flows, user flows, and wireframes. You will use them to communicate your design ideas.

Ensure Features and Functionalities

As you apply the design ideas into the websites, you will likewise ensure the latter’s features and functionalities. You will also create design plans and develop web structures.

Top Qualities of a Web Designer

Passing that tough interview is one thing. Succeeding in web design is another. Let’s take a look at some of the top qualities you must possess as a web designer:

Great Communicator

You need to have exceptional communication skills. Web design involves a lot of conceptualisation. Thereafter, you need to communicate your ideas to different people. You must be capable of articulating your thoughts to ensure proper execution.

Good Listener

Apart from great communication skills, you need to be a good listener. You need to learn how to listen to what your clients say. Moreover, you must also be keen on taking the inputs of fellow designers and other people from the team.

Knowledgeable

If you wish to become a great web designer, you must be well-versed. You must have a knack for using some of the latest digital marketing technologies. You must know about creating web pages and design implementation.

Proactive

You must also be proactive instead of reactive. Regardless of what the client or fellow workmates say, you must voice out your opinions if you feel there is something that needs improvement.

Adaptive

Last but not least, a good web designer knows how to adapt especially to existing systems. You must be capable of integrating your ideas without compromising the latter’s integrity and authenticity.

Key Requirements

Apart from the qualities, there are requirements you need to meet. You must have basic knowledge of the following:

  • Web design
  • Graphic design software proficiency
  • Fundamentals of design imaging
  • Content management
  • Animation
  • Multimedia programming
  • Video and audio editing

There are a few minor requirements as well. Web designers should understand the latest design trends and basic SEO.

Web Design Career: The Outlook

If you are serious about becoming a web designer, the industry outlook in the United Kingdom is a positive one. It is one of the fastest growing industries in the country. Demand for jobs involving fashion and graphic design rising more than 15%, over the past few years.

This translates to an average of 177,000 new jobs annually. Add these all up and the UK holds the second-largest design sector globally.

Furthermore, analysts predict the web development sector growing 13% through 2028. One of the main driving forces behind this growth is the expansion of eCommerce. As this sector grows, so will the need for more web designers.

More companies will put up online shops. To create compelling websites, they need the help of creative web designers.

Additionally, the rest of the world will also need more web developers. In the United States, you can earn a median annual salary of $70,000.

Increase Your Options

Pursuing a web design career is an exciting endeavour. It is an industry that fosters teamwork and collaboration among creative minds. But if you feel you are not yet ready, you can look into other opportunities in the digital marketing world.

Check out our insight to learn more about the digital marketing industry. You may also check the different job roles to find the best job openings near you.

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