The profession of a web designer has emerged due to the active development of Internet technologies. As a rule, web design professionals often work as freelancers, so not to be limited by the office walls and a single project. But is it that easy to become a proficient web designer from scratch?
Many years ago, I’d started the career as a freelancer. Later, I joined DesignContest team. That is, I completed my first designs independently, without any help from designers of a higher level. And now I can safely say that it was a great and a very useful experience taught me to organize myself and get the information needed.
However, any large company, whether it is advertising or IT agency, prefers having a few staff web designers who can implement all customers’ wishes. That is why the market is always in demand for services of designers.
A decade ago, web design was rather a hobby than a profession. But it gradually evolved into a separate type of activity. To become a web designer today, you must have artistic abilities, skills in website design, and understanding of the programming languages used to markup (PHP and HTML).
There is a plenty of opportunities to master web design today, from different courses to universities able to provide you with full-fledged professional knowledge, confirmed by a diploma. As a rule, web design basics include the following disciplines:
- Adaptation of hand-drawn images to computer graphics.
- Specific programs like Illustrator, Corel Draw, Photoshop, AutoCad.
- Basics of marketing and marketing analytics.
- Development of various design elements, from simple to complex animated graphics.
Of course, this is far from the complete list of required profession skills, but most of the required you can learn during the process.
The Specificity of the Profession and Some Practical Issues
Web design combines marketing, basics of programming, creativity, sense of style, and inexhaustible ambitions. All these qualities are necessary for web designers to create truly convenient sites. While a web developer solves many problems associated with the promotion, theme of the website, standards HTML-coding, a web designer makes the website recognisable, unique, and comfortable to use. That is, a proficient web designer is a person that has to evoke the user’s interest in the website and make him a loyal customer.
Theoretical knowledge is only a small part of what is required from a web designer. It’s much more important to have practical experience and the ability to implement design ideas, regardless of whether they are offered by the customer or any other person.
As I said, a web designer is always a marketer that has analytical skills. After all, that’s the designer who greatly affects the perception of the site as a whole. Any mistake can be fatal here, because according to the statistics, a website has 5 seconds to attract the visitor before he leaves.
Where to Work
The easiest option is websites for freelance designers. I don’t want to mention any of them – you can easily find them using Google. Of course, at first, you’ll have to work a low rate. But even doing orders for free, you have an excellent possibility to develop design skills and show yourself as a rising talent. Then, after you fill the portfolio and gain a certain reputation, you can ask for a raise.
How to Become a Star
Aesthetic taste, artistic approach, in-depth knowledge, advanced communication skills – a successful designer can apply information to the concrete order. He’s someone of an ultimate patience and perseverance, a man who can switch attention immediately and accurately plan his time.
The Basic Functions of a Web Designer
Webpages made by and expert are informative, attractive, clear, and just pleasing to an eye. The main functions of a web designer are as follows:
- Creating ideas for the design of the website and their immediate implementation.
- Accounting the psychology of perception of web document from the screen.
- Accounting technical parameters: website loading speed, the quality of colour, the interface bandwidth.
- Development of website navigation and structure.
- Management of information policy in the network.
Like any other profession, web design has its advantages and disadvantages.
+ High demand in many countries all over the world.
+Remote working.
+Extensive career prospects.
+The ability to correct any mistakes.
+Implementation of ideas without financial investments.
– Web design required analytical thinking and artistic abilities.
– It could be hard to switch to another job after a lot of creative activity.
– The difference in the customer’s and the designer’s points of view on the project.
A successful web designer can certainly hope for an invitation to participate in more interesting and expensive projects.
To become a star, you have to apply theory to practice. In the most cases, the portfolio is the main promotion tool for the designer. So make sure it contains only the best projects. Believe in yourself and I’m sure you will succeed!
Bio:
For many years, Brian Jens had been a remote worker and a freelancer. Finally, he found himself at DesignContest – a leading crowdsourcing platform in the design field. Brian’s passion for blogging and research causes him to investigate the most burning topics of design and share the result with the world. Feel free to send Brian your suggestions and get valuable papers in turn.
Written by Brian Jens at Design Contest
