Practical design tutorials to become a professional web designer

Steps of Becoming a Web Designer

Before landing web design jobs, it’s important to develop the necessary skills. Here’s how to become a web designer in nine steps:

1. Learn Web Design Theory

Prior to designing a website, it’s imperative to learn the basic principles of good design. Here are some of the most common design theories that every aspiring web designer should know:

• Layout design. Layout has a significant influence on the effectiveness of a website’s design. It sets clear navigation paths within web pages and prioritizes the most important elements. Therefore, understanding how layout works is essential to create user-friendly websites.
  
• Color schemes. Applying an effective color scheme can improve the online experience of website visitors. Use contrasting colors to help viewers focus on specific elements of a web page. For instance, if the website has a dark background, use a lighter color to emphasize the content.
  
• Typography. When designing websites, font selection is as important as the color scheme. Both represent a business’s identity. Ideally, a website’s font should be easy to read and match the overall design and layout.
  
• User interface (UI) and user experience (UX). For web designers, ensuring a website is accessible and functional is what matters most. Create consistent UI elements to encourage an effective digital interaction for users.

2. Develop Essential Skills for Web Designers

Being a web designer requires a strong sense of visual style, technical proficiency, and people skills. Let’s take a look at the essential web design skills you’ll need to start your career.

Technical Skills

Typically, the technical aspects of web design involve a basic understanding of programming and site usability. Web designers who can code are typically valued more by employers and web developers. These technical skills include:

• HTML. The HyperText Markup Language provides instructions on how a site’s content and elements appear in a browser. HTML tags determine the appearance of titles, headings, and paragraphs, which are essential elements of search engine optimization.
  
• CSS. Short for Cascading Style Sheets, CSS is a coding language that allows designers to have more control over the visual appearance of a website. CSS lets you change fonts, colors, backgrounds, and other visual elements of a web page.
  
• JavaScript. One of the in-demand programming languages, it enables users to implement interactive features in static website elements.
  
• Responsive design. Modern fast-paced lifestyles make it necessary for users to be able to access website information quickly. For that reason, web designers have to make sure their sites are compatible with different device types and screen sizes.
                                                                     
• Search engine optimization (SEO). Besides creating visually stunning website designs, web designers should ensure that the website’s structure, speed, and layout are well-optimized. This way, the site can rank better on search engine results pages (SERPs) and eventually attract more visitors.

3. Master Web Design Tools

After familiarizing yourself with the foundational principles and necessary skills, it’s time to learn how to use all the essential tools for designing functional websites.

We recommend the following tools to streamline the design process:

• Visual design software. Since web designers focus on creating website graphics, they need to be familiar with graphic design and photo editing tools. You can use Adobe Photoshop to create responsive images for web viewing. Meanwhile, Adobe Illustrator is the best option when it comes to fonts and vector graphics.
  
• Prototyping tools. Most web designers develop prototypes with wireframing software to detect flaws before submitting a final design. Some popular wireframing tools include Figma and Sketch.
  
• Code editor. Some projects may require front-end coding that can’t be done with visual tools. Get acquainted with code editors to facilitate the process. One of the best text editors for web designers is Brackets.

4. Obtain Web Design Certifications

Professional certifications in specific web design areas will help demonstrate your competence to potential clients or employers. Earning them will enhance your knowledge and keep you up-to-date with the latest trends.

Why choosing the right typography is so important

The following are some recommended certifications for web designers:

• Adobe Certification. Since Adobe is one of the most respected developers of web development and graphic design software, being an Adobe certified designer will help increase client trust and allow you to increase your rates.
  
• Responsive Web Design Certification. This certification is provided by freeCodeCamp. It covers the basic programming languages used to build interactive and responsive websites. The entire curriculum takes about 300 hours to complete, and the course ends with five projects that test your skills.
  
• Google UX Design Certificate. By enrolling in this six-month certification course via Coursera, you will learn about UX fundamentals and the UX design process, including prototyping and user testing.

As an alternative, take online courses or join bootcamps. There are a number of free and paid options available online.

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The ever-evolving web design industry requires web designers to constantly adapt to current design trends. Staying on top of the latest web design practices will enable you to create impressive websites with modern functionality.

Conclusion

Web design can be a lucrative and future-proof career option as websites and web applications have become an integral part of everyday life. Thus, learning how to become a web designer can be a great way for creative individuals to make money online.

However, becoming a successful web designer doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a lot of time and effort.

In this article, we’ve outlined the nine steps you should take to launch a successful web design career:

1. Understand the basic theory of website design.
2. Develop web design skills.
3. Learn how to use design tools.
4. Earn your web designer certification.
5. Take on small web design projects.
6. Create a strong portfolio.
7. Market your services.
8. Apply for a web designer job.
9. Stay on top of the latest trends.

We hope that this article has helped you decide whether becoming a web designer is the right career path for you. Good luck.

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