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What does a web designer do?
Web design is a type of graphic design. Its tasks include the competent visual design of websites and web applications. At the same time, visualization implies not only aesthetics and attractiveness, but also ease of use of the product: convenience of the navigation menu, speed of loading interface elements.
For example, if we are talking about an online store, the designer must do everything to ensure that users are as comfortable as possible on the site. They should have a desire to purchase a product here, and not from competitors. Therefore, it can be said that the work of a web designer can also be considered digital marketing.
In more detail, a web designer is responsible for:
- The visual appeal of the resource.Does the external part correspond to the internal content and the overall concept of the project. But attractiveness should not be understood as a multitude of bells and whistles demonstrating knowledge of Photoshop tricks or confident use of Canva. Often, minimalism without any graphic refinements on the web is not just a successful, but a brilliant solution.
- Thoughtful and logical navigation. It is advisable to adhere to the three-click rule (edit:so that from any point on the site you can get to any other page with no more than three clicks).
- General structure and hierarchy (edit: nesting of pages and sections).
- Optimization of graphic objects for their fast loading on the user side. This applies to objects that the designer creates from scratch, and third-party images, graphs, diagrams, etc.
- Compliance of the web resource with the requirements of the World Wide Web Consortium W3C. Thanks to this, the web space becomes more accessible for people with disabilities; applications work reliably on different platforms (Windows, iOS, MacOS, Android) and in different browsers (Chrome, Opera, FireFox).
Learn how to create user-friendly websites and applications, work with animation, and present projects to clients on the "Web Designer Profession" course.Learn more
The daily work of a web designer includes:
- Creating website designs. This includes developing a common visual and logical blocks (pages, sections). The web designer creates end-to-end navigation, creates a logical subordination of sections and subsections, etc.
- Development of icons, banners, and other compact graphics for websites and applications.
- Generating scripts for interactive components when interacting with users. For example, animated screensavers.
- Creation and processing of graphics.During the preparation and launch of the project, as well as during its further maintenance.
- Preparation of the layout for layout or the layout itself.In this case, if the specialist has the appropriate competencies.
Soft and hard skills
Technical skills are an important component of a web design specialist's work. The following hard skills can be included here:
- Confident knowledge of graphic editors for creating vector and raster graphics: Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, etc.;
- Knowledge of online applications and frameworks that solve similar problems and help simplify the design and layout process: Figma, Canva, Bootstrap, Foundation, etc.;
- Proficiency in HTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS);
- Knowledge of typography and the art of using fonts will be a big plus;
- ability to use testing tools, such as code validators.
Nevertheless, soft skills are no less important in work. When working on a project, a web designer must be able to not only listen but also to the wishes and recommendations of other team members and clients. They must be able to adequately accept constructive criticism. Many of these personal qualities can be developed. But if you're naturally creative and attentive to detail, your path to success will be less arduous.
Where to get an education
Today, digital design programs are offered by various educational institutions, including prestigious universities that issue state diplomas. You can get a web design specialty at BSU in the Faculty of Sociocultural Communications and at BSUIR in the Faculty of Computer Design. But you can also consider other universities, not only in Minsk, but also in Grodno and Vitebsk. Here, the editorial team of Skillbox.by recommends paying attention to the relevance of the curricula. The programs themselves can be compared with employer requirements. This will help you understand whether you'll gain the skills you need for work at university.
Distance learning can also be a good option. Compared to university, it has the advantage of saving time. And this doesn't come at the expense of cutting back on the curriculum. In courses, you acquire only the skills you actually need for work.
How much do web designers earn?
If we talk about salaries, then according to rabota.by, the income of trainee designers starts from 130-230 dollars, and specialists can work remotely. Experienced designers of middle and senior levels can expect a salary of up to 1500 USD.
In most cases, career advancement, especially in the early stages of work, occurs through skill development. Over time, web designers can move to companies with higher professional standards and corresponding salaries.
As a means of developing, a web designer can consider other branches of graphic design, where the salary cap will be higher. Among them are motion design, branding, and UX/UI design. It happens that such specialists even move into analytics or A/B testing. You can also develop management skills and eventually become a lead designer and manage an entire team of specialists. Or you can go it alone and start your own web studio.
How to get acquainted with the profession
Despite the rapid growth in popularity of neural networks, web designer remains a sought-after profession. You can come to it from a variety of industries—there are no real restrictions. You can become a professional even without innate artistic talent—modern technology is a great way to accomplish this.
To get to know the profession better, the Skillbox.by editorial team recommends checking out the following resources:
- https://netology.ru/programs/obzor-graficheskih-instrumentov-dizajna— a free introductory course from Netology, where you can get acquainted with the basic tools of a web designer.
- Best Website Galleryis a great source of inspiration, collecting the best website examples since 2008.
- Hover States — "The House of Alternative Web Design," a collection of unconventional solutions and experiments with graphics, content, and interactive interactions.
- The Best Designs— a site for finding inspiration and interesting design solutions.
- https://t.me/figmaweb — A Telegram channel dedicated to Figma. 35,000 subscribers is a compelling argument in favor of this specialized resource.
- https://www.smashingmagazine.comis a popular English-language online magazine dedicated to trends and technologies in web design and development.
- webdesignerdepot.com — a blog in English, tailored for web designers of various levels. It contains expert articles, Photoshop tutorials, reviews of design trends, etc.
- Jennifer Robbins's Web Design for Beginners is a bestseller dedicated to the basics of web design. The theory is described here, you can find basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, creating graphics and even using JavaScript. The book is officially available for purchase in paperback and electronic format.
