If you are looking for a web designer role for your next job and you are wondering what is a web designer job looks like, what is his/her skills, and what is his/her experience?

In this article, I will explain all aspects of becoming a web designer!

What Does a Web Designer Do?

Web designers create and maintain websites. They design websites and test them to make sure they are attractive, responsive, and have creative user interfaces.

To become a web designer, you need to combine the ability to create a good design and the ability to convert it to a webpage.

So, is a web designer UX/UI designer that knows how to code? the answer is yes and no, yes because you need to make a usable user interface and you can deliver it to a back-end developer, and no is because you do not need to be a web developer level of coding.

What Are Web Designer Tools and Skills?

Design Tools and Skills:

• Design theory.
• Color theory.
• Typography and web fonts.
• Raster photo image editing using Photoshop.
• Vector image editing using Illustrator.
• UX/UI tools for wireframing and prototyping such as Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch, or InVision.
• GIF creator tool (I use adobe animate).
• Image size optimization.
• Video editing tools and sound editing tools (Optional – Plus).

Development Tools (Languages) and Skills:

• HTML5.
• CSS3.
• Interactive JavaScript.
• Bootstrap Framework.
• jQuery (Optional – Plus).
• Visual Studio Code, Atom, Sublime Text (any code editor).
• Convert a static design photo to a static webpage (HTML5 + CSS3).
• Ability to create a responsive design without a responsive framework or any ready code.

Other Tools:

• Basic SEO.
• Basic content creation.
• Registering for a web host.
• Rent a domain.
• Some server tools such as the cPanel web app and FTP tools.
• Communication skills.
• Project Management (Optional – Plus).
• Portfolio (Behance.net or dribbble.com)

How to Start as a Web Designer (Practicing)?

start replicating your favorite websites, and you’ll likely pick up a lot of skills you might not have expected, and I recommend looking for readymade landing pages, contact pages, product pages, pricing tables…etc. and convert them to an HTML page.

But before that, you need to redo the design you found on the internet using your design tools, as a source file, as slicing a design to an HTML page will be easier and mimic a real-world example day at work.

Next, you will need to make this HTML page work on all devices from a desktop PC to a tablet to a mobile device as this is required to be delivered to the back-end developer (your future partner), this is called creating a responsive design.

This should be done for at least 3 websites, after that you are ready to design your design and slice it into an HTML page. These designs are the only designs you are allowed to add to your portfolio as you will have the copyright for them and you will convince yourself that you are a good web designer and helps you a lot in job interviews, it is self-confidence in web design is the main difference between a web designer and any other designer.

How to Market Yourself as a Web Designer?

your success depends on your ability to market yourself. While keeping your website and portfolio updated is a good start, you need to make yourself known in the design community and to potential clients and companies.

Use social media, your blog, your website, and a professional LinkedIn profile to increase your visibility. also, connect with other web designers online to stay updated on industry news and job opportunities. Build positive relationships with your connections to ensure you may be a potential web designer for their business and ask them to recommend you to other potential clients or contacts.

How to Succussed as a Web Designer?, You Need to Stay Updated!

The web design field is constantly evolving, as technology changes frequently, and there are new design methods created every day. keep learning and practicing to develop your skills to remain current in your industry and to prove to potential employers that you have the knowledge and skills necessary to build websites that fill their needs.

You can do this by reading books and articles on web design blogs, it is also useful to listen to experts in the field on social media, or get certified in design and programming tools and skills.

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