9 Skills You Need To Become A Web Designer in 2021

The idea of getting started with a career in web designing can be overwhelming. However, learning it is easier than most people think. By paying attention to some skills, you can become a good web designer. Some people believe that all it takes to become a web designer is the knowledge of coding; this is far from the truth. There are other skills a person needs to become a good web designer. Those skills needed are what we’ll be considering in this guide.

Technical Skills Needed To Become A Web Designer

The skills listed below are the technical skills you’ll need to become a web designer.

1. Visual Design

It is quite obvious that knowledge of design is needed to be a web designer. However, visual design is different from what you might think, which is the look of digital products. What determines the look and feel of a website, in this case, are the design principles. These principles can be anything from proportions to grid systems, to typography, to color theory. With a good base in visual design, you get the chance for digging into creating mood boards and doing experiments with web fonts and color palettes.

2. User Experience (UX)

User experience focuses on how people feel about the design when they use your website. It combines the usability of the site, integrating it with dynamic and interactive elements to make the site a joy to navigate. UX involves you designing your site with your users in mind. It is about you designing it in a way that will shape their experience and at the same time engage or guide them through the website. UX best practices include:

• Intuitive design and content that is focused on humanistic experiences, and not mechanic ones.
• Uncluttered layouts with logically organized content and negative space
• Designed for a specific audience and information tailored to meet their needs

3. Design Software

To effectively do your work as a web designer, you need to have all the right tools at your disposal. You must know your way around tools used in the industry. Although the design of a website can be done in a web browser, a designer still needs some important tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Sketch, and Illustrator. These tools will help the designer through the most important part of designing like designing assets, creating mockups, modifying and enhancing photos. You should learn to use these tools if you want to become a web designer.

4. HTML

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the coding language that is used to put content on a web page and give it structure. It is what you use in turning a bunch of words into paragraphs, headlines, and footers. It is also through HTML that you get content like videos, photos, and graphics on a website. If you want to become a web designer, HTML is a must-learn skill for you.

5. CSS

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. It is a partner to HTML. The coding in CSS tells the browser how to format and style HTML for a web page. It is what makes the text and all other content look good. CSS can be used to change fonts, adjust colors, or add a stunning background. The use of CSS requires creativity because it is where you can put your creative stamp on every website you create.
Soft Skills Needed to Become a Web Designer
In addition to the technical skills mentioned above, you also need to possess some soft skills if you want to become a web designer. Some of these soft skills are:

6. Time Management

Time management is one of the soft skills you need to become a website designer. In web designing, you will be required to work in a fast-paced environment. Your creations, developments, and iterations must be continuous to be simultaneously accommodated.

You should know how to schedule, manage, and follow up on the needs of a project as a web designer. Your potential in website designing will be harnessed if you learn how to manage your time.

7. Communication

To go a long way in your career as a website designer, good communication is one skill you will need. Communication will help you convey all forms of technical information in a manner that is clear and transparent. You need good communication skills because your clients and colleagues need to be up to date on the progress of your projects, ideas, and creations. Also, you may be asked to make a presentation or do some editing for sites. So, you must possess writing and presentation skills to enable you to get your point across in every situation.

8. Online Marketing/SEO/Social Media

The knowledge of SEO, social media, and digital marketing will be a plus for a web designer. Websites that are specially made for business are all about making sales. For this reason, web designers with good copywriting skills are always preferred. SEO, social media, and online marketing skills will give you an edge over competitors as a web designer.

9. Business and Client Management

Understanding how to manage both business and client is the bottom line that will help ensure that your brand is profitable and sustainable. You don’t need a degree in Business Administration for this. However, you do need to know the goals and finances of your business or your employer, so you can use them to guide your work. Have a plan to make sure that you have both a healthy cash flow and project backlog if you’re designing directly for clients. Ensure that both are doable in the short and long term.

Conclusion

In the modern-day, being skillful in website design is beyond merely the tech-side and knowing how to write code. It is essential to develop some important management skills to help keep yourself organized and efficient in your web design work. For a web designer, developing these skills will help your productivity and distinctiveness.
Sincerity, passion, and commitment are what a good web design career truly requires. This is the core that forms your intrinsic ability. With them, you’ll become an excellent web designer within a short space of time.