What Do Web Designers Do?

In today’s technological age, most people interact with websites and internet content on a daily basis. In fact, you’re doing so this very second. 

An effective website is like a 5-star restaurant. 

The visitor seamlessly receives all the information they need amidst design that’s attractive without being distracting. Every item on the menu looks appetizing, and they enjoy the experience so much that they’re happy to linger. 

Have you ever wondered who decides what websites look like? Who whips up all the ingredients of code and design into a user-friendly treat?

No, it’s not Ratatouille. The answer is a web designer!

In this short guide, we’ll explore web designers’ skills and duties.

Details of Web Design

What is Web design? Website design is a web development process that focuses on the aesthetic and user experience components of building a website. In other words, web design involves creating plans for the website to curate a specific look and feel. 

The digital designer’s decisions take into account the audience and the subject matter of the content to ensure that the user has a positive experience and takes away the appropriate messaging.

The following are all aspects of web design:

  • Layout
  • Formatting
  • Typography
  • Color Palette Design
  • Interactive Components (e.g., clickable buttons)
  • Graphics
  • Video Clips

Skilled web design ensures that the website is intuitive, accessible, and compatible with a variety of displays. Some web designers may also be tasked with making sure that a website is up to industry standards of accessibility for users from a variety of backgrounds.

Skills for Success

A talented web designer has a set of skills that they can use to solve complex problems. These may include graphic design and coding, as well as knowledge of criteria for accessibility and usability.

Let’s take a quick look at a typical web designer’s toolkit.

Graphic Design Skills

A large part of website design involves the visual appeal of a website. The objective is to create a product that looks trustworthy, on-brand, and enticing. This can be helped through attention to graphic design components like color theory or font choice, as well as photography and illustration work.

Knowing how to use graphic designer applications such as raster graphics editors, vector graphics editors, or desktop publishing and typesetting software may also be very useful.

Computer Programming Skills

A  website designer should also be familiar with a few of the coding languages that are used in building websites.

Some of the more prominent languages are:

  • HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
  • CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
  • JavaScript

Each of these programming language variants is geared towards a different aspect of web design and development. Together, they cover substantial ground in the creation, formatting, stylization, and interactive functionality of websites.

Awareness of Accessibility

Web accessibility is an important consideration when developing any online product. 

In order to ensure equal access to information online, web designers should consider alternative perspectives when creating their designs.

Within the context of digital design, accessibility can look like:

  • Curating color palettes so that people who have difficulty reading screens will not have to further strain to read text. 
  • Adding underlines to hyperlinks for people who are color blind.

Understanding of Usability

The user’s experience can depend heavily on a website designer’s mastery of usability. If a website is difficult to navigate or confusing to read, the user won’t spend time attempting to decipher the information. 

Instead, they’ll move on to a different site entirely.

Prioritizing usability can include interactive design elements such as buttons, links, or drop-down menus to help with ease of navigation throughout the site.

Careers in Web Design

There is a wide variety of career opportunities open to those interested in web design. From learning how to freelance web design to working in-house at a company, there are limitless avenues to explore.  Information Technology is an ever-expanding industry, and your future career related to web design may not even exist yet!

There are plenty of careers that directly relate to web design and require individuals with in-depth knowledge. These include:

  • Multimedia Programmer
  • Search Engine Optimization Specialist
  • User Interface (UI) Designer
  • User Experience (UX) Designer
  • Web Content Manager
  • Applications Developer
  • Game Developer

There are also many careers where the skills involved may be useful. Or they can give someone a competitive edge when applying to jobs. 

These include but are not limited to:

  • Marketing Manager
  • Digital Artwork Creator
  • Information Technology Sales Professional
  • General Software Engineer
  • Technical Author
  • Database Administrator

Are you excited to start your web design career, but unsure of how to take the first step? A great first step is to build a basic technical skill set and learn a variety of key computer programming languages.

That way, you’ll assemble your own set of ingredients for delectable designs.

Find the Recipe for Success with Disney Codeillusion

Wondering how to become a web developer or designer, Disney Codeillusion provides a fantastic way to start. Through 125 unique and engaging lessons, the program provides opportunities to develop knowledge and design skills in four crucial programming languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Processing. Along the way, you’ll interact with iconic Disney characters in a roleplaying game format that is as entertaining as it is educational.

Are you interested in getting started on your web development adventure? Discover your passion with the free trial today!

If you're interested in learning more about web design, continue to our blog answering the frequently raised question of “What is the difference between web design and web development?” 

Sources: 

  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web Developers and Digital Designers. www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/web-developers.htm#tab-2
  2. Prospects. Web design and development. www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/web-design-and-development