skills-for-web-designer

Web design may be a creative process, but there is a method to the madness that can only be described as scientific. Most of the job is about knowing how to code and design pages and apps, but a significant portion of it also involves having a good sense for what looks good and what doesn’t. If you would like to become the best web designer you can be, there are a couple of basics that you will need to know in order to make yourself visible to the masses.

web-design

Developing these skills is very easy, however, it will take you some time before you have mastered all of them. Listed below are some of the basics that you absolutely have to know to be a good web designer, and not all of them involve technical ability.

1. Learn Every Aspect of the Design Process

design-process
Learning every aspect of the design process may seem like an obvious thing to do, but it is not as straightforward as it seems, especially since a lot of the web design process is also part of the graphic design process. However, if you would like to become the best web designer you can be, it is important that you learn the basics of graphic design as well.

This includes learning how to use things like color to create the right theme for your designs, and learning how spacing, balance and proportion will influence how your clients and visitors view your designs. Perhaps the most important thing you could borrow from graphic design is the principle of flow, as this will help you understand how visitors will view the site, and enable you to manipulate the different pages so that you can draw your visitors’ attention to the important parts of the website.

2. Master HTML

master-xml
HTML is basic coding, which many designers think is not really necessary to know, while others swear that real web designers should be proficient in it. However, the best way to approach the subject is to remember that you are designing for the web, meaning that all your work is going to be in HTML as it is the basic framework for the internet anyway.

If you know how to code in HTML, you will be able to design your pages with more precision than you can imagine. You will also be able to showcase your work better, and therefore be in a better position to sell yourself compared to designers who do not know how to code in HTML. Even if you do find it hard to master coding, the least you should do is learn the basics of HTML.

3. Learn About Copywriting

learn-about-copy-writing
Copywriting may seem like something you do not need to learn how to do. However, knowing how to create the right copy can mean the difference between you landing a job and you losing a job to a competitor. Designers who can also create killer copies are in high demand, and because they have the additional skills they can charge a lot more.

However, creating a killer copy is not only good for your designs, it is also good for your marketing. If you can create a killer copy, just imagine how good your marketing will become when you apply those skills to promoting yourself.

4. Never Stop Learning

learning
Web design changes more often than we change clothes, and to keep up you are going to have to learn new things all the time. As a web designer, you can never believe that the learning process is over for you, as you will never really be able to master every aspect of web design, as new things happen every day.

For instance, in the last few years we have gone from parallax scrolling to flat design to material design. Keeping up with these trends involves learning about them and how to execute them, and if you decide that you have learned enough you will soon realize that you will not be able to remain competitive in the market, and you will lose clients.

5. Be Business Savvy

business-savvy
It is often hard for creatives to develop the skills they need to be good at business. However, developing these skills is important, especially as a web designer who is probably going to work freelance at some point in their lives. You must remember that you are a business, and the services that you offer are your web design skills.
If you can run a business, you will be able to make the right choices regarding clients and projects. You will also learn how to be a great designer, make a couple of bucks at the same time, and how to ensure that your brand keeps growing stronger.

6. Learn How To Listen

learn-how-to-listen
Listening is a very important skill to learn, not just as a web designer but in every field that you can think of. However, in web design it is extremely important, especially when you are dealing with clients. You are going to have to listen to your clients’ demands, even when they seem unreasonable. Clients will always have something that they would like changed on their websites, sometimes while you are in the middle of designing the site. However, at these times, you need to learn to listen to what they have to say, and then, if need be, offer your own advice and see how they respond to it.

7. Keep Working to Be The Best

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As was mentioned earlier, developing the skills you need to be the best will take time and effort. However, with determination, passion, and patience, you will be surprised at how good you can become. If you are passionate about your work then you will definitely work towards being the best, but you can speed up the process if you keep it in your mind and concentrate on it every day.

It is important to remember that the more you push your boundaries, the better you will become, and the closer you will be to becoming a master.