Todd SumamnoIf you have opened this page, then chances are – you want to become a web designer in a couple of years. But what to begin with? Where to run? Which courses to take? Experts from one of the most reliable essay writing services will help you to find out the answers to all of these questions.
Web Designer VS Web Developer
We want to start this article with a big statement – you do not need to learn to code to be a great web designer. HTML? No. CSS? Not really. JavaScript? Nope. That is what web developers do. So, first of all, let’s figure out what is the difference between these two specialties.
Simply put, a web designer refers to both the creation of the aesthetic portion of the website and its usability. For you to understand all of the pitfalls of these professions, we are going to use the car analogy. This person designs the aesthetics of the car, what it looks like on the exterior and interior. Web developers, in turn, would be responsible for all of those internal components like the engine, transmission, etc. They are working with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript so that a user can see and interact with a company directly.
The tools of the trade for a web designer are going to be aesthetic ones like Sketch, Photoshop, Interface design tools, and user experience tools. Your main role is to make visual sense and try to visually communicate the message of the brand. It can be anything from wireframing to mood boarding. Web developer, on contrast, makes the vehicles move per the restraints of the designer.
So, start with deciding which aspect of this field you enjoy the most. Remember, web design is not just about making pretty things, it is all about problem-solving. If you are somebody who likes to express your problem-solving through visual modes of the solution, if you could make sense of some things using the color, typography, etc., stick with the web design. In case you are a person who likes to do puzzles face down, if you were the kid that used to take the remote-control car apart and see how it worked, choose a career path of a web developer.
Now, when you know exactly what job to pursue, it is time to answer the main question – “How to learn web design?”
Tip #1: Resources
No matter what design you are going to be working on, start by learning its basics rules. In this regard, we would recommend you to read three books – “Universal Principles of Design,” “Thinking with type” and “Grid systems” by Joseph Muller. The first one is just a bunch of short one-page chapters, each of them is talking about different concepts. It is kind of “do and don’ts” in web design. It will get you into the habit of understanding how to think as a designer.
The second and third ones will help you understand how to work with type, what is the difference between fonts, how to choose the right sizes, and how to build a good grid. “What for?” you can ask. Well, just because the number one design trend of 2020 is creative typography. So, learn how to work with text, make it stand out and capture attention. Actually, typography can be combined almost with every design technique you can think of.
Tip #2: Move on to UX Design
The next step is to learn user experience design. It is the core for any web designer, so ignore all the other stuff until you have this figured out. Your aim is to understand how a visitor interacts with a website, how you can design a platform around the user.
Let’s take an example. One of your websites has a gorgeous and engaging video as an introduction part of the service a company provides. It is 40 seconds long and automatically appears regardless of what page a user lands on. Experts think that the video is perfect in every aspect, but after taking a look at Google Analytics, you realize that the majority of your visitors actually close the video clip after 6-7 seconds. How to solve that problem?
That is why you should get familiar with UX design, which examines each product from the perspective of usefulness, usability, and desirability.
Tip #3: Know CMS Tools and SEO
Do not panic if there are a lot of unknown words. A CMS is simply a coding-free, online-based tool you use to build your website. For instance, WordPress, Weebly, Drupal, Joomla, Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix. Yes, in the past, a web designer had to know the coding languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build websites. But these dark times have passed. It is the 21st century, and that is no longer necessary. However, as you can see, if you want to become a web designer and join a local website design company, there are a lot of things to learn besides HTML.
Brittany Maslo