There are perhaps many informal, popular definitions for what Web Design is, but to be technically correct, Web Design is a specialised field within the broader field of Graphic Design, focussing on the design of engaging websites. Many businesses around the world use web design companies to help them with their marketing, whether it be through sites like Visual Objects or directly to a company of their choice. An understanding of the online working environment is required for the creation of suitable sites for specific business objectives. Does your customer want to sell products through the website or do they simply want to use the site as a leads acquisition platform? As a Web Designer, it’s your job to have the knowledge of what it should look like and how it should function to effectively meet customer objectives. Read on to learn more about how to go about pursuing a career in Web Design.

Average salary: 23,000 (Range – 18,000 to 40,000)

*Salary information taken from www.payscale.com, from National Salary, without bonuses

Work Locations & Job Duties

A Web Designer typically works for a design agency, like a web design wheelers hill company such as Cultivate Digital, a marketing agency, as a Freelancer, or in-house in a larger corporation. Duties and responsibilities naturally vary according to the work location, but the most common of these include:

• Liaison with/presentation to clients, discussing their requirements and getting their feedback and input
• Drawing up site plans and website specifications
• Designing websites, including text, colours and layout, in line with the client’s brand
• Working with graphics to make ensure they’re the right fit for the website
• Keeping up to date with current design trends and developments

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

Qualification Requirements (Info taken from nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk)

Ordinarily, a Web Designer can enter into the field without having any specific qualifications. Formal Web Design qualifications are non-essential, but are indeed available, so too related creative or technical degree qualifications in Fine Arts, Computer Science or Graphic Design. Undergraduate and postgraduate courses are available for those who’ve decided quite early on that they want to do Web Design as a specialty, or it can be combined with additional modules/subjects like development, communications or advertising.

Many Web Designers are indeed self-taught as well, having learnt the trade through online tutorials and DIY Web Design courses. However, a degree course affords you the advantage of working on projects that will help you start collecting samples of work which can be used as a good set of references for entering into the job market or as skills-demonstrating portfolio items should you choose to go it the freelancing route.

Skills & Experience

Being a Web designer does ultimately come down to how skilled you are at getting the end-result up-and-running and although the specific details vary according to your workplace and clients you’re serving, as a Web Designer, these are the skills you’re required to possess:

• Essential: Design experience – especially working with web pages
• Essential: Creativity
• Essential: InDesign; Illustrator; Photoshop; Fireworks; Flash
• Teamwork – both with clients and colleagues
• Problem-solving and solution-providing
• HTML or other coding knowledge
• Acquiring skills

Your work portfolio will ultimately land you your Web Design job or projects as this demonstrates exactly what you have to offer as functional solution.