Web designers are responsible for creating beautiful, clean, and responsive sites that we use every day. Whether you’re on the train scrolling through Facebook or catching up with the news during your lunch break, talented web designers are behind everything you see.

The role requires an impressive mix of skills. You’ll need technical know-how, excellent social skills, and a positive attitude to succeed.

If you’re set on a future career in web design, we’re here to help you get started. We’ll cover how you can learn all the necessary skills required to become a well-paid web designer at a top tech company.

Launch Your Web Design Career

Learn how to design smarter websites from industry professionals, 100% online, with the security of a career guarantee when you graduate.



What is Web Design?

Web design entails the development and maintenance of websites, apps and software. It focuses on front-end elements such as user interface (UI) design, user experience (UX) design, graphic design, branding, layout, structure, and content. Web designers usually have strong visual skills and an eye for detail. They’re masters of creating stunning designs with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

The back-end of a website is usually handled by a separate professional and includes the functional aspects of a site. Server configuration, database design, and anything that operates behind the scenes is generally not the responsibility of the web designer.

Types of Web Designers

It’s important to understand the different specializations that exist in the field of web design. This should help you identify your areas of interest and plot your ideal career path. Here’s a list of the most common type of web designers:

Hard Skills Needed to Become a Web Designer

Web design requires both hard and soft skills. Let’s first look at the technical know-how required to make it in this field:

Soft Skills Needed to Become a Web Designer

Apart from technical skills, soft skills are also required to become a web designer. Here’s a list of the main soft skills needed:

How to Learn Web Design Skills

You can land an entry-level web design job by obtaining a two-year associate degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related subject. Traditionally degrees were the most common choice for aspiring web designers. But now, degrees aren't really necessary. Employers are starting to prioritize candidates with relevant skills and experience over formal education.

As a degree isn’t actually required to get started in web design, many students are opting for alternative, more affordable programs.

Each learning path has advantages and disadvantages. For a comprehensive in-depth study of tech subjects, degrees are perfect. However, they take up to 4 years to complete and cost around $130,000 in tuition fees.

If you know exactly what career you want, a bootcamp is a better option. You can learn all the skills necessary and get hired in less than a year, for a fraction of the cost.

Once you’ve gained the required skills, it’s almost time to start looking for your dream web design job. But first, there are a few more tasks to take care of.

A professional portfolio showcases your skills and demonstrates to prospective employers what you’re capable of. You can create your own personal website to host your portfolio. Start with any school projects or things you’ve worked on in your spare time. If you’re lacking examples, you can take on some freelance work to get started. Use sites like UpWork and Freelancer.com to find small, basic projects.

You should also build your professional network using platforms like LinkedIn. You can find like-minded professional communities to share ideas and build business relationships. Networking can not only improve your skills but lead directly to recommendations and job opportunities.

You’ll also need a resume before you start applying for jobs. Make sure you have a strong resume highlighting your achievements, skills, projects, and courses undertaken. A good resume with a powerful headline and a great cover letter is a key part of the hiring process. Read our post on writing a stand-out web designer resume for a detailed guide.

The Typical Career Path of a Web Designer

Initially, you’ll start as a web designer. Once you’ve proven your ability to generate fresh ideas and work with the rest of the designers, then after 4-5 years of experience, you’ll be promoted to a senior web designer. You’ll now be responsible for the entire visual design and may even lead a team.

Some of you may transition to the role of UX designer. You’ll look at web design from the user’s perspective to add value by maximizing the user experience.

Technical web designers who learn programming skills along the way can become full-stack developers. Eventually, you could climb your way to a lead developer, or even a technical director.

Take the First Step

Web design is an in-demand role with a range of career options. If you have a passion for design and love all things tech, a future in web design is a great choice.

It’s no surprise that it requires many different skills to get started in this field. To fast-track your web design career, consider enrolling in our UX/UI bootcamp to learn everything you need. And we make sure your education pays off in the form of a great job: our expert career coaches will support you throughout the course and beyond.

Launch Your Web Design Career

Learn how to design smarter websites from industry professionals, 100% online, with the security of a career guarantee when you graduate.



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