Some people who are interested in web production or who are confident in their design sense may want to utilize their strengths and become a web designer.
Web designers have the image of “people who create websites,” but their work includes more than just creating websites. In reality, there is a need to perform a series of tasks to complete a single website.
In this article, we will explain the job content of a web designer and the specific skills required.
If you are thinking of becoming a web designer, please refer to this article to get an idea of the basics of web design and the work of a web designer.
What is web design?
Web design literally means “design of a website.”
Website design is made up of various elements such as the overall appearance, colors, illustrations, fonts, and animation materials.
It is the web designer’s job to create those elements and design the website that the client wants.
Therefore, in addition to having an aesthetic sense such as a sense of design, web designers also need skills in operating image editing software and coding skills in
HTML
and
CSS
.
What is responsive web design?
Responsive
web design is a web design that adjusts the appearance of a web page to suit the device on which it is displayed.
Websites are now often viewed not only on PCs but also on smartphones and tablets.
For example, even if a website is displayed in a well-organized layout on a PC browser, there is a high possibility that the visibility will be poor when viewing the same screen on a browser on a device with a small screen such as a smartphone. Masu. If the layout is left as it is, the text will be too small and difficult to see, and it will be difficult to find the items you need. If this happens, even if users open your website, they are more likely to leave immediately.
Websites created with responsive web design are not only displayed in a layout that is easy to view for smartphone users, but are also effective for ranking high on
search engines
(
SEO
) and encourage users to share them on SNS etc. Another big advantage is that it is easy to use.
It is no exaggeration to say that responsive design is a given in modern web design.
What is the difference between web design and UI?
As mentioned above, web design refers to the design of a website, but it also refers to a design that emphasizes the overall appearance.
On the other hand, UI is an abbreviation for User Interface, which means “the point of contact between the device and the user.” In website terms, “UI-aware design” refers to a design that is “easy to use from a user’s perspective.” In other words, UI refers to comprehensive usability including design.
In recent years, there has been an increase in demand for “UI designers” who can design sites that not only look beautiful but also have high usability.
Web designer job details
The job description of a web designer is as follows.
I will explain each in turn.
Deciding on site/page structure and layout
After receiving a request to create a website from a site administrator or client company, a web designer decides on the structure and layout of the website.
The structure is the general outline of the menu and content created on the website.
We decide what kind of menu is needed and what kind of content to post based on the requests of the site administrator and others.
Also, layout refers to the arrangement of menus and content on a website.
We will decide how to arrange the predetermined content, such as whether to use a two-column layout or whether to place the sidebar on the left or right side.
In many cases, the client has no knowledge of web design, so the web designer must take the lead in proposing the structure and layout. In addition to deciding on the composition and layout, one of the duties of a designer is to make proposals.
Create a web design for the entire site
Once the structure and layout are decided, we will create the overall website design.
This is the work of creating the website’s colors, designs for headers, icons, parts, etc., decorative patterns, etc., and then reflecting them in reality.
When creating the overall web design, we start with “comp data” to match colors, images, etc., and if the direction is correct, we move on to the actual design.
Coordinate design direction with clients etc.
Once we have a design comp, we discuss the direction of the design with the client and others.
Coordinating the direction of the design and clarifying the layout, appearance, material design, etc. is important for web production without rework.
If you create a website based on a design comp without consulting with the client, you will have to make major revisions if you are told that the website is different from what you imagined.
Therefore, it is necessary to coordinate the direction of the design with the client in advance, and to manage the work so that it progresses in one direction to prevent any backtracking.
create an image
Once we have agreed with the client based on the design comp, we create image materials.
Graphic software such as Photoshop and Illustrator are often used to create image materials.
Web designers must have knowledge of how to use these graphic software, as well as operating skills that allow them to adjust contrast and perform detailed cropping.
do some coding
When viewing a website on a screen, the background color, font type/color, item layout, etc. are specified by coding in markup languages such as HTML and CSS.
Coding is mainly done by people called “coders,” but depending on the web design site, there may not be a coder. Therefore, web designers may also be required to have coding skills such as HTML and CSS.
Additionally, if a web designer has coding skills, they will know what can and cannot be done with HTML and CSS, which has the advantage of being able to make more realistic proposals during meetings with clients. Regardless of whether or not web designers actually code, it is advantageous to have a certain level of coding knowledge.
3 tools necessary for web designers
If you want to work as a web designer, the skills to use the following three tools are essential.
All of these are tools that are almost used in the web design field.
We will explain the characteristics and main uses of each tool in turn.
Photoshop
Photoshop is software that primarily edits photos and image materials. Photoshop allows you to do the following with image materials.
In addition, if it is a simple image, it is possible to create it in Photoshop without using the software described below.
Illustrator
Illustrator is a software primarily used to create illustrations, and the operations that can be performed are as follows.
In addition, images created with Illustrator are in a format called “vector images,” which have the characteristic that “image quality does not deteriorate even when enlarged or reduced.”
Therefore, it is more suitable to create website logos, banners, header designs, etc. using Illustrator than Photoshop.
Canva
Canva is a free graphic design tool that provides a wide variety of templates for logos, banners, animations, and more.
You can flexibly customize the provided templates to create original images and illustration materials.
However, there are limitations to what it can do, such as the inability to make detailed edits in units of a few millimeters or points like Photoshop or Illustrator, or to create and edit gradation masks.
This is a tool that can be used when you want to quickly create materials based on general-purpose designs rather than elaborate designs.
Is there a future for web designers?
With the increase in the number of web professionals and the emergence of web creation tools, the number of web designers is reaching saturation point compared to demand.
However, the current situation is that there are very few web designers who can not only “just create a design,” but also create a web design from a
marketing
perspective, or who can direct the entire project.
Therefore, it can be said that web designers who have acquired skills other than design and who can always adapt to changing trends have a promising future.
How to build a career as a web designer
So, what kind of career should people who aspire to become web designers or those who are already working as web designers pursue in the future?
The career path of a typical web designer is as follows.
1. First, join a company and gain experience in web design.
2. Know the design field you are good at
3. Use your strengths as a weapon to become independent as a freelancer
I will explain each in turn.
First, join a company and gain experience in web design.
The first step in your career as a web designer is to gain experience as a member of a company.
This is because if you gain experience as a member of a company, you can quickly acquire practical-level skills that cannot be obtained through school or self-study.
Web design can be learned at school or by self-study, but it is difficult to acquire the skills required at a practical level, such as communication with clients and internal and external members, and practical design work, only through school or self-study.
First of all, by gaining practical experience, you will learn what kinds of websites are requested by clients, site administrators, etc., and how web production is carried out in the field.
Know your specialty in design
As you gain practical experience as a member of a company, you will be able to see which areas you are good at.
If you know the design field you are good at, you will be able to work with authority as a designer specializing in that industry.
If you have authority in one industry, you will be able to create a situation where it is easier for you to receive work from that industry, and as a result, you will be more likely to have no trouble receiving work orders.
Become independent as a freelancer using your strengths
If you can find a field of design that you are good at, you can take advantage of that strength and work independently as a freelancer.
If you can get clients in your field of expertise, you will be able to create a website that makes the most of your skills, making it easier for your clients to be happy.
In addition, you will be able to utilize your experience as an employee in various tasks such as planning, composition, and negotiation with clients. If you compare a web designer who has actually worked for a company with a web designer who started out as a self-taught person, it is easier for clients to trust web designers who are independent from a company because they have more experience in society. is.
summary
In this article, we explained web design, the job content of the web designer job, the tools and skills required for a web designer, and the future prospects and career of a web designer.
In recent years, with the spread of smartphones and tablets, there is a need for responsive web designs that have layouts that are easy to view on any device, and UI designs that take into account not only aesthetic beauty but also user flow.
With the spread of design tools, designing a website has become less difficult than it used to be, and even non-designers can now create a simple website to some extent. As a result, the demand for web designers has become saturated. However, there are still very few web designers who work by finding market value from the perspective of UI and marketing, and there are still many places where web designers are needed.
If you are thinking of becoming a web designer, why not refer to this article and take action?