Are you looking to master the art of web designing? Well, developing the following skills will help you be the web designer that you are striving to become. Let’s take a look.
1. Basics Of Design
If you are a web designer who wants to take the domain by storm, then you need to master the basics of design. This includes spacing, the flow of the website and use of colors. If you use the colors correctly, it can help in enhancing the user experience.
The flow of the website is what determines whether it is hard or easy to navigate through the site. Spacing determines the distance between two elements in a web page. It also influences the proportion and balance of the website which will affect the symmetry and visual consistency of your site.
2. Know HTML Like The Back Of Your Hand
Some designers say that not knowing how to code is fine while others say that knowing how to code is a necessity. At a bare minimum, a skilled developer should be aware of the fundamentals of HTML. The basic framework behind almost all pages on the web is HTML. So, if a designer is knowledgeable about HTML, he will be able to design with more attention and purpose to usability than before.
Knowing the basic code also gives you the option to create demo websites. You are also in an advanced position to sell your services to designers who are not fluent with coding. Knowing HTML also let you have a good grasp of the limits and scope of your abilities in designing.
3. Learn How To Write A Killer Copy
Most of the times, web designers are required to do more than just designing. It is possible that you will be asked to build a site copy. This is precisely correct when you don’t have any copywriters to work with.
Learning how to write a compelling copy is an excellent asset when you need to market your designing services. When you know how to craft a stellar copy, your marketing emails will be more efficient as well.
4. Develop Basic Business Skills
Most of the web designers would have to work as a freelancer at some point of their careers. So, it is important to develop the crucial business skills. Your highly prized service is your designing talent, and you are your own business as well. Business skills make it easy to market yourself, find clients and maintain clients productively.
If you are knowledgeable about business, it will be easy for you to take decisions on projects and clients with more certainty than before. You will also acquire the all-important multitasking skills needed to be a highly creative designer with the talent to make money and improve as you progress more in your career.
5. Master The Art Of Listening
It is important to understand that you work in a domain where the clients tell you what they want on their website. So, it is necessary to evolve yourself into a master listener. After all, mastering the art of listening is a skill that you can make use of in different areas of life, so why not learn it for the purpose of web designing.
In the business sense, it will be hard for you to become a successful designer if you refuse to or fail to listen to your clients. Sometimes your customers might ask you to change or tweak your design midway. At these times, instead of being frustrated or unprofessional, listen to what they have to say, consider it and then offer your suggestions and inputs.
It is all the better if the client is demanding for something very doable. Try to implement it and show that you are a designer who is attentive to the needs of your customer.
6. Commit To Constant Learning
“There is always better” is a phrase to live by if you are a web designer. You can always learn new things that can improve your passion for web designing, improve your creative side and expand your skill set. Moreover, these factors can help you impress your clients as well.
Another reason to always learn new things is the fact that a new trend emerges now and then in web design. In recent years, we saw changing trends such as parallax scrolling, flat design, minimalist design and now the web designing the world is excited about material design. In designing, learning never stops and willingness to acquire knowledge will help you become a well-rounded designer.
7. Complete Circumspection
A lot of factors and elements are involved when it comes to web design. So, it is important for a web designer to look a problem or situation from all the angles. This can help you find the perfect solution.
Always remember that you are creating a website that is viewed by different people with different perspectives. It is crucial that you please as many of the visitors of your site. So, look up a situation from multiple angles rather than just your point of view.
8. SEO Skills
Most of the clients ask web designers to optimize the web page for search engines and as a result SEO skills are vital. At times, Search engines might be the only way to reach your audience as well. The majority of users use search engines to find what they are looking for. So, it will be hard for you to attract the right clients and viewers without search engine optimization.
9. Securing The Website And An Eye For Detail
Even though I have left security as one of the last points when it comes to the web designing, it’s of top most priority. Every web designer needs to understand what kind of threats will be faced by the website and its users. Web developers should be able to secure the site entirely from malicious attacks.
Eye for detail is another factor that a web designer must develop as he/she should be able to notice when a line of text is 2 pixels off opposed to the Photoshop file they are working from.
10. Strive To Reach Your Web-Design Zenith
In any domain, reaching the extreme heights is what you should aim for. Success will not come overnight, but you will be able to get there with self-improvement and relentless determination. It is important to love what you do and to be highly passionate about what you craft. Developing these qualities will be of great help in improving as a designer. To reach your web design zenith, it is important to be updated about the latest advancements in technology. It can enhance your creativity and aid you in developing killer websites. Take a look at the infographic below to know more.
[Infographic] 10 Ways Technology can Raise:
Conclusion:
Well, there you have it. At the end of the day becoming consummate and well-rounded is what most web developers should aim for. You will achieve the master status when you go beyond design and work on more things related to it. Mastering skills listed above will be your perfect first step.
This article is written by Eliza Rafle. She is an artist and a graphic designer who is currently in content creation about how design and creativity have been helped by dynamically changing technology.
Web developer and SEO specialist with 20+ years of experience in open-source web development, digital marketing, and search engine optimization. He is also the moderator of this blog "RS Web Solutions (RSWEBSOLS)".
