Skills for a Web Designer

Before breaking the skills needed for a web designer, we will focus first on what a web designer does. A web designer is a person who designs web sites from beginning to end, working with people from various sectors and industries. Web designers come from all different backgrounds; some have extensive knowledge and experience, while others get by on the fundamentals. In the end, the qualities that define a web designer are their enthusiasm, inventiveness and dedication. These merits can be gained on your own or obtained through web design courses.

Below is a list of essential skills that a web designer must have in their utility belt.

Personal Skills

Logical thinker

Aside from technical ability, a good web designer will need to be practical with the right amount of concentration to work on assignments for several hours (a web designer should never take on a project and then fail to deliver a finished product to a customer). For instance, when creating an e-commerce, it would be useful to include bread-crumb trials. This would help the user find their way around the different web pages they have already viewed.

Attention to detail.

Web design involves frequent inspection. This is mainly true in the programming phase where a web designer will need to constantly check over the same web page again and again. For instance, when designing a website, it would be ideal to have the same colour scheme running on all the different web pages.

Creativity

A good designer must be very creative and be able to find content that is different from the rest of the crowd. Likewise, a good designer will need to execute their ideas in sharp designs, images and words. Remember talent is only 10%; the other 90% is hard work and dedication.  For instance, go to your favourite websites and think about why you like them. For often than not, it will be the site’s originality and freshness that will have drawn you in.

People Skills

For a web designer to succeed they must be a good team player with good interpersonal skills.

For instance, a web designer will need excellent man management to deal with all the different clients and colleagues. It is essential that website designers work effectively and efficiently with others. An understanding of business dynamics is also a must.

Dealing with stress and Keeping to Deadlines

Nobody wants to pay for a late service, thus it is imperative that a web designer keeps the deadlines and meetings on time. Also, a successful designer will need to deal with the stress associated with the job. For instance, a busy web designer will be bombarded with several deadlines from demanding clients, while those who are freelance will experience days, weeks or months without work. Therefore, it is important that you can control your stress levels.

Technical Skills

To develop into a flourishing web designer, each individual must know the three basic skills related to the art. If you are a beginner web designer or an industry personal in need of more training; DotPeak provides comprehensive web design courses designed for learners and professionals.

HTML

The first essential skill is HTML or Hyper Text Mark-up Language. HTML is a web language used to generate Web pages. HTML uses tags to open and close segments of text. Here are some examples of tags , and . HTML is easy to learn, and a website designer can create text for web pages using any basic text editor such as Notepad or with software like Dreamweaver.

CSS

The second essential skill is CSS or Cascading Style Sheets. This turns your HTML code into the structured layout you’re used to seeing on a web design. CSS is fundamentally the appearance of your HTML codes e.g. colours, fonts, texts, borders etc. CSS includes the HTML tag to implement each style.

JavaScript

The third essential skill is JavaScript. This is a script language that is embedded within the HTML codes. It provides the designer the chance to make a website for interactive by including pop-up windows and other dynamic functions. The coded JavaScript runs on the user’s pc or laptop and determines what happens when the user clinks a link (show text or open a new web page, website or window etc.)

Here we are the three essential skills to making it as a web designer. If you feel you need more training why not enrol in HTML courses or PHP courses to sharpen your knowledge and skill.