How to Become a Web Designer in 5 Steps

In today’s multimedia market, the supply of graphic design career opportunities remains steady. The graphic design career path can include image and graphic creation for print and online promotions, special effects for film and video distribution, and web design for personal and commercial websites.

Provided that almost every business and entrepreneur requires a website to be taken seriously, becoming a web designer can allow for a steady stream of income. However, there are some essential steps required to build a web design career. So, if you’re wondering how to become a web designer, consider the following tips.

1. Know the Difference: Web Designer vs. Web Developer

When learning how to become a web designer, the first thing you want to be clear on is the difference between a web designer and a web developer. Though many use the terms interchangeably, there are fundamental differences between the two.

A web designer is typically a right-brained, creative individual who utilizes intuition and design elements to create a visually appealing website using graphic design software, such as Adobe Photoshop. A web developer focuses on creating a technically sound website using code, such as HTML or CSS, to build the backbone of the site. A web developer can sometimes wear the web designer hat, as well, though typically, a developer isn’t focused on the visual aspect of the site. Commonly, a web designer and web developer will work together to create a visually appealing and well-functioning site.

2. Learn Best Practices & Design Techniques of Web Design

There are a number of best practices and design techniques and theories, such as color theory and the rule of thirds, that you will need to learn for web design. Principles of aesthetics, contrast, and designing a unified user experience are part of the web design process as well. Web design training programs or a college degree in the field will equip you with the foundational skills you need to become a web designer and create well-designed, aesthetically pleasing websites.

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3. Master Web Design Software

The Adobe Suite, including Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator, is commonly used software for web design. It will be challenging to create a visually appealing website without it. Many training companies offer certifications for these programs.

4. Build Your Web Designer Brand & Portfolio

Whether you’re looking to work with a marketing firm or for a single business, you’ll want to build your portfolio and professional brand. Your portfolio will help you land new clients or a job. Your professional brand will help people recognize you and your work, and should be consistent across all your marketing materials, including your resume, social profiles, and personal website. For example, use the same color theme, logo (if you have one), and taglines or slogans across all of your marketing collateral.

iHireCommercialArt offers commercial art resume writing services, as well. We are here to help you land interviews for web and graphic design career opportunities.

5. Continue to Learn & Remain Current

To move forward or advance in any career, becoming a perpetual learner is necessary. The graphic design career path is no different. Seek out web designer certification and training programs to continually update and add to your resume. Also, given that design preferences and styles are continually changing, you’ll want to remain up to date with industry best practices and new concepts that enter the marketplace — staying on top of these changes is part of the web designer job description.

Becoming a web designer can offer a fun and steady career if you're willing to put in the work. We appreciate the effort required to land commercial art jobs and jobs in the creative sector. We offer a job board entirely focused on helping you uncover opportunities in these areas broken down by job title and state.