The Day-to-Day as a Web Designer
Web Designers use design theory, graphic design, responsive design, and user experience knowledge to create websites that are visually appealing and user-friendly. They can work full-time, part-time, and freelance. Remote and onsite opportunities for Web Designers are both abundant. They work in nearly every industry with organizations like small business, multinational corporations, the government, restaurants, and nonprofits.
Full-time Web Designers work on a team with Web Developers, Software Engineers, UX Designers, and Project Managers. They’ll use more soft skills than a Web Developer but less technical skills. Their daily tasks vary based on their employer, but usually include attending standup meetings, collaborating with teammates, creating design comprehensive, meeting with clients, conducting competitor analysis, and making mockups.
What Skills Should Web Designers Have?
Web Designers should have a strong visual design foundation including spatial awareness, typography, the grid-system, and color-theory. Web Designers need a high-level understanding of User Experience research and planning. They must be proficient in design software like Sketch and Adobe Photoshop. Web Designers should at least understand basic CSS and HTML but not all positions require hand-coding websites from scratch. Javascript is often not required but will give a leg up against the competition. Many web design positions only require knowledge of these technical skills, not proficiency.
Web Designers also need soft skills like time management, communication, research, and client management. For Web Designers working for a company, teamwork will be an essential soft skill for you. Self-employed Web Designers will need digital marketing skills to grow their careers.
Learn the Skills You Need to Become a Web Designer
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Web Design
Web design is the process of creating the look and feel of a website. This includes web page layout, content production, copywriting, graphic design, typography, user-flow, and some coding. Web design can be done using tools like a code editor, templates, and photoshop.
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Photoshop
Photoshop is a software application created by Adobe for image editing and photo retouching on Windows or macOS computers. Photoshop can be used to manipulate and retouch photos. It can also be used to create compositions, collages, design comprehensives, and more.
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Sketch
Sketch is a design platform used to create, share, and collaborate prototypes and wireframes.
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Adobe XD
XD is an Adobe application that facilitates user experience design for web and mobile applications. XD stands for Experience Design.
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Visual Design
Visual design is a set of strategic best practices used to improve a design or product's aesthetic appeal and usability through the selection of appropriate images, typography, use of space, hierarchy, color, and layout.
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Front-End Web Development
Front end web development manages the part of the website that a user sees and interacts with in their browser. Front End Developers design, analyze code, write code, and debug the client-side of an application or website.
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Illustrator
Illustrator is a computer program for design developed by Adobe. Illustrator is used by designers to create and edit vector graphics. It can be used for print, web, applications, videos, animations, and more.
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Design Theory
Design theory is a non-standardized framework of theoretical approaches to understanding and practicing design principles and knowledge. Design theory is used to research, imagine, develop, and manipulate designs over the lifecycle of a project. The most common approach to design theory involves five steps including empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test to make the development of products and services more efficient by establishing a target end-user from the start and testing along the way.
Web Designer Salaries
A Web Designer in the United States makes, on average, $44,191 annually, according to Indeed.com.
Salaries for Web Designers vary by region within the the United States. Listed below are some Web Designer salaries for specific areas with the United States compared with the average national salary:
- U.S. Average $44K source n/a
-
Hartford, CT
$96K
source
+119.16%
-
Stamford, CT
$76K
source
+72.02%
-
Honolulu, HI
$68K
source
+56.06%
-
San Francisco, CA
$64K
source
+45.41%
-
San Bernardino, CA
$63K
source
+44.7%
-
San Jose, CA
$61K
source
+38.36%
-
New York City
$61K
source
+38.15%
-
Washington, D.C.
$60K
source
+37.93%
-
Boston, MA
$60K
source
+36.04%
-
Victoria
$59K
source
+35.21%
-
Oakland, CA
$59K
source
+34.78%
-
Seattle, WA
$59K
source
+33.77%
-
Stamford, CT
$58K
source
+32.95%
-
Los Angeles, CA
$57K
source
+30.66%
-
Greensboro, NC
$57K
source
+29.53%
-
Hartford, CT
$57K
source
+29.31%
-
Chicago, IL
$57K
source
+29.28%
-
Orange County, CA
$57K
source
+29.11%
-
Memphis, TN
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
Birmingham, AL
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
Rochester, NY
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
Albuquerque, NM
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
Omaha, NE
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
Worcester, MA
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
Bakersfield, CA
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
Baton Rouge, LA
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
New Haven, CT
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
El Paso, TX
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
McAllen, TX
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
Des Moines, IA
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
Little Rock, AR
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
Syracuse, NY
$56K
source
+28.82%
-
New York
$56K
source
+27.52%
-
Knoxville, TN
$56K
source
+27.45%
-
San Diego, CA
$56K
source
+27.42%
-
Long Island, NY
$56K
source
+27.37%
-
Sacramento, CA
$56K
source
+27.28%
-
New York
$56K
source
+26.86%
-
Denver, CO
$56K
source
+26.84%
-
Alexandria, VA
$55K
source
+26.71%
-
Madison, WI
$55K
source
+26.29%
-
Fresno, CA
$55K
source
+26.25%
-
Richmond, VA
$55K
source
+26.1%
-
Minneapolis, MN
$55K
source
+26.03%
-
Philadelphia, PA
$55K
source
+25.77%
-
Albany, NY
$55K
source
+25.56%
-
Atlanta, GA
$55K
source
+25.24%
-
Baltimore, MD
$55K
source
+24.79%
-
New Jersey
$55K
source
+24.76%
-
Fairfax, VA
$54K
source
+24.3%
-
Dallas, TX
$54K
source
+24.17%
-
Portland, OR
$54K
source
+23.9%
-
Connecticut
$54K
source
+23.84%
-
Detroit, MI
$54K
source
+23.66%
-
Austin, TX
$54K
source
+23.47%
-
Albany, NY
$54K
source
+22.43%
-
Virginia
$54K
source
+22.42%
-
New Haven, CT
$54K
source
+22.2%
-
Houston, TX
$53K
source
+21.63%
-
Charlotte, NC
$53K
source
+21.62%
-
Phoenix, AZ
$53K
source
+21.54%
-
Richmond, VA
$53K
source
+21.38%
-
Raleigh, NC
$53K
source
+20.77%
-
St. Louis, MO
$53K
source
+20.19%
-
Des Moines, IA
$52K
source
+19.66%
-
Milwaukee, WI
$52K
source
+19.42%
-
Worcester, MA
$52K
source
+19.29%
-
Pittsburgh, PA
$52K
source
+19.26%
-
Columbus, OH
$52K
source
+19.26%
-
Nashville, TN
$52K
source
+19.19%
-
United States
$52K
source
+19.16%
-
San Bernardino, CA
$52K
source
+19.15%
-
Riverside, CA
$52K
source
+18.64%
-
Cleveland, OH
$52K
source
+18.44%
-
Madison, WI
$52K
source
+18.35%
-
Tampa, FL
$52K
source
+18.29%
-
Bakersfield, CA
$52K
source
+18.18%
-
Miami, FL
$52K
source
+18.11%
-
Cincinnati, OH
$52K
source
+18.09%
-
Kansas City, MO
$52K
source
+18.07%
-
Fresno, CA
$52K
source
+18.04%
-
Salt Lake City, UT
$52K
source
+17.85%
-
Buffalo, NY
$51K
source
+17.46%
-
Indianapolis, IN
$51K
source
+17.4%
-
Las Vegas, NV
$51K
source
+17.27%
-
Honolulu, HI
$51K
source
+17.02%
-
Vancouver
$51K
source
+16.87%
-
New Orleans, LA
$51K
source
+16.81%
-
Memphis, TN
$51K
source
+16.17%
-
Birmingham, AL
$51K
source
+16.16%
-
Orlando, FL
$51K
source
+15.87%
-
San Antonio, TX
$51K
source
+15.86%
-
United States
$51K
source
+15.84%
-
Montreal
$51K
source
+15.77%
-
Florida
$50K
source
+14.67%
-
Omaha, NE
$50K
source
+14.65%
-
Jacksonville, FL
$50K
source
+14.44%
-
Oklahoma City, OK
$50K
source
+14.28%
-
Albuquerque, NM
$50K
source
+14.14%
-
Rochester, NY
$50K
source
+14.13%
-
Sarasota, FL
$50K
source
+13.74%
-
Dayton, OH
$50K
source
+13.54%
-
Columbia, SC
$50K
source
+13.36%
-
Louisville, KY
$50K
source
+13.26%
-
Tucson, AZ
$49K
source
+12.82%
-
Virginia Beach, VA
$49K
source
+12.11%
-
Greensboro, NC
$49K
source
+12.07%
-
Inland Empire, CA
$49K
source
+12%
-
Little Rock, AR
$49K
source
+11.89%
-
Baton Rouge, LA
$49K
source
+11.82%
-
Grand Rapids, MI
$49K
source
+11.72%
-
Greenville, SC
$49K
source
+11.33%
-
Toronto
$48K
source
+10.55%
-
Tulsa, OK
$48K
source
+10.22%
-
Buffalo, NY
$48K
source
+9.98%
-
Sarasota, FL
$48K
source
+9.74%
-
Knoxville, TN
$47K
source
+8.47%
-
Grand Rapids, MI
$47K
source
+6.87%
-
El Paso, TX
$46K
source
+6.08%
-
Long Island, NY
$46K
source
+5.04%
-
Calgary
$45K
source
+3.57%
-
Calgary
$45K
source
+3.57%
-
Ottawa
$44K
source
+1.4%
- U.S. Average $44K source n/a
-
Florida
$44K
source
-0.18%
-
McAllen, TX
$43K
source
-1.18%
-
Edmonton
$43K
source
-1.44%
-
San Juan
$42K
source
-4.24%
-
Quebec City, QC
$39K
source
-11.33%
-
Winnipeg
$31K
source
-29.25%
-
San Juan
$18K
source
-58.53%
-
Syracuse, NY
$26K
source
-99.94%
Typical Qualifications to Become a Web Designer
Web Designers do not need a degree or certification to secure employment but it is recommended that their résumé and portfolio demonstrate their technical skills. There are no standard certifications for Web Designers but some courses and bootcamps provide certificates of completion.
Searching for Web Designer Jobs
Web Designers may be employed within a corporate company, a startup, a nonprofit organization, or a small business in-person and remotely. If you have good time management, communication, and business skills, you may find satisfaction working as an independent contractor or freelancer. Freelancers and independent contractors can make about the same salary as a full-time Web Designer who is not self-employed.
You can find Web Designer jobs on sites like:
- Indeed
- Google Jobs
- Glassdoor
- AngelList
- Dice
- GitHub
- Authentic Jobs
- Krop
- Mashable
- Stack Overflow
- Startupers
- StartupHire
You can find freelance and independent contractor and remote Web Designer jobs on these sites:
Tips for Web Designers
Web Designers are in high demand and finding a job mostly depends on showcasing their work and networking, consistent job searching, and nailing a technical interview. A Web Designer who is seeking employment should have a well-rounded portfolio that showcases the required skills for the position. If you know how to code, you should also have a GitHub set up with some projects uploaded or contribute to a few open-source projects. You should also be able to articulate how and why you chose to design a site through case studies or short verbal communication prepared for interviews. You can showcase your design thought processes through case studies on a blog or Medium and link them to your LinkedIn for potential employers to see.
If you’re applying for a full-time position within a company, you should attempt to reach out to the people at that company who would manage you via LinkedIn and other Web Designers within that company. This will boost your résumé through name recognition and provide you with a connection to follow up on your application.
If you’re having trouble finding a Web Design job that suits you, consider taking on freelance or contract gigs while you search for employment. This will give you first-hand experience executing the job if you’ve never done it before. It will also build your portfolio with real-world projects, help your communication skills, and showcase your willingness to be a self-starter and a self-learner. Be sure to share your freelance projects on a portfolio website that you’ve designed. You might consider adding a blog to your portfolio site to share case studies.
What Job Titles Would a Web Designer Hold?
Web Designers can narrow down positions to apply for based on their own coding proficiency, level of user experience understanding, desired company or industry, and location. Web Designers will likely start out in junior or entry-level positions. Most Web Designers will find that rising the ranks to a Senior position or upskilling to do more development or user experience tasks is possible relatively quickly and will result in a better annual salary.
Here are a few options you might be qualified for as a Web Designer:
- Web Designer
- Junior Web Designer
- Associate Web Designer
- Senior Web Designer
- Front End Developer
- JavaScript Developer
- Design Director
Related Careers
Web Designers are on the cusp of myriad related fields. Upskilling or pivoting could lead a Web Designer to positions like Digital or Graphic Designer, UX/UI Designer, Interaction Designer, Web Developer, Full Stack Developer, Content Strategist, Product or Project Manager, or SEO Specialist. These positions could be achieved by learning things like more programming languages; sharpening digital marketing skills; practicing team management; UX/UI skills such as research and wireframing; or niching down specifically to things like interaction flows and search engine optimization. All of these positions will likely lead to a raise for a Web Designer and even more upward mobility options.
Salary Comparison to Web Designer
-
User Experience Designer
$100K
+127.74%
-
Digital Designer
$94K
+114.65%
-
Web Developer
$77K
+76.05%
-
Graphic Designer
$49K
+12.12%
- Web Designer $44K n/a
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Web Developer
Web developers build webpages using coding languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They program functionality and identify/troubleshoot errors in code. Web developers can work on front-end development (the part of the website you see in a web browser), or on back-end development (the logic and database functionality that runs on the web server). Others work as full-stack developers, providing end-to-end (front to back) expertise.
Learn about becoming a Web Developer -
User Experience Designer
User experience (UX) designers are responsible for ensuring that digital products offer a seamless user experience, through prototyping, user research, and user testing. They will test the navigation and functionality of websites, apps, and more. UX designers must stay current on design trends to ensure ongoing adherence to best practices. They will also conduct ongoing user research to understand the habits and needs of users.
Learn about becoming a User Experience Designer -
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers work with both digital and physical media to create art that communicates and inspires. Using graphics, text, colors, and animations, graphics designers develop media assets for branding, advertising, and messaging. Graphics designers can work for agencies or themselves. They create a wide variety of design elements, such as brochures, infographics, marketing material layouts, and design elements for print, video, or web use.
Learn about becoming a Graphic Designer -
Motion Graphics Designer
Motion Graphics Designers, sometimes referred to as MoGraph professionals, use visual effects and animation to create artwork for: television, film, tech devices, software, live-video, video games, applications, and the web.
Learn about becoming a Motion Graphics Designer -
Digital Designer
Digital Designers make graphics, animations, and other visual effects. Depending on their preference, a Digital Designer might choose to niche down to work exclusively on pre-print, web, or digital marketing. These niches that the Digital Designer is designing websites, applications, advertisements, or publications.
Learn about becoming a Digital Designer