What is Web Designing?
Web design simply refers to the process of planning, conceptualizing and arranging contents online. It refers to the design of the websites that are displayed on the internet. Web design aims to solve communication problems between web users and web page information. In recent times, web design not only focuses on websites’ overall functionality. It also involves digital interfaces of web apps, mobile apps and user interface design.
Web design is about the design aspect of a website, not coding and front-end development. It has a few subdivisions which include;
- Interface design
Web design also offers interface design. Interface is an intermediary between the user and a system. It does not only apply to traditional websites. It also involves computer software, mobile apps, and several other products. The idea of interface design is to create an interface that is simple, intuitive and adapted to the target audience attributes.
Web design also involves working with search engine optimization (SEO). SEO ensures Google and similar websites properly index your content. This aids your content to reach a larger audience by ranking higher on search results pages. Although SEO is more related to content writing, web design makes certain that your website’s code is clean and does not cripple users’ experience.
- Web Graphic Design
Web graphic design involves everything that has to do with a website visual. From colours, and fonts to the general layout of the web pages.
- User Experience Design
A web design professional is saddled with creating a worthwhile experience for the users. This means understanding what your user’s need and delivering it to them.
How much do web designers make?
The amount a web designer earns is subject to different variables. This includes experience, location and skill set. According to Glassdoor, the average pay of a web designer in the United States is about $57,000 per year.
How to become a web designer?
To become a website designer, you need to
- Learn web design theory which are the foundational principles to creating good websites. It includes user experience, website structure and colour theory. This can be learnt by attending web design courses or boot camps, watching available videos on YouTube.
- Learn web design tools that are key for you to work as a web designer. Recommended tools include WordPress, InVision Studio, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Sketch and Google Web Designer. These tools help to create beautiful and functional websites.
- After you can make use of key web design tools, you are expected to lay your hand on some web design projects. This gives you the opportunity to fully put what you’ve learnt to practice and also hone your skill.
- Once you have worked on a few projects, you are required to develop a portfolio that showcases your web design work. A portfolio of your design is a key tool when applying for a job as a web designer. Clients’ and employees like to see how you can communicate the process behind the web design.
Once these few steps are followed, you can begin to apply to relevant web design jobs that meet your skills and experience (probably entry-level jobs).
What does a web designer do?
A web designer plans, creates and arranges contents online. Many of which include text with sounds, pictures, graphics and video clips. The web designer is charged with the responsibility of building the design and layout of the websites and web pages.
What is responsive web design?
Responsive web design suggests the development and design of a website that responds to the user’s behaviour and environment based on the screen size, platform and orientation. This means the website should be able to accommodate for resolution, image size, and scripting abilities when a user switches from their laptop to mobile devices.
What is a storyboard in web design?
A storyboard refers to the blueprint of a web project. It is a flexible tool that is used to display the elements of a web page such as banners, images, graphic elements, navigation and text. A web storyboard serves as a website design approach that aids to define the elements that need to go on each page. A storyboard also shows the navigational architecture, information flow and demonstrates how pages are to work together in order to provide the best user interactive experience.
How much do web designers charge?
Web designers do charge per hour or a flat fee per project. On average, web designers charge an average of $30 to $80 per hour. However, several factors determine how much a freelancer charges. These include the project length and difficulty, page counts, and commitment level. Web designers who fix a flat rate would have to understand what the project entails, the client’s budget and the project requirement.
How to start a web design business?
If you are looking to start a web design business, you need to
- Set up your work environment by creating a workplace that supports a work/life balance. Get the required software and hardware that are required to carry out every task. Build a simple workflow system and have a backup strategy for your computers and other required equipment.
- Build your network by connecting with other web designers and joining business communities. Join other community groups that may need your services or know someone who does. Assemble your team and decide on when you might need to outsource.
- Decide on the products and services you would offer and the pricing. It would aid your marketing strategy. When fixing your price, consider the cost required to get the project done. You need to make a profit and not just cover your expenses when you charge.
- Name your business and have all legal and administrative requirements sorted out.
- Develop your business plan, define your business vision. Set SMART business goals and define who your ideal client is.
- When negotiating with clients, do your pre-work to determine the work requirements and understand them. Develop contracts that protect you and your clients.
- Establish new client intake or onboarding process and control task change requests.
- Build your brand and build an online presence for your business.
How much does web design cost?
The cost of a web design depends on the way used to design the website. The three main ways to build a website involve hiring a web designer, building with WordPress, or using a website builder. On average, the cost of designing a website is around $150 with an average cost of $40 to maintain it per month. However, the cost can be higher if a designer is hired to build the website.
The average breakdown of a website cost is given below;
| Website Feature | Avg. Cost |
| Website Domain | $10 – $60 |
| Website Hosting | $3 – $ 500 |
| SSL Certificate | $0 – $200 |
| Website Template or Theme | $0 – $200 |
| Website Content | $0 – $2000 |
| Apps and Integrations | $0 – $100 |
| SEO and Marketing | $0 – $90 |
What is wireframe in web design?
A wireframe is a blueprint that helps you, your designers and programmers think and communicate the structure of the website you are building. wireframes save you a lot of time and adjustments later as it is usually done before any code is written or the visuals design is finalized.
How to get web design clients?
As a freelance web designer, it happens that you are all booked for a month and the next you are hunting for projects to keep bills paid. Below are tactics to get web design clients.
- Narrow down your services by picking a service you’ve offered in the past that offered more value to clients. This method excludes everyone who won’t find value for your services. It also increases your marketing efficiency.
- Another method to employ to get web design clients is by offering value for free. Offering a small piece of your service can be a great lead generation tool to get potential clients for big projects.
- Reach out to your networks-friends, family, and colleagues. Your network can be your best bet for clients’ referrals.
- You can also partner with other freelancers or freelance agencies. Doing this would grant you access to your partner’s client base to offer your service.
- Asking your past clients for referrals is also the best bet at acquiring new clients. Even if they are not looking to hire you for new projects, there is a strong chance they know someone who is.
Is web design a good career?
With the increase in technology and digital adaptation, there is a need for every company to rank its website on search engines. This leads to an increase in the increasing demand for web designers. Web design is highly prospective and has huge growth potential in the years to come. A growth rate of about 24% is expected in the field of web design by 2024. Also, being a web designer does not require a high-end degree. The profession offers work flexibility in the sense that you can work from anywhere as a web designer.
What is web designing and development?
Web design simply refers to the process of planning, conceptualizing and arranging contents online. It refers to the design of the websites that are displayed on the internet. Web design aims to solve communication problems between web users and web page information.
Web development deals with the building and maintenance of websites. It involves works that happen at the backend to make a website appear great, fast and perform well with a great user experience. Web development is carried out using various coding languages depending on the type of task that needs to be performed.
What is CMS in web design?
Content Management System (CMS) is a software that is designed to help users create, manage, and modify website contents without the need for specialized technical knowledge. CMS helps to build a website without having to write all the codes from scratch. The CMS controls all the basic stuff which gives you more time to focus on other things.
Common examples of content management systems are WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Magneto and Squarespace.
Can I be a web designer and developer?
Web design and development are both required to create a great website. Amazingly, web designers and developers require similar skill sets to produce a quality product. The good news is that it is not impossible to combine both web designing and development. However, it is important that you have a solid understanding of the two fields rather than try to meddle between the two at once.
Can I be a web designer without a degree?
You don’t need a degree to be a web designer. The fact is that there is no specific college or university degree that is designed for a career in web designing. However, to be a web designer, you need to be good at utilizing web design tools and have a theoretical and fundamental knowledge of web design.
This can be acquired by choosing a development scheme. You can join a web design course or boot camp to acquire the required knowledge. You can also self-learn with web design tutorials available on YouTube. You are also required to learn how to use key web design tools. Once this is done, you need to hone your technical skills by trying some web design projects. This helps you to better hone your skills and get you prepared for actual web design projects.
How is HTML useful in web designing?
HTML is a markup language that is used in creating web pages. It is one of the building blocks of every website. In web design, the knowledge of HTML will help you to improve your website accessibility and user experience. HTML is used to determine how contents and pages are displayed on a website. It identifies each element on a web page and uses tags to do it. This ensures all elements are displayed using the correct format.
