6 Tips on How to Become a Better Web Designer
Many people think being a successful web designer means knowing Photoshop or Illustrator like the back of your hand. We’re not suggesting those aren’t incredibly important, don’t get us wrong. But being a great web designer often means more than just knowing your software.
In this article, we’ll give you some tips and tricks on how to elevate your web design game. So if that’s something you’re interested in, keep reading to find out more!
#1: Get familiar with storyboards.
You’ve probably heard of storyboards until now. They’re mainly used by video producers and animators to figure out how the scenes will look before actually animating them. However, a storyboard can be an incredibly powerful tool in a web designer’s arsenal. If you know how to make the best of it, that is.
Whether you draw one by hand or use a storyboarding template, a storyboard will help you put together a customer journey and figure out how the end user will interact with the website or app you’re designing. It will also help you identify and fix any possible flaws in the design before they can grow into full-fledged usability issues.
#2: Make a plan first.
Many web designers just let the inspiration hit them as they go. While this approach works in some cases, we always recommend having a “battle plan” before you start working on your new project. A little bit of planning can go a long way and can even boost your inspiration. It’s important you do your research before designing and you can easily divide this stage in three parts:
- Research your client or your client’s company;
- Ask your client what they want to achieve with the design;
- See what your client’s competition is doing.
After that, you can go ahead and make a rough sketch of the website you have in mind. We know planning can be quite hectic and not as interesting as the design process, it will save you time, money and a lot of headaches in the long run.
#3: Know how to sell yourself.
Thanks to the internet, anyone can find a web designer in less than a couple of minutes. There are are many options your client can choose from. That’s why you need to stand out from the crowd and convince any potential buyer that your skills are worth investing in. It’s definitely a jungle out there and you have to be the one who rises to the top.
We know designers usually tend to be humble in nature but if you want to get new clients, you should let your ego shine a bit. There are several ways in which you can acquire new clients, each with its own pros and cons:
- Word of mouth;
- Social media;
- Business cards;
- Blog;
- SEO practices.
#4: Always get feedback.
Whenever you finish a web design project, you need to take a step back and evaluate it. This, of course, involves getting feedback from your client and implementing it. Being able to accept constructive feedback and act on it is a trait any good web designer should have. You should also work on identifying and solving mistakes in your own work.
We know it can be hard to look at one’s own work from an objective point of view so here’s a quick tip: try to put yourself in the client’s shoes whenever you go through the final project. Moreover, if you take the time to ask for other people’s feedback, your skills will definitely improve.
#5: Don’t be a graphic designer.
You might be confused by this tip but allow us to explain better. There’s a difference between a “web designer” and a “graphic designer”. A graphic designer works mostly with print-based projects, while a web designer works with web based ones. There are few people who manage to bridge the gap between the two, because most designers don’t know the difference.
Web designing is a completely different world, with its own challenges and skills. That’s because of the medium, of course. The target audiences and the project objectives are completely different for a website compared to a piece of graphic design. However, that’s not to say a graphic designer can’t become a web designer, once they learn the skills needed.
#6: Keep yourself updated.
Technology changes every single day. There’s new software being released on the regular and it’s important you keep up with it. Now, we’re not saying you should be aware of every single app and website that pops up on the market. What we recommend instead is to take one or two hours out of your day to read up on new updates on your field.
Learn about what’s new, what’s trending and what your competitors are doing. Some of the best designers even have blogs or social media you can follow. A great way to see what design trends are popular is to check out services that offer website templates. This will help you spot some common things in what customers want and what other designers are offering.
Final Takeaways
Being a good web designer isn’t as complicated as it might seem. However, it does require some time, patience and effort. Many of the tips offered in this article can’t really be acquired fast by going through online courses or reading books. They require a lot of practice and time. But if you keep at it and keep working and improving those skills, it will pay out big time.
The most important thing, however, is to be passionate about what you do. If you love what you do, learning and improving will feel natural. And if you follow the advice we’ve given you, one day you’ll be designing world class websites.
