How to Become a Web Designer: A Complete Guide

Imagine it’s a year from now. You’re kicking back in your Herman Miller chair, your split keyboard and dual monitor at the ready. Your latest project just landed a Webby, and spiked client sales by 500%. Your boss says you’re indispensable, and she offered you a raise.

That Marcotte-level future is right around the corner. 5 million job seekers have done it, and there’s nothing stopping you. You just need the right steps and a little guidance from real-world web designers.

In this article, you’ll get those steps and that advice, plus the tips to make your job search short and sweet. Ready?

IN THIS GUIDE:

What Is Web Design?

Steps to Becoming a Web Designer

Web Design Jobs and Related Roles

Creating a Web Designer Portfolio

What Is Web Design?

Web design is the art of creating functional, visually appealing websites. Web designers work in layout, colors, typography, and graphics to build memorable user experience and increase engagement. Effective web design clearly communicates a brand message, and works on multiple devices.

Career Outlook

In 2024, there were 18,600 new web designer jobs, added to 222,600 from 2023. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2023 median salary for a web developer is $92,750. Some web designers make over $100k.

The Federal Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts overall employment for Web developers will grow by 8 percent in the next 10 years. That’s faster than average. Fueling this growth is a demand for more mobile site design and more remote positions.

Why Should You Become a Web Designer?

If you like the idea of remote, creative work, setting your own hours, and debugging code, web design can be a satisfying career. It also has a steep learning curve, and your job satisfaction will depend heavily on the team you get hired into. If you don’t like constant learning, or if computer work sounds dull, web design might not be your cup of tea.

Web designers can do client work for large or small design firms, or work directly for a single entity (like a clothing retailer or a university). In freelance or small business roles, they also act as developers. Some web designers work almost exclusively with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Many others specialize in UX or UI design, adding tools like Figma to their skill set.

They work closely with graphic designers, content strategists, product managers, developers, and other digital marketing specialists. Their work is often rewarding, challenging, and fun, with plenty of room for growth upward or into different roles.

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Steps to Becoming a Web Designer

Ready to start crushing wireframes like Jeffrey Zeldman? You need a solid starting point and a path as clear as Amazon’s user flow. Your new career starts with an honest assessment of where you are.

1. Assess Your Current Skill Set

To become a web designer, first be honest about your current skills. Take some time to rate yourself on each of the following on a scale of 1-5:

• HTML: Critical. This is the core markup language for web content.
• CSS: Critical. Like HTML, CSS is fundamental for styling and layout.
• Responsive Design: Critical. A must in our mobile-first world.
• User Experience (UX) Principles: Critical. Vital for creating user-friendly interfaces.
• JavaScript: Important. Helps with interactivity, though some designers focus more on visual aspects and collaborate with developers on dynamic features.
• Basic Graphic Design: Important. These skills improve your ability to create compelling visuals and layouts.
• Familiarity with Design Tools (particularly Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma): Important. Necessary for making wireframes, prototypes, and final designs.

2. Consider Your Education

If you’re a complete newbie, take an online tutorial or class in HTML, and try to build a basic website. You may also need to know how to use a preprocessor like Sass that extends the usefulness of CSS.

Your education plays a role in the jobs you can get and the projects you can work on.

• High school diploma: You don’t need a college degree to work in web design. Some get by with a high school diploma, learning on the job. However, a degree can help you get hired faster, and it can help you get a better job.
• Associate degree: Many in the industry start with an Associate Degree in Web Design or a related field. These programs usually take two years. They offer hands-on experience in skills like HTML, CSS, and responsive design. They also introduce common tools like Adobe XD and Figma.
• Bachelor’s degree: If you’re aiming for bigger projects or leadership roles, you might get a Bachelor’s degree. This takes three to four years, but you’ll learn design theory, advanced coding, and user experience. These can set you apart from the crowd.
• Certificate: You can get a hands-on certification in web design in less than a year, with all the coursework you need to build your skill set and impress hiring managers.

3. Get Hands-on Practice

As an entry-level web designer, a few projects won’t get you the lead role at companies like Mailchimp or Buffer. But a little experience can put you head-and-shoulders above the other entry-level candidates in the stack. Do some personal projects like redesigning your own website or making one for a friend or family member.

You can also enter online design challenges or hackathons, work short internships or freelance gigs. You can also join an open-source project on GitHub. Put your projects up on UserTesting or Lookback to get user feedback. Any of these things can add to your portfolio and get you ready for the challenges you’ll face.

4. Write a Resume

Here’s a tip: The hiring manager won’t hire the best web designer. They’ll hire the best resume. But don’t worry. Writing a web designer resume is a lot easier than it used to be. Go to ChatGPT, and in the left margin, click “Explore GPTs.” Type in “resume” and hit enter. Select the first tool that comes up, and ask it to evaluate your current resume or write a new one. It’ll ask a few questions and write a top-notch resume for you.

One caveat: Make sure your resume is packed with action verbs and numbers. A resume that just lists job duties won’t get noticed. You need achievements, like this: “Designed and developed a personal portfolio website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, resulting in a 40% increase in engagement. Showcased various projects that received positive feedback from peers and industry professionals.”

5. Build a Professional Network

You’ll dodge the dreaded “job search black hole” if you build a strong network of other web designers and digital marketing pros. Connect with:

• Classmates and instructors from your design classes
• Industry professionals you meet at web design conferences and workshops
• Web designers on LinkedIn
• People in design-specific groups on LinkedIn, such as Web Design, Email Design – Email Marketing & UX/UI

Join forums like Designer Hangout or UX Mastery, where you can ask questions and share insights. Join local design meetups or hackathons to find potential mentors. A strong web design network can lead to job referrals, freelance opportunities, and valuable feedback

Can You Become a Web Designer With No Experience?

You can absolutely start as an entry-level web designer. You can learn the basics of HTML, CSS, and design principles via free platforms like Codecademy, Coursera, or YouTube. For a stronger education, get a professional certificate in web design. Do personal projects like building your own portfolio website to apply what you’ve learned and develop your skills. Add to it with online design challenges or open-source projects.

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Web Design Jobs and Related Roles

The types of careers that currently exist for web designers are much more varied than they were just a few years ago. Although many of the duties and responsibilities are similar across these various occupations, there are some important differences.

You may find yourself doing aspects of several different facets of web design depending on the type of work you do. There are no hard boundaries between them. Employers or clients may expect you to have some knowledge of each.

With all this in mind, here are some of the specific types of careers you might pursue as a web designer.

Front-End Developer

Client-side development, also known as front-end development, is focused on producing CSS, HTML, and Javascript for websites or web applications that users see and engage with. Skilled front-end developers create sites that display the information users want to see in an easy-to-read format. Functionality across the multitude of devices, programs and resolutions we use today is imperative.

The main goal for this type of developer is to make sure website visitors can easily navigate and interact with the pages and elements of the site. This requires a combination of programming, design and technology knowledge.

Some of the things you may need to do as a front-end developer are:

• Optimize the User Experience (UX)
• Develop User Interface (UI)
• Maintain front-end aspects of websites
• Debug and test elements of websites
• Create mobile-friendly designs

User Interface (UI) Designer

User Interface (UI) Design is a type of User Experience (UX) design. Often UX and UI are used interchangeably, but they are quite distinct. User Interface is what one uses to interact with the product. The User Experience is specifically referring to the actual feeling of the user.

A UI designer is tasked with building the look and interactivity of a website or web application. A good UI designer will create from the user’s point of view.

Some tasks a UI designer may perform are:

• Front-end web development or app development
• Visual Design (typography, color scheme, buttons, and so on)
• Build and update style guides
• Interaction design (interactivity, animation, web tools, and so on)
• Branding implementation and maintenance

User Experience (UX) Designer

While intimately related to User Interface design, User Experience (UX) design relates more directly to the user’s feelings or overall experience than UI does. It is a human-first approach to creation and design. This design isn’t just in the digital space, either. It applies to physical products, technologies and just about anything that can be experienced.

Some things a User Experience designer may do are:

• Testing and analysis
• Competitor Analysis
• Prototyping and wireframing
• Content Development
• Customer analysis

Related Fields

There are two roles that are closely related to Web design, but much more technical in nature: webmaster and back-end developer. Sometimes a skilled coder and designer can fulfill both roles.

Webmaster

Webmasters are in charge of designing, improving and maintaining websites. They may work for a company or be self-employed with several clients. It’s very helpful to have a wide range of skills and abilities because most webmasters end up doing much more than initially expected. Webmasters will sometimes have the role of web designer, graphic designer, search-engine optimizer, and even content writer occasionally.

It is imperative for webmasters to know about the businesses they are representing online. Every business or organization has a different model and their web presences need to reflect that. Websites need a clear journey or process for the various goods and services each provide and must appeal to their particular clientele.

Some of the responsibilities for webmasters are:

• Writing code for building and maintaining websites (such as HTML, HTTP, XML, and so on)
• Maintaining updates and security protocols for websites
• Meeting with stakeholders and helping articulate their vision into a website
• Staying current with the newest types of operating systems and their various applications or plugins

Back-End Developer

There are two sides to web development. We refer to these sides as the “front end” and the “back end.” You can think of the “front” as being what the customer sees and the “back” as everything behind the curtains that facilitates the front end.

Back-end development is essentially server-side development. It has a needed focus on website architecture, scripting, integrations and databases. These developers take build and maintain all the web activities that happen behind the scenes when people interact with the site. That includes everything from logging in to a site to making a purchase.

Some of the duties and responsibilities of a back-end web developer are:

• Understand the purpose and goals of a website and the business associated with it
• Store and secure data from the website and users
• Manage APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) across devices
• Create and manage website architecture
• Organize the logic of the system and data analyses

Finally, there are various other careers that are very similar or adjacent to web design, but not really considered a part of the field. Still, you would benefit from having training in web design if you were in one of these related fields.

Here are some careers that are related:

• Computer Programmers
• Computer & Information Systems Managers
• Interactive Designers
• Digital Designers
• Graphic Designers
• Database Administrators and Architects
• Information Security Analysts
• Software Developers and Testers

How to Switch Your Career to Web Design

It’s common for people to start down one career path only to find they really would like to do something else later in life. If you’re considering switching to a web design career, there are some great options for you, depending on your commitment level.

Educational institutions are built to train, even retrain people for their desired careers. You can find a number of schools that can be attended entirely online. These programs are great for people who are working and need flexible schedules.

Certificate programs are really well suited for this type of person. They are designed for adult learners, often those seeking a career change. An undergraduate certificate in web design or a professional certificate in web design is a great way to start a path towards a new occupation.

Career Resources

You can’t have too many professional resources when planning a career path in illustration. An illustrator can always be developing a new skill, working on improving a portfolio, or networking. There are some great places to dig around if you have the time.

World Organization of Webmasters (WOW)

World Organization of Webmasters (also known as WebProfessionals) is a non-profit association of web professionals. This group is dedicated to individuals and other organizations that create, market or manage websites.

WOW provides training and education resources and certifications for web professionals at all stages of their careers. They also advocate on behalf of web professionals of all types. On their website you can find information on events and links to many resources for web professionals.

American Webmasters Association (AWA)

The American Webmasters Association is a professional association founded to support and connect individuals and organizations who are responsible for managing, creating and marketing websites. AWA provides members with learning opportunities and access to information that is important for those who wish to excel.

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Creating a Web Designer Portfolio

Once you acquire the skills and start building a work history, how can you show it to prospective employers or clients? You build a stellar portfolio to show it all off, of course. Here are some tips to get you started in the right direction.

1. Create

You need to have material to build your portfolio with, so the first thing you need to do is build that body of work. If you can create a print version of your work to go along with your digital portfolio, you’ll be able to carry it with you to interviews and show it in real time. A website is a great way to show off your skills as a web designer.

A good web design portfolio should showcase your best work in a way that makes sense and looks great. Don’t make it overly complicated and let your work tell the story. Make sure to choose a theme and layout that pulls it all together. If you have trouble simplifying it, try focusing on your specialized skills.

2. Promote

After you have your portfolio the way you want it, you need to find some ways to get it in front of the right people. This is imperative if you want to have a successful career. Thankfully the internet is a great tool for promoting your portfolio. You can share your work nearly instantly with anyone, anywhere.

Social media sites, websites, trade shows and other venues are great for sharing your portfolio with potential clients or employers. Always remember to consider your audience and, if you have the time, make different portfolios for different people. Make several portfolios, each highlighting a different skillset or body of work.

Practice talking about your work in a positive way. You know your portfolio better than anyone and can see your weaknesses. Don’t get negative when discussing your work with people. Focus on the positive and rehearse so you are comfortable talking yourself up.

3. Evolve

So now you’re finished, right? Not exactly. A portfolio is never truly finished. As you create more work, you will need to add it to your portfolio. If you haven’t updated your portfolio for a while, you might want to completely redo it from scratch. Use the feedback that you receive from people to constantly improve your work.

In web design, new technologies and programs are constantly being created. In order to prove you can stay abreast of all the new tools, you need to show it in your portfolio.

FAQ

Q: How do I start a career in web design?

To start a career in web design, learn essential skills like HTML, CSS, and design principles. Create a portfolio showcasing personal projects, participate in online courses, and consider internships or freelance opportunities to gain practical experience and build your network.

Q: Is web design in demand?

Yes, web design is in high demand as businesses increasingly recognize the importance of a strong online presence. Companies seek skilled web designers to create user-friendly, visually appealing websites. Web designers build strong user experiences and drive engagement, making it a promising career choice.

Q: How do I gain web design experience?

You can gain web design experience by working on personal projects, participating in online design challenges, or contributing to open-source projects. Internships and freelance gigs provide hands-on experience. This helps you build a portfolio and establish your skills in real-world scenarios.