Whether you’re self-taught, studied on Udemy or you’re holding a Bachelor’s degree, finding a job as a web designer may not be all that easy, especially without a strong portfolio.
In the quite probably unlikely event that you’ve successfully landed a job as a web designer without anything to show on your portfolio, the next thing you’re going to have to worry about is how do I not let my team down and prove myself to be good at what I do?
Understand that the worlds of studying and working are different and even though you may have excelled academically, you may never have been able to anticipate the challenges that can come your way out there in the ‘real world’.
If you’re facing these challenges now or are embarking on a career as a web designer, here are three tips.
Understand UX
UX is an abbreviation for user experience. It relates to how a user feels when interacting with what you have designed/built. The way something that you use works/functions can be said to boil down to one thing. A feeling, an emotion. Interacting with something that you use can be fun and it can also be frustrating. In many cases, UX can be what makes or break your digital product.
Good UX comes down to more than how visually appealing your digital product/website is. The colors that you use can play a part in web design and give your project an identity but don’t forget to think about things like mobile responsiveness, the placement of toolbars, navigation, readability of text, and more.
Understand the importance of SEO, social media, and marketing
Even though you may think this is not your job scope, if you are really looking to develop your talents and improve your reputation as a web designer or impress your supervisors/team and clients (maybe even rise up the ranks in your organization), you may do well to learn more about the role of an SEO company, social media, and marketing.
This can be particularly relevant if you are a freelancer as many brands and companies make a significant amount of sales through their websites. Knowing how to design your websites, digital products as well as applications with aspects of search and social conversations in mind from the start can make a difference to the success of your project.
Communication skills
If you think your job as a web designer is to sit pretty in a corner cubicle, you should probably think again. Being a team player and a people person can be very relevant to your role. Remember that design is a form of communication and even the projects that you deal with generally will be targeted towards people.
Keep updating your clients, supervisors, and teammates on your progress and keep an ear out for how people feel when they interact with what you design. Cultivating a certain amount of intuition when it comes to all kinds of communication (including feedback) can help put you on the road towards becoming a great web designer.
Interesting Related Article: “What Makes a Great Web Design Company?“