While the tech industry is flooding with in-demand jobs like DevOps Engineer, Cloud Architect, Programmer Analyst, Blockchain Engineer, Mobile App Developer, and many more, Web Design still holds a very special place and is highly revered in this field.
And why not? Web designers help companies achieve online success. They build websites that give the customers the first impression of a brand. The demand for high-quality websites never diminishes and that’s what makes most people choose a career in web design.
If you are thinking to make a career in web design, you need to be equipped with the most marketable skills. To your help, I’ll list down the most desirable skills to need to build a web design career in 2021. I’ll categorize these skills under two groupings ー technical skills and soft skills. So without further ado, let’s start.
Web Designing Course for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding
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- University of Michigan via Coursera
- 72 hours of effort required
- 69,745+ already enrolled!
- ★★★★★ (22,595 Ratings)
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5 Technical Web Design Skills in 2021:
1. HTML
HTML or Hypertext Markup Language is a programming language used to structure the content of a webpage. This means it converts a group of words into sentences, titles, subheadings, and paragraphs.
HTML elements define the type of information each web page item contains. For instance, the ‘h’ element indicates a heading, ‘p’ element indicates a paragraph. Even other content types like images, videos, gifs, etc are structured using HTML language.
Since it is the core of web design, any aspiring web designer is expected to possess such an important web design skill. Check out our extensive offerings to explore WordPress training options.
2. CSS
If HTML is the skeleton of a web page, then CSS is the skin. Cascading Style Sheets or CSS tells browsers how to format and style the HTML in a webpage. The aesthetics of a webpage is defined by CSS.
This is a creative part of web designing wherein you get the liberty to choose the fonts, colors, styles, background, and whatnot. This is the place where you can get your creative mind into play and customize the page the content as you want it to appear.
CSS helps establish an organization’s branding through content customization based on the site’s visual design. Owing to the importance it has on a site’s design, CSS is a must-have skill for web designers in 2021 and onward. You might also be interested in Free Web Designing Courses.
3. JavaScript
JavaScript adds the brains to the webpage with HTML as skeleton and CSS as skin. JavaScript is a programming language to help web developers in web application development and create dynamic interactive pages.
But how does JavaScript help you in web design? Well, it helps convert the static elements of a web page into interactive features. It is supported by almost all web browsers and is utilized by all websites for powerful site performance.
Most of the interactive features you see on a site are made using JavaScript. Some of the most common applications include calls to action, special effects, and confirmation boxes.
If you have HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in your skill kit, rest assured that you are going to ace it in your web designing career. But hold on. Following are the other skills you must possess. Read on!
4. Visual Design
Visual design is the fundamental of web design. Web design is not only about the mix and match of colors and to find which two colors pair well with each other. As a web designer, you must have a firm grip on the principles of design.
Principles of design include typography, typefaces, color palettes, layout principles, design elements, and the use of graphics. Above all these, you need to think by putting yourself in the user’s shoes 一 how individuals will interact with your design, what may frustrate them, what will delight the individuals, and so on.
This thought process will aid you in critical decision-making so that you can fulfill the expectations of the website. Site owners can consider reaching out to a reliable web design enthusiasts for their web design endeavors if they fall short of resources or want to outsource the web design work.
UX Design Fundamentals – Web Designing Course
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- California Institute of Arts via Coursera
- 23 hours of effort required
- 21,889+ already enrolled!
- ★★★★★ (682 Ratings)
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5. Design Software
Don’t step into the web design world without learning the design tools. Although you can design a website right on the browser, web designing tools help in executing the important aspects of web design like wireframing, prototyping, image processing, icon and logo design, creating graphics, and much more. Discover how wireframing courses can help you refine your design process and create better user experiences.
Design tools such as Adobe After Effects, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Mockplus can prove to be very handy for your web design endeavors. Numerous courses are available online to learn these skills.
So the next time you think of spending your hard-earned money on a Starbucks coffee or other whammies, give spending on design courses a thought.
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Top Soft Skills Every Web Designer Needs in 2021:
1. Communication Skills
Communication is a part and parcel of web designing. All successful web designers are great communicators. Understandably, because a lion’s share of your job revolves around communications with clients.
You shall keep your clients up to date with the progress in the projects, make presentations, pitch-in new ideas, and demonstrate your creations. This not just involves oral communication but written as well.
Copywriting, email replies, and proposals need strong written communication. They are in the pipeline of the web design job so make sure you get your hands on writing as well besides web design.
2. Time Management
Irrespective of your work profile, be it part-time or full-time or freelancing, if you can’t stay on top of your work schedule you aren’t going anywhere. Web design involves many sub-projects and you shall know which ones to prioritize at what time of the day.
Task management tools like Trello and Clickup can be really helpful. Also, time trackers and calendar tools can be milked for better productivity. Whichever tools you choose to use, scheduling and planning your work based on priorities are key to a successful web design career.
Responsive Web Designing Course
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- University of London via Coursera
- 18 hours of effort required
- 59,581+ already enrolled!
- ★★★★★ (1,526 Ratings)
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Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture
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- California Institute of Arts via Coursera
- 20 hours of effort required
- 12,023+ already enrolled!
- ★★★★★ (422 Ratings)
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Wrap Up:
Web designing is one of the most in-demand careers in today’s tech world. Web designers play a huge role in it making a company’s online presence felt. If you have chosen to make web design your career, I can only applaud you for your choice and would encourage you to learn these must-have web design skills.
Having these skills in your armor will give you a leg up in the tough competition and in excelling at your work. I hope this quick guide helped you in identifying the key web design skills to have in 2021. It’s your time to hustle and work on your dream of becoming a great web designer. Cheers!
