{"id":5979,"date":"2021-11-18T11:04:32","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T15:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freelancinggig.com\/blog\/?p=5979"},"modified":"2021-11-18T11:04:35","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T15:04:35","slug":"a-guide-for-beginners-in-web-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freelancinggig.com\/blog\/2021\/11\/18\/a-guide-for-beginners-in-web-design\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide for Beginners in Web Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

Becoming a web designer is a dream come true for many. After all, this job isn’t at risk of getting automated or redundant. Plus, it pays handsomely (around $60,000 per year in the U.S.) and is often done remotely. What’s not to love?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the path to landing your first job in this field isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. It’s no piece of cake. Fear not, though: once you know what awaits you and brace yourself for it, there’s nothing you can’t do. Here’s your guide to help you map out your journey—and prepare for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>1. Make the Time for It<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you see someone promising to teach you everything you need in a couple of months, run! That’s simply impossible. In reality, it’s going to take you at least <\/em>a year of hard work, especially if you need to juggle learning web design with other responsibilities, like a job or studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 3 tips for finding time for this endeavor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Reduce your workload<\/strong>. If you’re a student, you can offload your homework to paper writing services. To choose where you can order that, read reviews, like this one <\/a>domyessay review by nocramming.com<\/a> first. If you have a financial safety net and you work full-time, consider switching to a part-time job.<\/li>
  2. Keep it regular<\/strong>. Whether or not you learn on your own, you need to stick to a schedule. That way, you won’t be tempted to put it off indefinitely, cram, or make huge breaks.<\/li>
  3. Learn to prioritize<\/strong>. You’ll need to ask yourself one question: What’s more important, this or working towards landing your dream job?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/a>2. Understand the Scope of Skills You’ll Need<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You probably already know this holy trinity of web design: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They are, indeed, the cornerstone technologies you should start with. But they’re not the only ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are 10 other skills you should be able to add to your CV if you want to find a job as a web designer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. jQuery libraries and plugins;<\/li>
    2. Adobe XD;<\/li>
    3. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create mockups and wireframes;<\/li>
    4. Adobe Dreamweaver and Figma for collaboration;<\/li>
    5. User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design;<\/li>
    6. Responsive websites;<\/li>
    7. Graphic design: color theory, typography, composition, layout;<\/li>
    8. Web server management basics;<\/li>
    9. Search engine optimization (SEO) basics;<\/li>
    10. Working with content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Magento, and Drupal.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      There are also some soft skills you’ll need to demonstrate to your potential employers, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. time-management;<\/li>
      2. interpersonal communication;<\/li>
      3. creativity;<\/li>
      4. detail-orientedness.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        <\/a>3. Consider Investing in a Bootcamp…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Many guides like this one start with these words: “get a degree”. But that’s not 100% necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Still, if you want to gain some proper training in web design, bootcamps are a better way to go about it than colleges and universities. Here are 3 reasons why:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        1. They’re more affordable<\/strong>. One year of studies at a college or university typically starts at $15,000. Bootcamps aren’t as expensive: they usually cost several thousand dollars.<\/li>
        2. They’re shorter<\/strong>. A graduate program usually takes 4 years, an undergraduate one—2 years. Bootcamps, on the other hand, last from 6 months to a year.<\/li>
        3. They’re 100% focused on web design<\/strong>. At a university or a college, you’ll be taking a bunch of classes you won’t ever need. Bootcamps have a clean-cut curriculum packed only<\/em> with the knowledge and skills that you’ll actually use.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          <\/a>4. …Or Start with Free Online Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          If you haven’t written a single line of code in HTML or CSS yet, you can’t be sure if this is your thing yet. And that’s fine! This is where using these 4 free online resources to learn some basics will come in handy—it’ll help you understand if you want to stick with it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n