20 qualities good web designers must possess
Creating websites requires pleasingly integrating text and images. However, non-technical abilities like teamwork and communication are also crucial.
20 essential talents for web designers
No matter where you are in your career, the following 20 talents will help you become an expert in design.
- Recognize the fundamentals of design
To make a song, you don’t need to understand music theory, and you can sketch even if you’ve never taken an art lesson. While some of us may be born with artistic talent, understanding the foundations might be the difference between copying what we see and being able to create a calculated and original design.
- Typefaces
Typography affects how we interpret ideas. As a designer, it’s critical to understand the best ways to convey messages with the appropriate typographical choices. A typeface’s weight and geometry transmit meaning.
- Structure
Placing the text, images, and other components combines artistic and practical goals. There is the arrangement and hierarchy of ideas, as well as the visual harmony of a design. Important stuff should be visually appealing and catch our attention.
- Theory of Color
You can construct beautiful color palettes using fundamental ideas, such as mixing primary colors to make new hues. Knowing the color wheel and how complimentary, contrasting, and analogous colors interact essential for designers.
- Computer design software
Designers should be comfortable with a few design software packages, including Adobe Illustrator, XD, Photoshop, Figma, and Webflow. You should be able to edit vector-based visuals, such as a logo that may come your way, and have a solid understanding of picture editing fundamentals.
- Systems for content management (CMS)
A CMS, like this blog Collection from the Webflow template Fashionlatte, may be used to manage enormous blocks of content with much less effort if you know how to utilize it.
A CMS will simplify the procedure for information that requires frequent updating, such as blog entries, recipes, or events. Wrangling information will be made much easier by using a CMS to connect relevant data and personalize themes. You can produce the material you require using Webflow’s integrated CMS capability, which contains templates.
- Flexible design
A crucial step in the creation of websites is responsive design. Elements like menus, text, and buttons that use HTML, CSS (cascading style sheets), and JavaScript must be readable and navigable on all devices.
- User Experience (UX)
User Experience, which combines a site’s usability with incorporating interactive and dynamic aspects to make the design enjoyable to explore, focuses on a person’s emotional reaction to a structure. UX seeks to engage and direct users through the website to customize their experience.
- User Interface (UI)
UX is more interested in the general features of how a design impacts a person, whereas UI is more concerned with specifics. UI includes web pages, buttons, menus, and little interactions. For a seamless experience, these components smoothly lead a viewer through a design.
- Visual arts
The website and graphic design share the same creative environment. Both involve the creative process of creating images. Graphic design, on the other hand, focuses on producing graphics with enduring appeal, whereas web design is a medium where constant modifications and upgrades are a part of any project. Even if creating a logo or a website may fall under a different design discipline, branding encompasses both.
- Image modifying
A carefully chosen image can help a design by bringing in color and clarity. Even average photographs can come to life with a bit of photo-editing magic. Lackluster images can seem fantastic if you have the skill to change elements like color levels, brightness, saturation, and contrast.
- Resilience
You’ll need patience whether you’re having trouble incorporating a client’s comments, struggling to make the navigation simpler, or becoming impatient with the pace of your design job.
Step back and switch to something else if you are about to rip your hair out. A change of scenery will jolt things into perspective and possibly assist you in solving whatever issue you’re currently dealing with. If it doesn’t, try making the project simpler.
- Make a deal
Compromise can be challenging. You put a lot of effort into creating this lovely design to showcase your talent. But you might have to murder your darlings if the client doesn’t like it. This might be a terrible blow to your ego if you allow it.
- Self-knowledge
Knowing your limitations is quite helpful.
How many of us have lied about our knowledge of software and claimed to be experts? Or said we were proficient in a dozen computer languages when we weren’t or claimed to be an SEO expert? Others advise “faking it till you make it.” But if you’re lying, you probably won’t get away with it.
- Requirement
Discipline can help freelancers be more productive and meet deadlines, which always approach more quickly than we anticipate.
An essential aspect of this is time management. Turning off social media and eliminating distractions will help you get to work. Use your time wisely to enjoy a design process that is more of a leisurely walk than a frantic dash.
- Interaction
Both people skills and pixel abilities are crucial. Communicating your project’s vision is critical so that non-designers can grasp it. Stakeholders can range from the marketing team to the project’s founder, so it’s essential to be able to explain what you’re designing and how it will help the project achieve its objectives.
- Writing copy
Should authors also be designers? Should authors be familiar with design? Your effectiveness in both copy and design will increase if you comprehend how they interact.
Making an impression is the goal of great literature and design. You must be able to spot overly wordy information and decide whether to ask the author to simplify it or if you can write, take care of editing yourself.
- Business Planning
While we don’t want you to become a business expert, you must understand how your design will advance a client’s objectives.
It’s simple for people to throw money at a problem, especially those who work in the business world. But always consider whether a solution will succeed with an analytical mindset. Sometimes a client doesn’t require a complete site redesign; a few SEO and navigational changes may be sufficient to draw in more visitors.
19 Internet optimization (SEO)
Copywriting and internet marketing are relevant here. The secret to getting people to notice your work is to create information that is Google searchable. Integrating keywords and phrases into the material is critical to good SEO. It’s crucial to understand when SEO feels forced, detracts from readability, and has to be revised.
- Detail-oriented
Effective design does not happen by accident. Design decisions should be considered carefully, including layout, color design, and navigation. Each component of a plan should be given careful consideration.
Your work will be more precise if you ensure every design element has a function.
