Skills Every Web Designer Must Master

Web design may be a creative process, but there is a method to the madness that can

only be described as scientific. Most of the job is about knowing how to code and design

pages and apps, but a significant portion of it also involves having a good sense for what

looks good and what doesn’t. If you would like to become the best web designer you can

be, there are a couple of basics that you will need to know in order to make yourself

visible to the masses.

Developing these skills is very easy, however, it will take you some time before you have

mastered all of them. Listed below are some of the basics that you absolutely have to

know to be a good web designer, and not all of them involve technical ability.


1  Learn Every Aspect of the Design Process

Learning every aspect of the design process may seem like an obvious thing to do, but it

is not as straightforward as it seems, especially since a lot of the web design process is

also part of the graphic design process. However, if you would like to become the best

web designer you can be, it is important that you learn the basics of graphic design as

well.

This includes learning how to use things like color to create the right theme for your 

designs, and learning how spacing, balance and proportion will influence how your 

clients and visitors view your designs. Perhaps the most important thing you could 

borrow from graphic design is the principle of flow, as this will help you understand how 

visitors will view the site, and enable you to manipulate the different pages so that you 

can draw your visitors’ attention to the important parts of the website.

2 Master HTML

HTML is basic coding, which many designers think is not really necessary to know, while 

others swear that real web designers should be proficient in it. However, the best way to 

approach the subject is to remember that you are designing for the web, meaning that all 

your work is going to be in HTML as it is the basic framework for the internet anyway.

If you know how to code in HTML, you will be able to design your pages with more 

precision than you can imagine. You will also be able to showcase your work better, and 

therefore be in a better position to sell yourself compared to designers who do not know 

how to code in HTML. Even if you do find it hard to master coding, the least you should do 

is learn the basics of HTML.

3. Learn About Copywriting

Copywriting may seem like something you do not need to learn how to do. However, 

knowing how to create the right copy can mean the difference between you landing a job 

and you losing a job to a competitor. Designers who can also create killer copies are in 

high demand, and because they have the additional skills they can charge a lot more.

However, creating a killer copy is not only good for your designs, it is also good for your 

marketing. If you can create a killer copy, just imagine how good your marketing will 

become when you apply those skills to promoting yourself.

4. Never Stop Learning

Web design changes more often than we change clothes, and to keep up you are going to 

have to learn new things all the time. As a web designer, you can never believe that the 

learning process is over for you, as you will never really be able to master every aspect 

of web design, as new things happen every day.

For instance, in the last few years we have gone from parallax scrolling to flat design to 

material design. Keeping up with these trends involves learning about them and how to 

execute them, and if you decide that you have learned enough you will soon realize that 

you will not be able to remain competitive in the market, and you will lose clients.

5. Be Business Savvy

It is often hard for creatives to develop the skills they need to be good at business. 

However, developing these skills is important, especially as a web designer who is 

probably going to work freelance at some point in their lives. You must remember that 

you are a business, and the services that you offer are your web design skills.

If you can run a business, you will be able to make the right choices regarding clients and 

projects. You will also learn how to be a great designer, make a couple of bucks at the 

same time, and how to ensure that your brand keeps growing stronger.

6. Learn How To Listen

Listening is a very important skill to learn, not just as a web designer but in every field 

that you can think of. However, in web design it is extremely important, especially when 

you are dealing with clients. You are going to have to listen to your clients’ demands, 

even when they seem unreasonable. Clients will always have something that they would 

like changed on their websites, sometimes while you are in the middle of designing the 

site. However, at these times, you need to learn to listen to what they have to say, and 

then, if need be, offer your own advice and see how they respond to it.

7. Keep Working to Be The Best

As was mentioned earlier, developing the skills you need to be the best will take time and 

effort. However, with determination, passion, and patience, you will be surprised at how 

good you can become. If you are passionate about your work then you will definitely work 

towards being the best, but you can speed up the process if you keep it in your mind and 

concentrate on it every day.