We often see questions posted online about how to become a web designer without going through the hassle and finances involved with getting a degree. Today we tackle that question.
It is not necessary to attend an expensive university to become a web designer. In fact, with the right amount of hard work, experience, and access to helpful resources, anyone can become a web designer.
But, how to become a web designer without a degree? By investing the time, money, and effort into getting it done. The web is filled with information for web design – some far more subpar compared to others. So, we’ve created this informational guide in hopes to help remove the guesswork from your research and help to kickstart your career. Let’s get started!
What Do Web Designers Do?
Web designers build internet applications and websites. Their work can range from e-commerce websites to apps. They are responsible for both its design and the programming and coding that makes it work.
Their main task will be to develop products based on the needs of clients. However, they must also provide an enjoyable experience for customers or end-users. To do so, they work with stakeholders, clients, and designers. As a result, developers will be able to comprehend the vision and figure out how to make it a reality.
Many web developers are strong problem-solvers, often identifying and correcting errors to ensure that the system runs smoothly. As new technologies emerge, they constantly enhance and optimize the site infrastructure. Depending on their job title and area of expertise, they will use different programming languages and platforms.
What Are The Different Types of Web Designers?
There are three main types of web designers:
UX Designer
Designers of user experience (UX) concentrate on the experience users have with products, services, or environments-both digital (think apps and websites) and physical. As a result, they identify consumers’ problems and devise ways to solve them.
They focus on how the user will interact with the website or web application.
They decide on structural data and take decisions based on human psychology and data based on user interaction research.
What’s the best color for a call to action button, where they’ll get more clicks, where should you add the newsletter subscription form, where to add an icon, what it should look like when clicking on it, etc.
UI Designer
Designers of user interfaces (UIs) use the results from user experience designers and interaction designers to sketch out the look and feel of an interface.
The colors, the sizes, spacing, shapes, and general aesthetics of the website.
A user interface (UI) designer works usually together with a UX designer (if there are any) to take some design decisions.
If you still need some more help to distinguish both, check more about the difference between UX and UI designers.
Front-end Web Designer
In small teams, the web designer can as well be one of the main web developers in the team.
A developer is also responsible for the general look of the website and that has to take the role of designer and even of the user experience part.
Their job is to design a website that fits their client’s brand, is usable, and resonates with their target audience.
Generally, they have to know front-end development, which includes HTML and CSS knowledge and perhaps some JavaScript.
Do You Need a Degree To Be a Web Designer?
No, you don’t need a degree to work as a web designer. You can get a designer position by showing off your skills on an online portfolio, on platforms like Dribble or Behance, or by having real examples of previous jobs you worked on. It is your design skills that will land you a job, not your studies.
Designing a website is simply the art of creating and planning. Sites are developed using images, CSS3, responsive web design, fonts, and many other elements. For the presentation, part of CSS is used, and HTML is primarily used for structure creation. So, if you work hard at learning to manipulate these elements, you’ll be well on your way.
How To Become a Web Designer Without a Degree
The process of becoming a web designer without a degree can be broken into three simple steps:
Step 1 – Select a Specialty
It is a complex process to build a website. Each element affects the others that are related to it. Depending on their category, web developers specialize in particular programs.
If you are interested in a particular area of web design, you can set up a course for further education and training.
Devise if you want to focus on user experience (UX), user interface (UI), web design, interaction design (IxD), etc.
Finding your niche will allow you to target specific needs and become a master of these masters faster.
Step 2 – Develop Your Skills
The more you design the better you’ll become.
You can start by getting inspiration from pages like Dribble or by paying attention to designs on websites that you use.
Take ideas from other designs and combine them into your own. What is important is that you keep on designing and showing those designs to the world to get some feedback on them.
Also, you can do some online courses to get the basic theory behind the design, user experience, or any specific niche that you choose to focus on.
You can find courses on pages like Coursera, Skillshare or Udemy. And if you want to do it for free, you’ll find plenty of good videos on Youtube too.
Step 3 – Get Proof of Your Ability by Creating a Portfolio
Demonstrable skills are more and more important in the field of web development. If you can prove that you have the skills to do the job, where you learned them isn’t important at all.
To show off your skills you can use the following platforms:
Or you can create your portfolio website. A great way to do it is by using a website builder, so make sure to check out these great websites to create your designer portfolio.
In essence, a web design portfolio is a digital place filled with examples of your work. Portfolios of web design can include complete past projects, themes, web pages, prototypes, apps, screenshots, templates, and more. Get creative during this part of your web design journey!
Get inspiration by checking these 20 Awesome Web Developer Portfolio Examples and these UX design portfolios.
And if you want to get into front-end web designing (which is optional) then you must be comfortable with core languages such as HTML and CSS and even a bit of JavaScript to do basic dynamic interactions.
Additionally, you can learn some front-end frameworks such as Bootstrap, Foundation, or TailwindCSS.
If you want to go the JavaScript way, check out how to learn JavaScript fast.
For designers focusing on web design, it would be wise to host your web design portfolio on your website, which of course, can be designed fully by you (this would be a plus) or use a theme with good taste. Make sure to keep things simple.
How Long Does It Take To Become a Web Designer?
There is no set amount of time it takes to become a Web Designer, but coding boot camps, books, and short courses have shown that you can learn the skills and build your portfolio in as little as three months.
To get all the skills needed for most Web Designer jobs, you would need to attend a very intensive, full-time course.
The skills required include, but are not limited to, understanding user experience (UX), visual design theory, as well as proficiency with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, HTML, Sketch, Javascript, and CSS. A part-time course would likely take around 30 weeks.
Learn how to create better designs by reading some of the best web Design books out there.
Can You Be a Self-Taught Web Designer?
Yes! You can become a self-taught Web Designer if you want to. It can take months to learn the tools and the basic guidelines for good designs. Then you can keep on improving your skills at the same time you land some clients and create your portfolio.
If you plan to learn Javascript, we wrote an article about How Long Does It Take to Learn Javascript.
How to Become a Freelance Web Designer?
It depends, but by the time you have built up your portfolio and are confident in your abilities as a web designer, it may just be time to start looking for clients or marketplaces where you can sell your skills.
You can simply sell your templates or themes for WordPress on Coded Market if you already have them lying around. Freelance web designers can earn passive income in this way without having to deal directly with clients. Potential buyers simply download and install your theme or template themselves.
You should keep in mind that themes sold on marketplaces are commonly supported for life or in a limited capacity. As a result, if someone purchases your theme and has trouble installing it, you’ll need to assist them. This will enhance your reputation as a web designer and make you look more professional.
What Qualifications or Skills Do I Need to Be a Web Designer?
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Proficient in Design Software. Expertise in graphic design software will be essential. Including, but not limited to, Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Sketch, Adobe Photoshop, and other visual design tools, as well as posses visual design skills.
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Follow main Design Guidelines. A good designer will know how important it is to follow the main guidelines in design. The importance of colors, fonts, and distances between elements. The different rules that are commonly applied and the impact each of them has on a design.
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Ability to Maneuver CMS applications. Though not necessary, knowledge of CMS applications and cross-browser compatibility issues will also give you an edge in the market. The top CMS applications to familiarize yourself with are WordPress, Joomla, Magento, and Drupal.
Check out the Top 11 Skills Required to Become a Web Developer
Creating, building, and improving websites is the task of creative web designers and software engineers/programmers. By understanding user experiences, they create websites that are easy to understand, navigate, and use, while adhering to design standards and specifications.
Can I Be a Web Designer Without Knowing How to Code?
The short answer is yes. While understanding how HTML and CSS work is helpful when designing for the web, it is no longer necessary if you want to become a web designer. Now there is a variety of Content Management Systems (CMS) that allow designers to drag and drop elements of their web design instead of diving into code.
Conclusion: Yes, It Is Possible to Become a Web Designer Without a Degree!
It can be challenging to start a career in web design. Even so, if web design is your passion and you have a learning mindset and are always on the lookout for new trends, you don’t need a degree.
With hard work and determination, you’re even more likely to achieve more success than someone with a degree.
