Web designer

As a web designer, you'll be involved in the technical and graphical aspects of website building, determining the look of each page, how users interact with and navigate the site (known as the 'user experience' or UX), and the overall feel. It's likely that you'll also be responsible for maintenance of an existing site in case of any issues.

The term web developer is sometimes used interchangeably with web designer, but there are differences. Web development is a more specialist role, focusing on the 'back-end' (the parts users don't see, such as data storage) of a website, using coding and programming languages to make what the designer has created work well. However, web design may incorporate some elements of coding when it comes to visual style.

The growth in touchscreen phones and tablets has dictated a new way of creating websites, and web designers need to ensure that pages are responsive no matter what device is being used. The need to test websites at different stages and on a variety of devices has therefore become an important aspect of the job.

Responsibilities

As a web designer, you'll need to:

• meet and liaise regularly with clients, identifying their design needs
• draw up detailed website specifications
• work on navigation and usability
• design sample page layouts, including font, text size, and colours
• create graphics, animations, and manipulate photographs using software, such as Adobe Photoshop
• register domain names and organise the hosting of the website
• present initial design ideas to clients
• work with different content management systems (CMS), such as WordPress
• consider search engine optimisation (SEO), especially if you're involved with creating some of the website's written content
• meet relevant legal requirements, including accessibility standards, freedom of information, and privacy
• keep up-to-date with new technologies and trends
• design the visual imagery and ensure it's in line with company branding policy or the requirements of the client
• use data analytics - for example, Google Analytics - to track website visits and page views
• proofread content and make changes where necessary
• retouch images and work on logos
• edit content, debug code (such as HTML), and redesign entire pages
• work with other web specialists, including developers and graphic designers
• liaise with outside agencies
• test the website to ensure it's working
• hand the completed website over to the client
• provide post-sales technical support
• train the client and their staff on how to work and navigate the site
• research current design trends.

Salary

• Entry-level web designers generally earn between £18,000 and £24,000, with an average of £22,000.
• Junior to mid-level web designers can usually earn in the range of £27,500 to 31,000.
• With several years of experience, this can rise to £40,000 to £50,000.

Salaries tend to be higher in London and the South East, depending on the size of the company and specific location. Web designers that adapt quickly to emerging technologies and become specialists may earn more.

Additional benefits might include pension schemes, parking, and life assurance, but it's not unusual for small companies to just offer a salary.

Freelance web designers tend to earn more per hour than those employed by a company. However, work is not guaranteed and additional benefits, such as a pension, holiday, and sickness allowance, are not included.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll typically work between 37 to 42 hours across a regular 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday week, but you may occasionally need to work extra hours in evenings or weekends to meet deadlines. Some roles involve being on-call to deal with unexpected problems, day or night.

The only equipment you need to be a web designer is a computer, relevant software and a high-speed internet connection, meaning you can work from almost any location. This lends itself very well to freelance work, being self-employed and working remotely. More companies are offering remote positions for web designers, and the demand for such skills is continuing to grow.

What to expect

• The job involves spending hours at a keyboard and screen, which demands high levels of concentration. Regular breaks from your computer are important, to prevent eye strain, a bad back or other related health problems.
• Web design requires creativity and a good eye for detail, as well as a solid understanding of client needs and preferences.
• This profession is currently male-dominated, with just 20% of the UK tech industry being women. Steps are being taken to redress the balance. For information and jobs geared towards women entering web design and other tech careers, visit Women in Tech.
• Work is almost entirely office-based, especially for in-house jobs. Travel to client sites may be required, such as when working on a large and complex project, and you may be based there for the duration. If you're self-employed or freelance, you'll often work from home, but may be required to be on-site or at your client's offices from time to time.
• The top location for web design jobs is London, with the South East also providing a good number of opportunities. Other hot spots include Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, and the M4 corridor around Slough and Reading. However, vacancies are available throughout the UK.

Qualifications

There are several entry routes into web design, and a formal qualification is not always necessary as some employers place greater value on strong IT skills, good technical know-how, creativity and experience.

Larger employers, particularly those running graduate training schemes, may place more emphasis on formal qualifications and require a relevant degree at undergraduate or postgraduate level, as well as two or more A-levels.

Relevant degree subjects, with either a creative or technical element, are numerous, but could include:

• web design, digital design, digital media design or interactive media
• graphic design
• multimedia, creative media or interactive media design
• computer science or software development (with web modules)
• UX or UI design.

Many universities offer web design with additional subjects, such as communications, technology, advertising, management, and programming languages. These can be useful should you wish to go in a specific direction, such as advertising, moving into management, or working abroad.

Information on degrees and degree apprenticeships for those wanting a career in the digital industry is provided by TechSkills.

Entry with a Level 5 qualification, such as a foundation degree, HND, or a DipHE, is possible, but a relevant subject, work experience, and a good portfolio will be required by an employer. With a DipHE you can turn course projects on topics such as web design and creative and digital media into portfolio pieces.

A postgraduate qualification is not necessary, but can be helpful, particularly for jobs with a high level of competition or if the qualification is specialised. It may also be useful for advancing into positions that have some management responsibility.

In addition to qualifications, a portfolio of web design work to show prospective employers will be essential. This could be in hard copy form or using a digital platform, such as your own website. You can build your portfolio even without work experience using personal projects.

Entry without a degree is also possible. If you're self-taught, and have developed some websites in the past and have a good portfolio, an employer may be interested in hiring you. Alternatively, you could become self-employed and set up your own business working freelance, but it can take time to build up a client base.

There are numerous training providers offering web design courses which can be studied in different ways, such as part-time or via distance learning. These providers include:

• Distance Learning Centre
• Pitman Training
• East London Advanced Technology Training (ELATT)
• Learndirect

Skills

You'll need to show:

• attention to detail
• creativity
• analysis
• listening skills
• teamwork capabilities
• team leading
• problem solving
• the ability to deliver presentations
• the ability to teach yourself new skills
• communication skills.

You'll also need to have technical skills, such as:

• Coding - HTML, CSS, responsive design, basic JavaScript
• Design and UX - UI/UX principles, wireframing, prototyping tools such as Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch
• Design and graphics - Photoshop, Illustrator
• Content management systems (CMS) - WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, other common CMS platforms
• Workflow and best practice - browser developer tools, accessibility standards (e.g. WCAG), version control (Git), basic SEO

It's best to show a combination of skills from each of the categories. You'll also need to demonstrate you understand SEO and online marketing.

However, the specifics of what's expected from you will vary depending on the employer, the technical level of web design, and the level of job role for which you're applying. You may also specialise in a particular aspect, in which case your skills in that area need to be strong.

Work experience

Your web design experience doesn't need to be extensive and any experience, whether paid or voluntary, is useful. You could create websites in your own time for family, friends, or a local charity. You could also embark on a summer internship or a placement year. The important thing is to develop a portfolio that can be shown to prospective employers, as well as to keep-up-to date with the latest trends in web design.

Joining clubs or societies at university can also be helpful. Those involving computing, web design, or multimedia will be particularly beneficial. Ensure, if only at a basic level, that you can perform all the tasks of a web designer.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

The variety of industries that might employ web designers is potentially very large, as any organisation that has a website will need a professional designer at some point.

Employers may have their own in-house team, or they may use external agencies, freelancers, or a combination of all of these.

Web design agencies are a good source of vacancies.

Other employers include:

• public sector organisations - such as universities or the police force
• private sector organisations - including design agencies, banks, supermarkets, online retailers and law firms
• third sector organisations - such as large and well-known charities.

The main difference between employers is what might be expected of you. For example, working for a design agency will mean being involved in a variety of projects, with a range of clients in different industries. This type of work will be very changeable and varied.

Conversely, being employed in-house may mean less variation, as you could be working on just one large website.

Being freelance or self-employed could also mean work is varied, but the amount may be unpredictable, with peaks and troughs throughout the year. This is likely to have an impact on your income.

You can find help and advice on freelancing from The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE).

Look for job vacancies at:

• The Chartered Institute for IT (BCS)
• Bubble Jobs
• Design Week Jobs
• Matchtech
• CW Jobs

The British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) provides information about the digital industry for the UK. Members can list their freelance services on the site for potential clients to view.

Specialist recruitment agencies, such as Hays Technology and Talando, commonly handle vacancies.

Professional development

Keeping up-to-date with new technical developments, as well as new design concepts and trends, is essential for developing your career as a web designer. Your employer will normally help you do this by offering in-house courses, arranging for you to attend off-site training, or by providing you with the facilities to train yourself.

Adobe Digital Learning Services offer certification in their industry-standard software. There are also numerous other training providers offering professional development courses.

You can maintain your knowledge of design trends by following web design award websites, such as CSS Design Awards, joining like-minded communities, reading professional design magazines such as net mag, and reviewing other websites.

Career prospects

As web design is a multi-faceted role, the first few years of your career will be spent developing a variety of skills. This may take four or five years, after which, you could be promoted to senior designer.

Once you've identified your strengths and which aspects of the work you like the most, you could advance your career, such as by taking on responsibilities for large-value projects, managing high-profile clients, leading project teams, usability, consulting, or even becoming a director of a company.

If you feel you'd rather concentrate on the creative aspect of web design, you could specialise in areas such as:

• graphics
• user interface design
• interactive design
• front-end development
• information architecture.

Alternatively, you may prefer a more technical role, and so you could specialise in the technical aspects of coding and develop a speciality in that area.

Another option is to obtain a teaching qualification and teach web design at a further or higher education institution. You could also work as a private tutor, training individuals or small groups.