You want to be a web designer?
So you want to be a… Web designer? If you like the idea of producing pieces of interactive internet then check out our career guide – it features handy tips from a range of web design experts
What about a portfolio? How do I build up a body of work to show prospective clients/employers?
Nate Kadlac: Start working on your own site or projects, and push yourself as best you can. Designing sites for small businesses is a good way to go, as it’s a quick way to earn some extra cash and add to your portfolio. If you’re working for an agency, make sure you have permission to showcase client work on your personal site.
Rob Alan: Do a couple of sites for free to get your hands dirty. They could be your own personal sites, redesigns of famous sites like Craigslist or eBay, maybe something for a friend. Don’t dive too deep or you’ll make promises you can’t keep and get yourself in trouble right off the bat. Keep it simple until you have a few under your belt.
How do I get myself some work experience? I would like to get a taste of the industry – how do you recommend doing this?
Coen Grift: Get an internship to teach you about the ins and outs about the profession. If that doesn’t work, you can always search online forums for work.
Rob Alan: Some agencies have internships or part-time positions available. Seek them out and become a code monkey for a while. To become the problem solver, there is no better situation than opening up a document you didn’t create to fix a browser quirk or code issue!
Freelance or in-house? Is it best to work freelance or for a company?
Nate Kadlac: If you’re just starting out, I wouldn’t recommend going freelance. The more people who know you the more it will help in the long run. The easiest way to meet people is to actually work for an agency or corporation.
Is the money any good? What’s the starting salary for a web designer?
Nik Gill: Salary pretty much depends on the size of
the company and the location. London salaries are always much more than the rest of the UK. Smaller companies will pay a lot less for a graduate than a larger company. A starting salary of £14,000-£16,000 for a junior designer would be about average in the Midlands. If you are freelance, you’re pretty much at the mercy of your pricing structure.
Any other tips?
Rob Alan: Strive to be the best at your craft, and never be afraid of a challenge or to take something on that doesn’t quite fit your job description. Find inspiration outside the web and play around with the limits, but always come back to usability and whether the site actually does what it needs to for the client or other purposes.
Coen Grift: Apply your own style, and don’t just go with the trends.
Anthony Goodwin: With the web evolving at such a rapid rate, the need to explore new techniques and new technologies is a good way to stay on top of your game. Have a look around and see what others are doing and how others are pushing the boundaries. Be inspired by others to push your own creativity to produce user-friendly and engaging web experiences, but more importantly embrace what you do – after all, this will shine through your work.
Nate Kadlac: Meet as many people as you can in your field, either by attending conferences or getting involved in local organisations. Understand that talent alone won’t always get you a job, rather the connections you have developed.
Nik Gill: Never stop trying to better yourself. Keep an eye on what everyone else is doing and ensure you don’t get left behind. Complacency is the biggest danger to a web designer; you should always keep learning new styles and keep yourself current and standing out. It’s a great career and for many, including myself, it can turn into a lifestyle choice!
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That’s probably the best advice i have come across – especially the last paragraph from Nik “Never stop trying to better yourself……”
That’s where a magazine/site such as web designer can help and always has :o)
-Neil
This is so very interesting and well put together, we love this blog! Costa Blanca Web Design
Dear boss,
Share Knowledge, Build Network and Grow Business.
I know so so flash and photo shop but
I would like to know flash and photo shop much. so i want to get of your help.
thanks
Mohammad ebrahim Khalil
Work experience: yep, just my opinion. Don’t start as a Freelancer. Go search yourself somebody who can teach you lot overa long period of time. Most important thing: work work work. It’s bettter to learn fast and earn some money than to get stuck and earn a little more.
Well is there any insight on the actual software requirements and education you need to be a web designer? Also what type of companies would you recommend we aim for in an entry level position?
The only thing that bothers me here is the suggestion that people go out and do work free to start.
I know this is tempting and it makes sense because it does kick your portfolio work off in the right direction. It is not a horrible idea!
But I encourage everyone to to charge something for your work. Even if setting up a page you charge $50. It gives a value to what you do and it makes you liable to your client for what you said you’d produce.
Also your work is worth something, no matter how bad it is. If you make a restaurant website and it just has a picture of a Hot Dog and there phone number charge them $50 and they can put there domain on there sign.
Though highly recommend a college course of study and going to a company first.
@ sipep…Starting by doing work for free….Agree. You’ll end up putting in more hours than you can charge for on almost every project so best not to start out by putting in tons of work for nothing. If you don’t value your own work, why should your clients? A good website designer shouldn’t have to work for free.
Regards Cordelia @GWS
I would like to read some interviews on how the established freelance artists came to get big contracts with brands, did the brand approach them or did they present there work following a given brief.
I think this section of the magazine could have been strengthened with the opinions and thoughts of a specialist recruitment consultant who some would argue has more insite into what most companies are looking for from people.
Design is subjective and what one person likes another wont, so having a neutral voice in this article would have been better
Marc Shelkin
The best creative recruiter in London
To state that design is subjective and follow this by saying the author should have been neutral doesn’t quite add up, eh?
I think it’s great that people give their personal opinions, it helps to frame the horizon a bit and provide a more focused perspective we can more readily relate to.
Thanks for sharing these links, I was particularly inspired by Rob Alan, Nik Gill, Nate Kadlac.
Cheers,
Andre
I like this article, being able to see these portfolios brings alot of inspiration and creativity to the table, but I like how beneficial their advice is in answering the questions.
I’d ought to consult with you here. Which isn’t some thing I usually do! I quite like reading a post that can make people feel. Also, appreciate your allowing me to comment!
You forgot to say hand over £1710 to Adobe for their web premium suite whilst on a salary probably no more than £25K!
I have been operating freelance/self-employed for over 5 years. I spent a lot of time and money learning Macromedia 8, I hand code html/css and know a bit of PHP. I have built over 50 websites including dynamic database driven sites and ecommerce sites.
Yet I get the door slammed in my face time and time again by employers who care more about my (lack of ) experience of CS5 and preference for Fireworks over Photoshop. And demand expertise in what ever the lastest fad technique is despite never wanting you to actually use it for fear of browser compatibility.
The cost of thh Adobe suite and the industry’s demand for designers to use the latest version (whether required or not) is prohibitive and a barrier to new entrants.
£1710 for web premium and I see there’s no longer a more affordable web standard offer….
Anyone would think Adobe were pushing designers towards their subscrition model…. ;
Great article. Through him I learned interesting things in the future, however, write a little bit longer articles. I hope that will develop the site. greet