Have a think about how websites used to look in the early days of the internet. A few images, uniform fonts and a .jpg background – and that was about it.

Cut to today and just look at how far we’ve really come. Today we can access the internet on our mobile devices, in our cars and even on appliances like fridges. This in a nutshell, is what makes web design one of the most lucrative fields for any students looking to enter the world of tech and design.

But what skills do you need to get started as a web designer? Whether you are just starting out in the website design industry or an old hand looking to brush up their skills, these are the top three talents in tech design that are essential for success in this rapidly evolving industry.

Visual Design Fundamentals

It is no secret that the visual appeal of a website is the cornerstone of modern design. If a website looks bad, it will make poor first impressions and will fail to convert visitors into customers. This is why web designers are expected to have an adept understanding of visual design fundamentals, and all the design tools that are required to make a website really stand out from the crowd. This includes using user experience tools like Figma, but also more dynamic design tools like the free Adobe Express app, which more and more businesses are using due to its immense functionality and sustainable subscription models.

And it’s through using these design tools that budding web designers will learn one of the most valuable lessons of all: carefully using the right visual design fundamentals can inspire trust, generate excitement and tell a story about a brand’s personality. So for all designers, going back to the basics remains essential and you should be highly skilled in choosing the right colours, fonts (i.e. typography), and layouts for your website and all of its pages.

The impact of colours and typography speak for itself, as branding is also a major element in the general usability of your site, even if you wouldn’t expect it to be. For instance, you’d expect a baby supplies store to be branded with soft pastels and icons or graphics that appeal to new parents. If you clicked through to a baby store that instead was decorated with red flames and electric guitars, you likely wouldn’t spend very long in that store. But what does the layout of your site have to do with its usability?

UX/UI Design

Your site layout (or composition) is how different parts like pictures, words, colours, and shapes come together to create one clear design. Why does it matter? Because it’s about organising your content. Whether it’s text, photos, or other elements, if your layout isn’t smartly put together, your whole design will look not only messy, but also very difficult or inorganic to navigate. A good design uses patterns, balance, size, and flow to make everything work as one visual (and navigable) piece. 

The process of ensuring that your site layout is as user-friendly as possible is fittingly called ‘user interface design’ (or UI design). Both UI and UX design (‘user experience design’) revolves around building websites (and other products or interfaces) that aren’t just easy to use, but are also genuinely satisfying to use.

If aesthetics are the shining exterior of a sports car, then UX/UI design is the powerful engine humming away beneath the bonnet. While a website has to look great, it also has to function perfectly as any issues in the user experience can prove fatal. Research has shown that 90 percent of users will just stop using an app if it performs badly. Almost the same amount of people will simply go to a competitor website if they have a poor customer service experience.

It also stands to reason that more people will be willing to visit your site regularly (and even do business with you regularly) if your website is actually fun to interact with, and provides plenty of dynamic value to your user. This means value in the form of content and information, but also in the form of resources, tools, and deals. That’s why you can see so many banking websites publishing their own finances and loans calculators, or retail websites developing VR features that allow you to see what their products look like in your own home. These nifty tools enhance the overall UX/UI of your site just as much as investing in your site composition and navigation menu does.

HTML/CSS & App Coding

Speaking of arranging your navigation menu and the layout of your site pages, it goes without saying that knowing some coding, especially HTML and CSS, is super useful even for web designers who love the visual stuff. HTML is what puts your content on the web, giving it structure. CSS makes it pretty by adding colours, setting up the layout, and choosing fonts. Get the hang of these, and you’ll design stuff that can actually be built and work the way you want it to.

But there are different coding languages alongside HTML & CSS. In fact, whilst most websites are coded using HTML, there are others that are coded using JavaScript. Similarly, some websites may even have accompanying mobile apps, or perhaps even need specialised coding to ensure that site’s mobile friendliness. After all, it’s essential to create websites that are not only aesthetically pleasing but functional on both mobile and desktop devices. This includes tablets, smart devices and even appliances like fridges that can automatically log shopping orders using the internet. Responsive UX/UI design involves creating the seamless and intuitive experience across all devices that modern consumers crave.

Thankfully, there are plenty of Bangalore colleges that specialise in IT, and can teach you all you need to know about HTML and CSS, or even other coding languages like Python. You can even learn how to code independently, thanks to the growing number of digital courses, YouTube channels, and even apps that teach you all the basics of HTML and CSS. Any self-driven learner can grasp the reins of their own coding education, and hone their skills by just rolling up their sleeves and building a site using these coding languages all on their own. Never underestimate the power of trial and error!

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Web design is an ever-changing and evolving industry and it is crucial to keep abreast of the latest innovations and technologies to remain relevant and successful. By prioritising your skills building and learning in these three disciplines, however, you can ensure that you’re well-positioned to enjoy a lucrative and enriching career in web development.

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