What Is Digital Design? Types, Careers, and How to Get Started

What is digital design?

Digital design refers to a type of visual communication that presents information to users on an electronic device, such as a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. As you’ll explore throughout this article, digital design can include web pages, mobile app interfaces, graphics for social media, video game animations, 3D models, and more. 

Digital design accounts for how users interact with the end product, including:

• Optimizing how a design appears on and adapts to screens of different sizes

• A design's overall aesthetic appeal

• The way buttons, text, images, and other digital elements are positioned

• Making digital experiences accessible to and inclusive of all users

• Conveying a brand's identity

• Enhancing functionality, by improving page load times and response times

Statista predicts that the number of digital interface and web designers will increase from 200,000 in 2022 to over 229,000 by 2032 [1]. This kind of job growth could signal a demand for digital designers and point to an increasing need for effective user interfaces on any device or program.  

Digital design vs. graphic design 

While researching this topic, you may be wondering how graphic design relates to digital design. There is some overlap between these fields, as digital designers and graphic designers both use software to communicate ideas visually. You can think of digital design as a broader field, encompassing graphic design, UX/UI design, 3D design, and more.  

Explore additional distinctions below. 

Digital developers often work with digital designers to turn visual mockups into functional websites, apps, or other interactive material, using code.  

Types of digital design 

Digital design encompasses many types of user interfaces and purposes and can figure into a variety of personal or professional goals. For example, you may want to start a digital design career, hire a digital designer for a project, or learn specific digital design skills to enhance your business. Explore digital design possibilities below. 

Digital UX/UI design

Digital user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design both involve optimizing human-computer interactions so that users can easily find information, take action, and engage meaningfully with a brand on any device. Digital designers who focus on UX and UI might create websites, landing pages, digital products, and apps. Design considerations might include the layout of on-screen elements, including text, buttons, colors, fonts, images, graphics, and more. 

Digital design for marketing 

Digital design for marketing involves the design of digital assets to increase brand awareness, communicate messages to a target audience, capture a brand’s look and feel, and promote products. Some of the assets that a digital designer might create include infographics, email templates, banner ads and display ads, social media pages, social media graphics, and animated GIFs. 

Read more: Brand Marketing: What It Is + How to Create Your Strategy

Digital design for desktop publishing

Digital publishing design refers to designing layouts for digital documents composed mostly of text. Some of the projects that a designer might complete include ebooks, online newsletters, magazines, or pamphlets. Designers might optimize the visual layout of elements, functionality, and the overall aesthetics so the user can interact meaningfully with the material. 

3D design 

3D design involves the use of 3D modeling software to create a three-dimensional representation of a physical object or space. The object can then be printed or manufactured in physical form or appear on screen in 3D. 3D design can encompass fields such as architecture, fashion, product design, augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR), event design, and animation for film and gaming. Designers can create 3D models of buildings, interior spaces, characters, garments, physical products, and more.    

Read more: What Is Spatial Computing? Definition, Application, and Careers

3D design can play an important role in the evolution and mainstream adoption of the Metaverse, as immersive virtual experiences transform work environments, gaming, and more. 

Read more: What Is 3D Design? And How to Get Started 

4 components of effective digital design 

The priority for every digital designer is to create with the user’s needs, interests, and experience in mind. Let’s explore the qualities that make a digital design effective:  

• Accessible: Users can easily understand and interact with digital design elements. 

• Engaging: A design reflects the brand it represents, captures an audience’s attention, and provides an aesthetically pleasing experience.  

• Interactive: A design enables and encourages interaction, including clicking, scrolling, and inputting information.  

• Adaptable: A design can adjust to different screen sizes. 

How to get started in digital design 

With all the possibilities in digital design, it’s important to weigh your options carefully. Follow the steps below to begin the process. 

1. Identify your digital design goals. 

Gain clarity on what you want to accomplish in digital design and the motivations behind your goals. That way, you can choose the path that best aligns with these goals. Here are examples: 

• Pursue a career in digital design, either taking on freelance and contract work or finding a job as a company’s in-house designer. 

• Hire a designer to create digital assets for your business.

• Learn digital design skills to complete personal or professional projects. 

Read more: Job Search Guide: Resources for Your Next Career Move

2. Explore types of digital design and examples of projects. 

Your next step is to narrow your focus to a particular area of digital design and raise your awareness of the different types of projects you can complete. Good places to get inspiration include: 

• Job listings on Glassdoor, Indeed, and other career sites, where you can discover the skills and experience that employers want a digital designer to have.

• Profiles of freelance digital designers on Fiverr, Upwork, and other talent sites, where you can discover projects freelancers take on. 

Read more: Working as a Freelancer in 2024: Your Guide

3. Take a digital design course. 

A digital design course can be a great way to build foundational skills, fine-tune your goals, and discover even more of what’s possible for your future in digital design. Look for courses that introduce you to different software, techniques, and projects that you can complete. 

4. Use different digital design tools. 

Along with taking a digital design course, be sure to get a feel for the different tools and software programs that digital designers use in different fields to bring ideas to life. Here are some popular software programs used in different areas of digital design: 

• AutoCAD for 3D design 

• Adobe Animate for animation 

• Figma for UX/UI design

Sign up for free trials of software you’re interested in learning more about and begin completing projects. 

5. Create and launch your digital design plan. 

Once you know your goals, areas of focus, the kinds of projects you want to complete, the skills you need, and the tools available to you, it’s time to take action. Action steps might include: 

• Writing a job description for the kind of digital designer you want to hire.

• Taking additional courses in a focus area to qualify for jobs you want to apply for.

• Applying for jobs in digital design. 

• Creating your first digital assets to enhance your own business. 

Learn digital design with Coursera

Explore Coursera’s offerings in different areas of digital design to gain skills like building interactive web pages, navigating the metaverse, and delighting users with engaging digital experiences.