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

Digital design accounts for how users interact with the end product. It includes optimising how a design appears on and adapts to screens of different sizes, its overall aesthetic appeal, and how you position buttons, text, images, and other digital elements. 

According to IBIS World, the number of graphic design businesses worldwide stands at 429,198, with a 2 per cent growth in 2024 [1]. This kind of job growth could signal a demand for digital designers and indicate an increasing need for effective user interfaces on any device or program.  

Explore digital design in more detail, including the potential paths and qualifications you’ll need to begin an exciting career. 

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. Digital design can include web pages, mobile app interfaces, graphics for social media, video game animations, 3D models, and more. 

Digital design vs. graphic design 

Graphic design and digital design overlap in several areas, as digital designers and graphic designers both use software to communicate ideas visually. To understand their distinctions, think of digital design as a broader field, encompassing graphic design, UX/UI design, 3D design, and more.  

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 various 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 optimising human-computer interactions so that users can easily find information, take action, and engage meaningfully with a brand on any device. Digital designers focusing 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, colours, fonts, images, graphics, and more. 

Digital design for marketing 

Digital marketing design involves creating 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 

Digital publishing design refers to designing layouts for digital documents, including infographics, email templates, banner and display ads, social media pages, social media graphics, and animated GIFs. 

Digital design for desktop publishing

Digital design for desktop publishing consists mainly of text. Some of the projects that a designer might complete include ebooks, online newsletters, magazines, or pamphlets. Designers might optimise the visual layout of elements and the overall aesthetics so the user can interact meaningfully with the material. 

3D design 

Three-dimensional (3D) design involves using 3D modelling software to create a three-dimensional representation of a physical object or space. You can then print the object, manufacture it in physical form, or design it to 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.    

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. 

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. Consider 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 make a start in digital design 

Know your goals and interests, and use them to guide your path forward. With all the possibilities in digital design, it’s crucial 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. The following offers a few 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. 

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 what skills and experience 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. 

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. The following 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, focus areas, the kinds of projects you want to complete, the skills you need, and the tools available, it’s time to take action. For example, you might:

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

• Apply for jobs in digital design. 

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

Learn digital design with Coursera

Digital design is a dynamic field that can open the door to various career opportunities. 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. As a starting point, consider checking out Google’s UX Design professional Certificate, offered on Coursera.