How to Become a Web Designer

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

The full scope of creative web design includes more than what meets the eye. Discover how to become a web designer, including the skills you need to succeed.

[Featured image] A web designer sits at his desktop computer working on a webpage design.

Web designers create the visuals you see when you navigate a website, using web design tools to help enhance visuals and creating layouts that make the user experience pleasant. To become a web designer, you should study both the creative and technical aspects of creating attractive web pages, from designing visual components like colour and layout to working with clients on their vision. After studying for a degree in web design or a creative subject, you’ll find a range of steps you can take to bolster your resume.

Discover your degree options, the skills and experience employers seek, and the skills you need to develop. 

Build the right skills for web design

Web designers can benefit from a variety of both technical and workplace skills to accomplish their diverse tasks. You can have an eye for creative web design and learn how to put it to use, gaining or refining these skills.

Technical skills 

The technical skills of web design are the specific design and technical skills you need to create a website. To start, think about experimenting with design software, such as Adobe Photoshop, Sketch, and Illustrator, to acquire design skills. With these tools, you can learn how to combine fonts, colours, patterns, and white space for eye-catching web design. These types of software also help with tasks like photo modification, logo design, and website layouts (called mockups). 

To succeed as a web designer, you must also learn about the back end of the process. Some of the technical skills you'll likely pick up along the way include:  

HTML

Short for hypertext markup language, HTML is what you'll use to build the structure of a webpage. With this tool, you can learn how to perform these functions and more:

  • Insert headings, lists, tables, spreadsheets, and photos into web page copy

  • Add hypertext links so users can move quickly to another web page

  • Design forms for user interactions like ordering products or making reservations

  • Incorporate applications like video clips and sound clips into web page copy 

CSS

As HTML provides structure to your web page, cascading style sheets (CSS) is the computer language that gives it style. With this tool, you can change fonts, adjust colour, modify backgrounds, and more.

JavaScript

JavaScript (JS) is a scripting language you can use with HTML and CSS to make web pages more interactive. With JavaScript, you can generate and control elements of web pages like photo slideshows, interactive forms, and animated graphics. 

UX

Short for user experience, UX is a style of website design that focuses on what a user needs. Good UX designers consider website accessibility, usability, and visual style, and consider how a web page makes a user feel. One practical example of good UX design is building a website responsive to a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, and mobile device. 

Python or Django

Python is a simple, versatile, and very efficient programming language. You can use Python to create web applications and games, conduct statistical calculations, and more. If you're looking to build a complex, scalable website like Netflix or Spotify, you might use Django, a popular website-building framework written in Python.  

Take a closer look at Coursera’s web design-related courses and certification programmes:

Web Design for Everybody from the University of Michigan

HTML, CSS, and Javascript for Web Developers from Johns Hopkins University

Google UX Design Professional Certificate from Google

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Workplace skills

Also known as core skills, workplace skills have to do with how you work with others and on your own. Examples of workplace skills that benefit web designers include:

  • Creativity

  • Critical thinking

  • Reliability

  • Organisational skills

  • Time management

  • Attention to detail

  • Problem-solving 

  • Communication

  • Conflict resolution

You can work on building these skills in your daily life. For example, strengthen your attention to detail by being more observant of the creative choices that go into other people’s designs. 

Earn your degree

Pursuing a degree can offer an excellent starting point if you're committed to becoming a web designer. Colleges and universities offer diplomas, bachelor's degrees, and master's degrees in web design. 

Bachelor's degree

If you're interested in getting a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in web design, the journey will likely take three years if you attend classes full-time. On the other hand, a Bachelor of Design (BDes) degree takes four years to complete. You can choose a bachelor’s degree in various subjects focusing specifically on graphic design or a broader discipline that gives you additional design skills such as graphic design.

Web design degrees are becoming a popular choice after 12th and are accessible regardless of your stream. A web design degree includes hands-on, project-based experience and typically covers a range of subjects, including:

  • Design and colour

  • Desktop publishing

  • Animation

  • Multimedia

  • Web graphics

  • 2D and 3D design

Master's degree

A master’s degree in web design is only sometimes required, but it can help you specialise and stand apart from other candidates and show employers the skills and knowledge you have. To complete a master’s degree, you’ll need to have your bachelor’s degree first.

Earn a certification in web design

You can learn many of the skills you'll need to become a web designer through certification programmes and degree programmes. Certification programmes are an attractive option for someone who doesn't have much time or money to invest. Typically, these programmes last one year or less. You can find them online and at various technical colleges.

If you're interested in single-subject certifications, you can find courses on various coding languages, concepts in web design, and more. Or, you can look for programmes that combine several different subjects into one certification.

Career paths after a degree in web design

Web design is a popular degree choice in a world of evolving technology. Popular career paths you can pursue with a degree in web design include:

  • Web designer

  • UX designer

  • Graphic designer

  • Front-end developer

  • Back end developer

  • Teacher

  • Animator

Learn more about becoming a web designer on Coursera

Web design is a popular degree programme and career choice. If you want to see if a career in web design is for you, consider taking an online introductory course on Coursera, such as Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding from the University of Michigan or Meta's Introduction to Front-End Development. You can also check out specific web design skills you're interested in, such as HTML or UX design.

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