Becoming a web designer is a path many take, less complete, and even less succeed at. That’s not to make you feel bad about it. In fact, you should feel encouraged to not become a statistic. The ones who fail at web page design fail in one regard: they don’t know how to create a successful website. They don’t know because they don’t do the proper research.

You’re not that type of person. That’s clear because you’re here, right now, reading this article. All you need to succeed is to go online and research the following design skills.

qQGKi

Keep It Stupid Simple, or K.I.S.S.

The first and most basic part of becoming a web designer is learning to keep it simple.

The website needs to be simple not only for the user, but for the user who will be using the site to gain information.

You shouldn’t be trying to rewrite The Odyssey in your code. The code should be clean and minimal. As the saying goes, “less is more,” not just for your design but for the code as well. Keeping in mind simplicity for the user should also help you in keeping your design simple to build.

All of the rest of the skills fall under this one main skill.

xQBFh

Learn Good Typography

Typography is extremely important in web design, but many schools focus very little on it. Most web design courses online don’t even touch on typography. That’s why you’ll need to research it yourself while becoming a web designer.

One of the major tenets of good typography is to use as few different size fonts as possible. While there are six different headings available to you through HTML, you won’t need to use all six. In fact, you should stick to two heading sizes, and one regular text size. This means you will only need to remember three different font sizes.

Many people argue on how you figure out what the three font sizes are. Some use the “Rule of Thirds”. Some use the “Fibonacci” or “Golden Ratio”. You’ll need to research and figure out which of these equations works best for you.

The best part about this is that you can stick with the same three font sizes for all of your projects. Once you figure out what you like, just run with it!

It’s also important to use the right font. Many fonts are not web safe, which means they won’t be available on everyone’s computer.

If you choose a font that is not on a user’s computer, then the browser will default back to one of two options:

-The next font specified in your predetermined font family, or…
-The browser default font.

If you work with only web safe fonts, you will be sure to maintain control of how the user sees the website.

Many companies have a branded font they prefer to use. This is fine in images, but may be an issue in the typography of the content. Find a font that compliments their brand font.

9kCbe

Learn Color Theory And Use As Few Colors As Possible

Being able to choose the right colors for a website is one of the most important skills you’ll need to develop. The best thing to start with is color theory. Color theory will teach you how different colors work together. For example, when you put red and blue together, you’re likely to hurt your eyes. Some examples aren’t as obvious as that, so you’ll need to study well.

Once you’ve mastered color theory, you’ll want to remember the main skill we’ve discussed: keep it simple. Don’t use a lot of different colors in a website design. Use as few colors as possible. Too many colors will not only become difficult to manage, but you’ll also end up in a situation where it looks like a mess.

A messy website is a failure.

And of course, as with typography, you may end up working with a company who has already established their brand and colors. You’ll need to work with what they provide to make sure you don’t hurt the image they’ve worked so hard to build.

CJ1M7

Learn to Work with Others

This may be the second most important skill to have, after learning how to keep your designs simple. You will have to work with other people. It’s completely unavoidable.

That doesn’t mean specifically working with others who will be building websites. You could be a solo designer who works from home. If that’s the case, you’ll most likely be taking client work. These clients will have specifications you will need to follow to meet their brand image requirements.

You can’t butt heads with these people. You’ll need to make sure your design is up to their specifications, specifically when it comes to branding.

Learn all of these skills and study well. You are on your way to learning how to create a successful website.