3 Tips for People Starting Out in Web Design
With a large part of our current day spend online, the demand for websites that can render properly on mobile, app and on desktop is at its peak. In this article, we look at the top tips that we can give to people that are just starting out with designing websites for themselves or for someone else.
Web design has become an increasingly popular pastime and full-on occupation for some people, and there might be plenty of opportunities out there for people who are talented at designing an eye-catching webpage. Partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of individuals, businesses, companies, and people, in general, have shifted to operate more remotely. That means that now, everyone needs a website, so there is more demand than ever for professional web designers.
Some individuals or businesses might also be looking for a web design expert to come in and make improvements to their website, perhaps to make it more user-friendly, more visually appealing, or to just generally improve and update the overall design to keep up with the times of everything moving online. If web design is something that interests you and you are somewhat tech-savvy and creative, you should definitely consider web design as a possible career choice. Another benefit of being a web designer is that it is that there is a lot of flexibility in it. You could work in an office or remotely, and you can choose to work as a freelancer or for a company/agency.
This article will make some general suggestions that you should take into consideration if you are starting out in web design.
Choose a Platform
Even if you don't know how to code, there are many choices of web design platforms available for you to choose from. You can choose to design your sites using WordPress, which is open source, or you can choose to use a website builder, which is a lot more user friendly. Some of the most popular website builders out there include: Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, and Editor X. Before choosing one and committing to it, do some research on the pros and cons of each and decide which will be best for you. Simple and Minimalistic Designs
One of the most important web design tips for beginners is to keep to a simple and minimalistic design. The goal is to design a unique website that looks nice, clean, and professional, and is easy for visitors to use. Simplicity often makes it easier for visitors to navigate a site and find what they are looking for, as a busy and messy site can be overwhelming, and visitors may get lost and frustrated.
People who visit a website don't enjoy having to navigate through a highly detailed, cumbersome, and hard-to-understand webpage. Having a website designed in a way that is very complicated may cause visitors to leave the site and maybe never visit the site again.
It might also be worth using images in the website's design but keep this simple as well. Don't use too many images and don't use images that clash with the site or are not relevant to the site. Although having images on a website makes the general feel of the site more appealing for users, having too many could make things more difficult for people. Having too many images on a website might also impact the loading speed of the site, and if it takes too long to load people won't stick around and wait for more than a few seconds.Mobile Design
With a lot of people around the world now using their mobile devices to access the internet on a daily basis, it is essential to have a website design that is also mobile-friendly. Some websites that are not created to be accessed by mobile devices can end up being rather off-putting for people who want to access the site on their phones, tablets, or other types of devices. Creating a website with a straightforward and intuitive design that is easy to use on a mobile device will result in more visitors and a lower bounce rate.
The best way to do this is by designing responsive websites. A responsive website automatically adapts to the device that is being used, so the visitor will have a seamless experience with everything appearing as it should. Get Inspired
Another useful tip is to take inspiration from other website designs. Although you should be making your own unique designs, looking through web design inspiration and other people's work can give you ideas that could make your work even better. As long as you don't copy other people's work, taking inspiration from them is a great idea.
This is also a good way of keeping up with some of the most popular trends in the industry and may also allow you to keep a watchful eye on how other designers are going about creating new sites. Get Feedback
Getting feedback from friends, families, experts and mentors is one of the most valuable things you can do in order to improve your work. It can be hard to look at your own work and judge it objectively, so getting someone else's perspective on it is helpful. Have people try out your site and tell you what they like about it and what they don't. And don't let negative comments discourage you – those can be the most helpful and they will push you to do better and improve!
