Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Becoming a web designer

I recently was having a conversation with an art student who wanted a better future than her job as a barista was likely to provide.  I suggested a job as a web designer.  She had no idea what would be involved, so I promised to talk to a web designer that I knew then get back to her with advice about what it would take.

He laid out a very concrete guide to follow for someone starting with an art background, talent for composition, proficiency with photoshop, and a willingness to learn.  I'm putting it up as a blog in case other people have suggestions, corrections, or can benefit from the advice.  Here is the guide.
  1. Design your own website in Photoshop.  What the website is does not matter, but making it look good does.  Think up something obvious (for instance a gallery for your artwork), figure out what pages it will have, what they should look like, then make prototypes in Photoshop.  If you've got artistic skills and know Photoshop well, this hopefully is fairly easy.
  2. Build that website in WordPress or another CMS (Content Management System).  Now you know what you want the web page to look like, now try to make a web page that looks at it.  You'll need to buy hosting, buy a domain, then install your CMS.  Now try to make WordPress serve up pages that look like the ones that you have designed.  You will encounter a lot of problems.  Google searches will often help you find solutions.  Browse http://wp.smashingmagazine.com/ for more ideas.  And if you need to compromise on your initial design because you can't figure out how to make it work, do so.  The goal here is to get something done that looks nice, and not necessarily to perfectly realize your first vision.
  3. Start freelancing.  Once you have demonstrated that you can build an attractive website, you have a skill that people are willing to pay for.  Go to https://www.elance.com/ and start offering your skills as a web designer.  You should start at the low end of the free-lance market, say around $50/hour.  You won't get steady work, but it is a nice side income.  And, more importantly, you're building your experience and a portfolio.
  4. Look for full time work as a web designer.  In a few months you should have 6-8 actual websites under your belt, and will have learned a lot more about working with customers.  This is a real portfolio to point to during a search for full-time work as a web designer.  Depending on luck, opportunities, location, etc, you might land the job you want, or may need to take an intern to full-time route.  A reasonable salary in the Los Angeles area to aim for with the full time job is probably around $70K to do design and HTML.  That varies widely over time, by geographical market, by company, etc.
  5. Upgrade your skills.  Once you have a job, you've turned skill at composition, knowledge of photoshop, and a willingness to learn into a real career.  But you have just begun.  There is a lot more to learn.  In particular over the next few years you need to improve on the underlying technologies of HTML, CSS, and JS.  You should be trying to educate yourself about UX.  You need to build a professional network.  There is a long ladder to climb, but at least you've got your foot on the bottom rung.
This outline was recommended by one person that I know who became a web designer.  It sounded reasonable to me, but I am not a web designer.  Starving art students may be surprised at how quickly you go from designing something for yourself to getting paid significant money for your time.  That happens because you're solving real problems.  Your combination of artistic talents and willingness to tackle new things is worth far more to employers than either is alone.

Please share if you find this helpful, have alternate suggestions, experience, etc.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Ok, so first of all, I did not realize you had a blog outside of perlmonks, let alone one you wrote to so recently! Second, I would have recognized your style with people anywhere. In twenty years of being an adult, I have never encountered anyone else so willing to help, ready to open oneself up by offering advice, or ready to do the leg work of connecting people and ideas like you do...

I hope she heard you. And many others like her....

Unknown said...

launching new freelancing platform
http://coderbuyer.net

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing this information. I found it very informative as I have been researching a lot lately on practical matters such as you talk about..
professional web design utah

Janice said...

Have you checked out Long Tail Technology? I think you will like their range of services. When I needed help with building my website a couple of years ago, I wanted to go with a full package option that can be executed at intervals when my need and budget for it was ready. That’s what I liked with LTT – no need to source different pros for the various aspects of custom web development and the corresponding software like CMS, affiliate advertising, etc.

William said...

This is the first time i read your blog and admire that you have posted on this..I really appreciate your effort Thank You for sharing this..I really like to read this types of articles...
Web designer utah

mucovixmega said...

Hello, I want to have one of these piercing models, but I am unsure. Can you look at it?
Belly Button Piercing
Rook Piercing
Christina Piercing
Lip Piercing
Dermal Piercing

bacarasite said...

Greetings! Very helpful advice on this article! It is the little changes that make the biggest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing! Feel free to visit my website; 바카라사이트닷컴

Cleaning Company Dubai UAE said...

When you deal together with other relocating tasks, experts will care for your home in order to leave that immaculate and also fresh. Yet, to permit cleaners do the task, it is important to prepare your home because of this stage. In this post, we’ll discuss seven activities before booking a residence cleaning service to your move. cleaning company in dubai

Unknown said...

aa

Cindy Shelton said...

DG's web design Dubai work could be described as that happening of behind the scenes to make a website look great, work fast and perform well with a seamless user experience.

Scott Davis said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
vaidegi said...

i like this content
this is so nice
etl testing course in chennai

DigitalVibeHub said...

In the digital era, mastering SEO is not just a choice subscription based design services in USA it's a necessity for businesses looking to thrive online. By implementing a strategic and well-rounded SEO approach, you can enhance your visibility, build brand authority, and ultimately drive sustainable business growth.