If you are looking for ways to be a better web designer, you can bet that there is plenty of advice to help. Whether you have created countless websites or just starting your journey as a web designer, there are always ways to improve your skills. Our experts on web design in Orlando recommend these tips to help you hone your craft and improve your design work.
Put your creative energy on display and make something out of the norm. Push yourself to create something unorthodox or bizarre. Find a website and create your own redesign that pushes boundaries. Getting out of your comfort zone will help you learn to approach your design projects differently. Don't let the fear of failure keep you from discovering your talent. Entering unexplored territories in web design may not lead to a project you love. The wonderful thing about personal projects like this is that you do not have to show it to anyone, even if it is a total failure!
Many web designers get caught in the vacuum of their work and end up with designer's block. Keep your creativity active with web design ideas that excite you to prevent creative stagnation. Try checking out the newest, trendiest websites and develop ideas to make them even better. Then, follow your web design heroes or competition on social media to take in as much web design knowledge in inspiration as you possibly can.
It is always nice to have people sing your praises and brag about everything you are doing right. But, you need constructive criticism to continue growing and evolving as a developer. Getting the best feedback usually depends on you. Talk to people about the types of feedback you are interested in. Provide them with background information about your goals for the project. Give them all the pertinent information they need to analyze your project. Questions to consider asking include:
Would this site keep your attention?
Does this site adhere to responsive web design guidelines?
Is it missing any essential page elements?
How can I improve the UX?
Does the visual hierarchy work?
Does the UI functionality make sense?
Can I organize the content better to improve readability?
And don't just limit feedback to other designers. Your friends and family, content writers, and marketers are great options for insight and honest feedback.
The design principles feed the intuition that guides a skilled designer's decision-making process. Take the time to understand the fundamentals of color theory, composition, typography, UX, and UI. Next, explore the golden ratio, Gestalt theory rudiments, and visual hierarchy. Then, plunge into the more cerebral web design elements to put their practices into your projects.
Every web designer's portfolio should include case studios, though many designers avoid them. They require added effort and time, but case studies can be quite beneficial. Adding them to your portfolio allows visitors to see your design process, understand your problem-solving approach, and better understand who you are as a web designer. In addition, taking a closer look at the work you have created helps you evolve by knowing where you need to continue making improvements. Finally, case studies are an in-depth archive of your work and a record of your evolution in the field.
Being a mentor is a perfect way to give back and support an aspiring designer, but it can also make it easier to evaluate your projects. There is more to being a mentor than just offering web design tips. It involves the ability to analyze a problem and explain why it is an issue and how they can remedy it. Paying close attention to another designer’s work and honing your analytical skills will make it easier for you to critique your work.
Many designers have skills in UX, UI, and other web creation aspects. When working on a project, a designer rarely has a single focus. However, it is impossible to be great at everything with so many varied design elements in the field. That makes it critical for you to pursue design aspects that are interesting and exciting to you. The best designers understand that having a specialty and becoming an industry expert sets their designs apart and makes them more appealing to potential clients. Though most designers start in the field bouncing from one type of project to the next, introspection, growth, and progress, make finding their niche easier.
To determine your specialty, figure out the type of clients or businesses you prefer working with. For example, if you are a foodie, you might love designing websites for restaurants to compliment your culinary interests. However, if you are thrilled by all things tech, you might instead seek out startups, SaaS companies, or other opportunities in the digital sphere. Defining yourself in the web design industry includes your personal artistic aesthetic. Whether you enjoy pushing boundaries with conceptual and abstract designs or prefer perfectly crafted minimalist styles, be sure to highlight your individuality when developing your design voice. Knowing who you are makes it easy to find the people you want to work with and the projects you want to do. It also allows you to focus your portfolio and LinkedIn profile so potential clients can appreciate your talents fully.
We expect that each page will follow a sense of order when we take the time to read a book. The text will be consistently sized, the spacing exact, and repeat the format throughout the publication. This consistency keeps us engaged in the work and offers a rhythmic reading experience from beginning to end. Similarly, web design topography needs consistency and order. Links, body text, headers, and other text should maintain the same style from one page to the next. In addition, weight, color, size, line spacing, and paddling must be identical for a given content type. Many designers use a universal style guide page for every website they create to ensure consistent typography throughout the design.