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Profession Web Designer: How much do they earn, and where to study this specialty? Occupation Web designer. Description of the profession. Who is a Web Designer. Job description What exactly does a web designer do?

You will find out what requirements are placed on the specialists of this profession in the market, what their duties include and how much you can earn as a web designer.

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Web designer - who is he and what does he do

A web designer is a specialist who develops the design (appearance) of websites and web applications. That is, this is the one who is responsible for the appearance, aesthetics, perception of your site. It is he who thinks over the color scheme of the web resource, the location of blocks and buttons, chooses the optimal font and everything else.

Often a web designer is confused with a graphic designer, and he is charged with developing a logo and corporate identity. Yes, there are specialists general profile who can do that too. But it is the web designer who develops the layouts of web pages - sites and landing pages.

The web designer thinks over where the text will be located on the page, what the site navigation will be like, how to make the resource have the optimal loading time.

A web designer can work for himself as an independent freelancer, in a design studio, in companies that develop websites, in large companies that pay a lot of attention to their own web projects.

Works closely with a marketer and a web developer, as well as in tandem with a layout designer (if layout responsibilities are not delegated to a programmer, or the designer does not take them on).

Some of the benefits of this profession include:

  • decent wages;
  • interesting creative work;
  • the ability to work remotely;
  • opportunities for career growth or starting your own business;
  • open space to work for foreign clients or in foreign companies.

There are also disadvantages - first of all, high competition in the market, and nuances in working with different clients (for example, you can not agree on tastes, or you have to prove your point of view for a long time).

Responsibilities of a web designer

A web designer has a wide range of responsibilities. They include:

  • determining the tasks of site visitors, and how the design will help solve them;
  • website navigation development;
  • development of site page layouts;
  • development of site or web page navigation;
  • finalizing the design of existing pages;
  • preparation of layouts for layout;
  • development of technical specifications for the typesetter;
  • selection of the color scheme of the site;
  • visual design of pages;
  • design of web and mobile banners;
  • design of pages in social networks: development of banners, avatars, covers, design of teasers for posts, etc.;
  • occasionally - layout of page layouts;
  • checking the layout of the site after layout.

In addition, the web designer must provide a single, solid visual perception of the brand on the Internet. That is, the site, communities in social network, banners must have corporate design, a single style.

Customers and employers are often the same in their requirements. From the human qualities of the designer, perseverance, the ability to work in a team, the ability to hear and understand the client (employer), a broad outlook, learning ability, and creativity are required.

As for professional skills, the requirements for them are best illustrated by screenshots of vacancies.

Web designer in Moscow:

Another vacancy for a web designer:

Requirements for a lead web designer in a digital company:

As you can see, you need to be able to work in special software, have a portfolio and work experience - this is at least.

As of March 2018, according to trud.com, the average salary of a web designer in Russia is 25,000 rubles. The highest salaries for web designers in Moscow and the Moscow region are up to 60,000 rubles per month.

As of May 31, 2018, 245 vacancies were opened in Russia, of which 39% of vacancies indicated a salary of 20-40 thousand rubles.

HH.ru gives slightly different statistics - the average salary of a web designer in Russia is 50,000 rubles.

As for independent freelancers, the range of prices for work is very large. It all depends on the skills and ambitions of the performer. Beginners earn from 10-15 to 30 thousand rubles a month. Masters who have been freelancing for more than a year and have acquired assistants can earn at least 100 thousand rubles a month.

Going through the freelance exchange, looking at projects in the web design category, you can see different prices. Starting from 1000 for the development of website design and up to infinity. For example, they are ready to pay 10,000 rubles for the development of a new website design:

“Oh, how many sites in the world, you and I will never count them ...”

Let's rephrase a little classic: indeed, every second person has a website or a landing page now. A web designer is the person who will help make the site beautiful, user-friendly and selling. But let's go in order.

What does a web designer do?

You should not think that since a designer means that he makes the site beautiful, selects pictures, is responsible for the visual component. This is just a small part, the tip of the iceberg.

The site should be not only beautiful, but also convenient for the visitor. What if we are talking about an online store or a company offering companies or services - also selling. Beauty, usability, sales - these are the three pillars on which web design stands.

So what does a web designer do?

  • creates a convenient and attractive interface for a website or mobile application;
  • thinks over the navigation of the site so that it is convenient for users to move from page to page;
  • develops the style of the web-document;
  • develops typography: colors, fonts, text layout, selects pictures and processes them;
  • creates graphic elements of the site: animation, icons, banners, infographics and others. If the site is selling, it will be a lead - forms for collecting applications and contact
  • visitor data and other CTA elements (calling for a purchase);
  • thinks over usability: develops the structure, site management tools, personal account;
  • creates adaptive version site so that the resource is perfectly viewed on all devices: PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone.

Basic skills and qualities of a web designer

1. Professional skills:

  • work with graphic editors (Adobe PhotoShop, CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator), tools for creating site elements ( Adobe Flash, GIF Animator),
  • professional programs;
  • knowledge of the basics of programming, the basic principles of layout, as well as HTML, CSS;
  • knowledge of the basics of Internet marketing - to make real selling sites;
  • knowledge of the basics of usability, UX and UI design (useful for the user).

2. Willingness to develop and follow trends. The fashion for web design is constantly changing: 10 years ago, websites were made in a completely different way than they are now.

For example, now minimalism, style and simplicity are in fashion - if in general. And in more detail:

  • simple structure, clear sections, convenient menu;
  • strict design, a lot of air space, large readable fonts;
  • adaptive version is a must!
  • animation, infographics, video as necessary elements of the site.

New trends appear like mushrooms after rain. Therefore, a good web designer follows the news of the professional community, reads special literature, communicates with colleagues, studies all the latest trends and implements them (of course, in coordination with the customer).

3. Personal qualities:

  • the presence of artistic taste and sense of style;
  • creative thinking, willingness to experiment;
  • attention to detail, perseverance;
  • analytical mindset, the ability to see the future site as a whole and put its elements on the shelves.

Where can you learn all this?

You can't develop personal qualities, but professional ones - completely. You already know that there is a lot to learn. For example, it is possible without special skills - if there is a literary gift, the rest will follow.

To learn web design from scratch, you need to master a lot of new information - the whole world! Consider the main options for obtaining education.

Higher education, profession - a specialist in computer design

This is taught in many institutes and universities of the capital and regions. However, as practice shows, not all successful web designers have a “tower”.

And studying for six years is too long, especially if you want to become a web designer as soon as possible. Therefore, courses are a more reasonable option.

Offline and online courses

They last several months, designed for both beginners and those who already know how to do something.

Our advice: choose reliable companies that have gained respect and reputation, do not fall for the offers of unknown persons. Here are some proven options:

All these courses are paid - but the knowledge that you get is worth it. Choose!

self-learning

It's all up to you: what information you find, that's what you learn. enough on the net good books, web design blogs, video tutorials. Almost all of them are also free.

We have compiled a selection of excellent books by Russian and foreign authors that will bring you up to date and give you theoretical and practical knowledge:

Stages of a web designer

Now that you know that it is possible to learn the profession of a web designer - if there is a desire, let's see how the work goes.

Here you are - a designer, a customer who wants to make a website has contacted you. It doesn’t matter which one – a business card site, an online store (each type of site has its own subtleties, and to talk about each one, you will need several such articles). Consider general scheme work.

1. Compilation of technical specifications. It is generally accepted that the TOR should be drawn up by the customer - this is not so. Rather, the customer should tell you the main points: what kind of site, why is it needed, its . It would also be useful to show examples of resources that he likes.

The terms of reference for the work and its cost are also discussed in the TOR. All this you ask the customer yourself, but here technical side he won't tell you. So, you have to think over the approximate structure of the site, the main graphic and / or selling elements, the overall design - colors, pictures - in a word, show the customer how you see the site. If he approves, work begins.

2. Prototyping. First of all, a web designer draws a prototype, or a sketch of the future site. This can be done by hand or special programs. The main thing is to draw in detail every page of the site down to every little thing. Also at this stage, the structure, usability is developed, it is shown how the transition within the site will be carried out.

If you are creating a landing page or an online store, make sure that it is convenient for the client to register, go to the shopping cart, personal account, place an order and pay for the purchase. All these are complex schemes in which the study of each step is important.

3. Testing. The most important stage, which will clearly show how everything that you have created will come true. The web designer makes maps of the user's route, designs several options for his behavior.

Many designers draw step-by-step plans and arrows show user actions on the site. If the testing goes well, it's time to show the prototype to the customer.

4. The first agreement with the customer. You show the finished prototype, the customer makes changes or says that everything is fine and you can continue.

5. Site creation. Finally! When the prototype is approved, the web designer brings it “into real life”, successively building up live meat on the skeleton or frame.

At this stage, a layout designer and a programmer join the work. And now the site is laid out and displayed in the browser - you hand it over to the customer, show how to manage the resource and get a fee. Profit!

Where to find a job as a web designer

You are lucky: the demand for web designers in Russia is now high. Good specialists are required by both large companies and private customers - small and medium-sized businesses, and studios that hire a designer as a contractor. So - you can get a permanent job or look for orders yourself.

We will not teach you how to find a permanent job with the design of the shopping mall. Let's talk better about where to look for orders if you choose freelance.

There are several ways to help you find clients and get started as a web designer.

1. Freelance exchanges. An ideal place to gain experience, get your first orders and start building a portfolio. The exchange is a kind of start, we do not recommend staying there for many years. When you fill your hand, go free swimming and start the next stage.

3. On ad sites like “Avito”, etc. Customers often place ads there in the relevant sections.

4. In studios and agencies. You can and should go there yourself. This is already a serious stage - anyhow someone in such companies will not be accepted, get ready to present a portfolio and pass an interview. But if you like your candidacy, you will often be given orders or hired for a permanent job.

5. By acquaintance. Now every second person has websites and landing pages, which means that there is a demand for specialists. Ask friends and acquaintances, place an ad on your social network page, in the city community.

How much does a web designer earn?

If we talk about working in a studio or permanent employment, good specialists receive from 40 thousand rubles. Freelancers will not name such specifics: beginners can complete an order for 2000 rubles, and for 50 thousand - as you agree. The average salary of a web designer in the market is 80,000 rubles per month.

At first, when you complete simple orders and develop a portfolio, do not break the high cost. Then, when you gain experience, set a price that is average on the market.

So what do we have? A web designer is a person who is responsible for the convenience of the site, its visual component and selling elements.

A web designer needs to be trained - at least independently, in order to master graphic editors and programs, the science of programming and the basics of Internet marketing.
And then look for a job - on the stock exchange, in social networks, digital studios and agencies. While this profession is in demand in the market - hurry up to master it!

🔥 Source of income! Do you want to create an additional source of income and earn from 50,000 rubles per month through the Internet? I'll show you how to create a profitable website and start making money on it (without technical knowledge)!

With development high technology there are more and more new professions that the older generation has never heard of. For example, a web designer. What is it, what does he do and what are the features of his profession?

Definition

Design is an artistic construction. It is based on two principles: creativity and rationality. This is the complexity of the work. And not everyone can be a good specialist in this field. But a designer is a general concept, there are many narrow areas of activity: landscape, interior, costume, advertising. What is a web designer? This is the one who develops websites. Their task is to come up with a beautiful and relevant to the specifics of the customer's activities and his wishes design for the website. At the same time, in addition to external attractiveness, it is necessary to make it convenient to use.

How a website is created

The whole process of creating a website consists of several stages.

  1. Creation of terms of reference. Before doing something, you need to define its parameters. How the page should look, how many of them should be. How and where is the navigation menu located. All this information should be contained in the document - the work plan. In order to avoid conflict situations, the terms of reference are agreed with the customer. Usually the project manager takes care of this preparatory stage.
  2. Structuring. This stage includes a wide range of questions and often requires a lot of time. It is necessary to think over the functional structure of the future site. How to arrange the information correctly, where to place the menu, what active buttons to get, how and where the information should be presented. An effective study of this stage will make the website as user-friendly as possible, since a beautiful, but absolutely incomprehensible portal for the user, on which it is impossible to find anything, will make him go to the customer's competitors.
  3. Graphic implementation of the site. After thinking through the structure, you need to think about the attractive appearance of the site itself and the interesting design of the menu elements. This is what the designer does. Registration takes place in special editors. The result is a graphic file of the future site.
  4. Layout. In order for a beautiful picture to become functional and be displayed in the browser, you need to divide it into elements and translate it into code. For this, HTML and CSS technologies are used. This part of the work is done by a programmer or layout designer.
  5. Webmastering is the final step in working with the site. When the product is ready, it is necessary to host it and optimize it so that it can be found. After that, it becomes available to the general public.

All these steps can be performed by one person - a web designer. The profession allows you to have the required skills. However, he can only do part of the work. Everything depends not only on his knowledge, but also on the working conditions. Being an employee of a large company specializing in websites, a designer's list of responsibilities may not be so numerous. That being said, there is a difference between a simple designer and a web designer. Both can work in the field of Internet technologies, but the task of the first is to create graphics and work out the convenience of the interface, and the second must know all aspects production process from zero to the immediate launch of the site. When dividing functional responsibilities, a web designer is able to control all stages.

I want to become a web designer

After understanding what a web designer is, you need to know what you need to do to become one. You have to get the necessary knowledge. To design a site, you need to understand and be able to work with color, chiaroscuro, fonts, know what lines, sizes, shapes, space and forms are. To do this, it is necessary to study the characteristics of the elements, their behavior in various conditions. Basic theoretical knowledge about each graphic element is not enough. It is necessary to understand how they connect and interact with each other. That is, it is important to understand such categories as proportions, scale, balance, unity, contrast. Graduates of art higher education institutions are well acquainted with these categories. Therefore, if you have an art education, the training of a web designer is greatly simplified.

In the absence of such, it is recommended to find quality courses that will allow you to learn the basics in a relatively short time. It is important to pay attention to their duration. An institution that cares about the quality of teaching organizes art courses for two years, while a higher education institution will have to study for 5-6 years.

Many organizations offer a training course that lasts only a few weeks. During this time, teachers try to put such a volume of information into the minds of students that there is nothing left in it except for a complete confusion.

Knowledge of programming

How to become a web designer without knowing the basics of programming? Even if the technical part is the responsibility of the developers, without understanding the coding rules, it will be difficult to communicate effectively with the developers. Understanding how the code works, you can immediately tell which ideas are realistic and which are not. You can use site templates, which does not require you to understand coding. They are a lifesaver for beginners. At the same time, you should not limit yourself to learning programming if there are gaps in knowledge in this area. Some sites need to be written from scratch and you won't be able to get by with ready-made templates.

Where to go to study

Where to study as a web designer? If you are willing to devote enough time to this, you can go to a university that offers an appropriate training program. But the fact of getting a magic crust will not make a person a sought-after specialist. In addition, basic things are usually taught during training. The training program does not have time to adapt following changes in technology, so you will have to study on your own both in parallel and even after graduation. To do this, there is an Internet with a huge amount of training materials for both a beginner and a professional striving for self-improvement.

Tool ownership

Specialized software products exist to help people in their work. To create a high-quality product that meets modern requirements, you need to get acquainted and understand how various programs work.

A novice web designer should definitely master the basic graphics programs: Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. To create code, there are products such as: Sketch App, GitHub, Pattern Lab.

Anyone who does not work with website builders like WordPress, but deals with raw code, should try one of the programs: Textmate, Sublime, Brackets.

What a web designer does has already become clear. And the programs will help him in this. The ability to work with tools also shows the level of professionalism. The higher it is, the greater the demand for services, which is reflected in the cost of his work.

Expansion of the field of knowledge

The more a person knows and can do, the less problems he has with the demand for the services he offers. Website customers are not familiar with this area, so they have to spend time looking for people who can provide various services. If one person can offer a complex, it is beneficial to both parties. Web designer - what is it, if not a profession that motivates you to learn all areas related to websites, their programming, the development of a beautiful and convenient external shell, as well as promotion on the Internet.

A professional web designer must understand marketing and be able to prepare high-quality and catchy texts. A website is primarily an advertising product that allows a company to attract customers. For this to happen, the site must be "tasty" and "catchy", as most of them are boring and monotonous.

In order for potential customers to find a specific site on the Web with a million similar ones, it is necessary to promote it. To do this, you need to understand SEO.

This knowledge will help create a truly high-quality product with a modern laconic design, high speed loading pages, as well as preparing and posting well-structured interesting text.

Working in a company: advantages

In Moscow, web designers are looking for a suitable agency to work with. There are many companies that open relevant vacancies here. The advantage of working as a hired employee is that you don't have to look for clients. Upon receipt of an order, it will be necessary to perform some part of the work or manage the entire project, distributing responsibilities. When working in a good company that is in demand, you can not worry about your salary.

Working in a company: disadvantages

But it also has its drawbacks. The level of earnings usually has its limitations. It is not always convenient to travel to work every day, especially when it is located far from home. The creative beginning of activity often makes you stay longer in the workplace.

But working among professionals is suitable for a web designer from scratch who does not have sufficient knowledge and experience. Here you can learn a lot.

Self-employment: the pros

Freelancing is in high demand among professionals of this profession. There are many advantages:

  • no matter the place of work, maybe even another country;
  • the ability to independently determine the work schedule;
  • the ability to independently set prices, which are often lower than those of the agency;
  • the ability to choose projects;
  • if you independently perform the entire complex of works, you will not have to share payment with anyone.

Web designer - what is it, if not a profession that makes it possible to independently manage your career.

Self-employment: cons

Among the unconditional disadvantages, one must name the need to “sell” oneself, which can be quite difficult at the very beginning. To do this, you will need to create your own website and post information about yourself on various resources.

Often a person starts out as a hired web designer. Learning from professionals allows you to become a good specialist. Communication with clients and colleagues helps to get different contacts. Therefore, many subsequently open their own business.

The popularity of such Internet professions as a copywriter, SEO optimizer, web designer and director is growing from year to year. Such a phenomenon is due not only to their good reputation in the media, but also to the ability to work remotely, not to be tied to a specific office and place of residence.

Potential specialists are also attracted by the right to independently regulate the rates of their activities and perform the amount of work that is comfortable for them.

The activity of a web designer includes all the benefits described.

As you probably understood, today we will talk about how to become a web designer, analyze what web design is, see where you can find work in this area and what employers require.

Who is a web designer

A web designer is a kind of artist and designer rolled into one. It not only visually decorates the site with beautiful pictures, but also arranges the site blocks so that the user can solve his problems as comfortably and quickly as possible. This is where user behavior analysis helps them.

Initially, a web designer was someone who simply drew website headers and their individual elements, but over time, he turned into a specialist in developing web user interfaces for sites and various applications.

It is he who determines how the site will look externally, what elements will be located and where, as well as how they will be transformed when interacting with the user (for example, how the button will behave when clicking on it).

In addition, the web designer is working on the adaptability of the page, determining how it will look on mobile devices and tablets. Depending on what he sees, he decides which elements can be removed without losing meaning, and which elements can be simplified. Simply put, a web designer creates a shell of a future resource.

What is web design

Web design is a branch of the development of Internet projects, which includes designing the appearance and interface of sites, applications or pages.

The beginning of the development of this direction can be considered 1993: the first Mosaic browser appeared with the ability to display graphic elements. Until that time, websites were pages with text, blue links, and colorful headings. With the help of the Mosaic browser, you could already add a picture.

The second point of growth is the emergence of CSS technology (Cascading Style Sheets). Thanks to it, it became possible to separate the content of web pages from their design and make the site attractive and comfortable to read.

It is believed that this period marked the beginning of the WEB-2.0 era, which brought to the market a new Internet profession of web design. If you, reading this material, have decided to become such a specialist for yourself, then it will be important for you to know what skills and requirements for this profession are on the market.

Required skills and requirements

Web designers are called programmers with an artistic flair, which quite successfully characterizes the requirements for representatives of this Internet profession.

In the classical sense, they are only required to improve the appearance of the site, but now there are more and more requests from employers. In addition to creativity and the ability to create an identity for a web page, a web designer must have other professional skills.

What is required of a web designer?

    understand the meaning of the project on which he is working;

    have a good taste in fonts, pictures, colors - in this case, art education will help (at least primary);

    place the right accents in visual images;

    create several prototypes of the project before approval by the customer;

    ability to work in Photoshop or Sketch-programs.

But the most important thing is experience. Over time, their own style is formed, from which a certain zest appears in the portfolio, which captivates clients and employers.

It is important to constantly improve (refresher courses can help with this). And do not forget that you need to invest in improvement software: without it, work is impossible in today's market.

Responsibilities of a web designer

    conduct a dialogue with the client and at an early stage find out all his wishes;

    determine the tasks and goals of the person who accesses the website;

    develop site navigation;

    select appropriate colors in accordance with the goals of the project and its audience;

    use graphic editors and other related programs;

    structure and collect data from trusted sources;

    draw in the styles of flat, material, minimalism, technical design;

    self-develop, continue self-learning web design;

    do different types sites: online stores, promos, business cards, etc.;

    create adaptive design;

    provide the customer with prototypes at different stages of work.

Web design software

The designer's toolkit is diverse, but a number of the most popular programs and applications.

    Adobe Experience Design is an alternative to Photoshop. It is suitable for interface development, supports web layout and vector graphics, and also allows you to create active prototypes.

    SketchApp- good decision for UI-specialists in the framework of interface design. This editor is cheaper than Adobe products, but it does not support raster.

    Plant is a great choice for version control. If you're worried about spending, then don't: there's a free tariff plan. After some use, you will be able to decide whether this program or Git is better.

    Figma - quality and powerful tool for prototyping. And the possibility of joint work on the project, included in the program, allows you to save time and control the work process.

    presenter- free utility for open source collaboration. Allows you to conveniently share the project with the customer or team members.

    FontBase is another free font management tool. Works on all operating systems - Mac, Windows, Linux.

    Pixate is suitable for visual prototyping, and it also creates web design for mobile phones.

    Affinity - cheap similar to Photoshop for MAC, the functionality of which is in many ways superior to the original.

    Antetype has a large library of widgets and allows you to design projects with UX in mind.

Of course, these are not all web design programs - there are many more. Each web designer selects tools for himself depending on his capabilities, tasks and wallet.

If you are just starting to master this craft, a simple paid Adobe Photoshop will suffice: this program will immediately give prototypes in the correct format, besides, it is equipped with useful scripts and additional functions.

To master this tool for a novice web designer is quite simple. It will take no more than a month to study the functionality, in addition, there are many video tutorials on the network explaining the technology of working with this program.

What is Web Design UX and UI

Often in ads from employers you can see the abbreviations UX and UI. In fact, a designer who has skills in these areas significantly increases his level in the digital industry as a specialist, which, of course, is reflected in wages.

In simple terms, UX is a set of overall user experience from interacting with the interface - how easy or hard it was for him to reach his goal on the site.

UI design, in turn, determines the appearance of the interface. For example, what color the button will be, its transformations when interacting, and whether the user will be able to read the text on it.

Simply put, UX is responsible for the logic of user behavior on the site, and UI is responsible for the visual part. The boundaries between these areas are blurred, so often one specialist is engaged in both areas.

Pros and cons of this profession

Like all online professions, web design has not only advantages, but also disadvantages. Before you start learning and move in this direction, you need to carefully analyze them.

pros

A distinctive feature of web design is constant personal and professional growth. It is achieved through advanced training through online courses, trainings, relevant literature and, of course, learning from experienced colleagues.

The web design industry is constantly evolving - isn't this the perfect environment for professional growth as a web designer?

Job assignments are always varied, and each project is a separate story, where there is an opportunity to learn something new about the world around us, without tying oneself to a professional framework.

Thanks to this, the web designer does not lose interest in his work, and the accompanying motivation helps to improve his skills in a bright and lively way, which also affects wages.

A definite plus is also that you yourself can choose how to make money in the field of web design - as a freelancer or as a permanent employee of the company. Both formats have their advantages.

More and more companies are mastering the Internet space, respectively, the demand for the services of a web designer only increases over time. Therefore, management seems like a good idea to have a specialist in the relevant field as a permanent employee.

Taking up work in the office, you will find official employment, a social package, development in a creative team that will help you solve professional problems if something happens.

Do not rush to worry about the lack of experience: if you present yourself correctly, the employer will hire a beginner, the main thing is to have at least basic professional knowledge.

As for freelancing, it seems to me that this way of earning is suitable for creative people who are prone to experiments, as well as for those who, by virtue of their desire or for health reasons, prefer to work remotely.

You will not be bound by a rigid schedule, there will be no meticulous management above you, and besides, you will have freedom in choosing an order (if the proposed task does not suit you, you have full right refuse it).

Minuses

The main disadvantage of working remotely as a web designer is the huge competition even for small orders. Moreover, both professional designers and beginners take part in the competition.

Whatever category you belong to, you will find a constant search for customers who, of course, are aware of the competition. Because of this, web specialists often face unscrupulous approach from clients: the time frame, the number of edits, and the conditions do not correspond to the monetary reward.

In the office work of a web designer, there is also competition, but it is not so pronounced. It is mainly observed in large IT companies, the conditions in which allow specialists to develop much faster and better than in regional and small enterprises. In the latest offices, it is much easier for designers to get a job - sometimes it is enough to have minimal knowledge.

There are also several technical difficulties in working in web design - the need to master new technologies (both tools and areas of activity), changing algorithms, and we must not forget that programs quickly become outdated.

In general, a web designer, whether he wants it or not, will have to constantly learn, which takes time and effort.

In addition, due to ever-increasing requirements, a web designer needs to get familiar with the basics of SMM, marketing and web analytics. It is almost impossible to master all this on your own, so sometimes you need to turn to the relevant courses and webinars, and this is an additional expense.

If your abilities, skills and personal qualities allow you to compensate for the minuses and strengthen the pluses, you need to start looking for a job and improving your skills.

Web designer training online

It should be noted that the ideal option if you are wondering how to become a web designer is to get an education at a university in the field of interest.

This will allow you to gain a complete understanding of the specialty and how to properly position yourself in it.

But not everyone has the opportunity and time to study for four years, fortunately, online learning is also suitable for becoming a good specialist.

The main thing is not to rely on the fact that a course certificate will automatically make you the best in your field. It is necessary to constantly develop the acquired knowledge and skills in practical activities.

Geekbrains

Geekbrains is an educational portal. In 2016, it was acquired by Mail.ru Group as a platform for training specialists. Accordingly, studying here, there is a possibility of employment in a large IT company.

Of course, this does not concern everyone (strict selection is underway), but this opportunity should not be missed.

The Faculty of Web Design offers to study the full course for eight months. Due to the modular approach, the future web designer will have five projects on different topics in his portfolio by the end of the program.

Along with training, students participate in webinars with market experts, receive ready-made video manuals and structured materials to consolidate knowledge. The platform also holds briefings with real customers, and also provides a rich theoretical base, taking into account all modern web design trends.

A month of training for a website designer will cost 8625 rubles (the information is current at the time of writing).

The advantage of Geekbrains is that sometimes there are promotions, so you can take the course at a lower cost. In addition, he brings students together with customers. So after receiving a certificate of training as a web designer, you already have the opportunity to work with large companies.

This is facilitated by the fact that the whole process is supervised by real art directors and eminent Russian designers. In addition, do not forget that the site belongs to one of the largest technology companies in our country.

SkillBox

SkillBox is a large online university that provides distance learning opportunities in the following areas: design, programming, marketing, management.

Within the framework of the topic we are considering, there is a program "Web design from 0 to PRO". It is designed for those who are just getting acquainted with the Internet profession of interest to us and so far have only a figurative idea of ​​​​how to become a web designer.

The learning process consists in mastering the educational material in video format, creating your own work and receiving an appropriate response after checking from the course curator - an experienced designer.

The course lasts eight months and is divided into two blocks - 17 and 14 lessons each. In addition, SkillBox offers an additional module: in it, the student learns how to reach foreign clients and do business with them.

The advantages of this program is that everyone is engaged in their graduation project. If the work is successfully implemented and evaluated by the customer, the web designer will have the opportunity not only to undergo an internship at the company, but also to get a job. For example, Sberbank and Ticketland.ru acted as partners of the online university in the latest recruitment.

Course fees vary depending on the time you enroll and which payment method you choose. In the case of installments, you pay 6400 rubles per month for a year, which increases the final cost.

The price for the whole period of study, if you pay immediately, will be 80,000, but the first 20 people who register will receive a 20% discount, i.е. 16,000 rubles (the information is current at the time of writing).

netology

Netology is one of the most famous educational portals on the Russian Internet, which calls itself the University of Internet Professions. Which, by the way, is quite justified, since it is the holder of a license for educational activities.

Netology offers a course in product design. It is suitable for both beginners and those who have decided to independently master this niche for their own specific purposes.

This course allows you to master a digital profession in demand on the market with an average salary of 120 thousand rubles (according to the hh.ru website).

The site provides a free course “How to become a designer”, which will help you master the intricacies of the profession and outline a development plan.

During the training, the student receives not only educational materials, but also the opportunity to prepare a portfolio of four works, each of which is helped to improve by the consultant assigned to the student. In the future, these works can be used when applying for a job.

The advantage of Netology is that at the end of the training, the student receives a certificate of advanced training of the established form.

They also conduct interview rehearsals with the future web designer so that the graduate shows himself well at meetings with employers.

Of the minuses, the training period can be noted - 14 months, which is six months longer than in the previous institutions under consideration. But if we take into account the additional modules of other sites, the duration of training, it seems to me, will be approximately the same.

It should also be noted that the theoretical base is supported by the constant development of skills and communication with existing web designers. A course in web design contributes to the development of creative abilities: it motivates you to look for new approaches to website design, that is, it teaches you how to create a unique identity that employers are drawn to.

The cost of this program at the time of writing is 74,900 rubles. It is possible to pay in parts of 8992 per month, which increases the final cost of the course to almost 126,000 rubles.

Universities that teach web design

St. Petersburg State University (profile "Graphic Design") is considered the most prestigious place to study web design. The university requires high USE results in literature and the Russian language from applicants, and also conducts additional tests, during which the applicant will have to show their skills in painting, drawing and composition.

Along with this, the faculty organizes its own paid courses to prepare for this creative competition. The attitude to tests is serious: the average score last year reached 82 for one exam.

An equally high-quality education is provided by the National Research Institute Higher School of Economics (HSE). Graduates of the Faculty of Communications, Media and Design become web designers.

Here, just like at St Petersburg University, students have to pass literature and the Russian language in the USE format, as well as pass additional creative tests conducted by the faculty. Training can take place both in the main building in Moscow and in St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, this direction is not developed in the Novgorod branch.

There are also prospects for residents of the Volga region - there is a design direction at the Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication of KFU, which is located in the capital of Tatarstan.

For admission, the results of the Unified State Examination in the Russian language and social science are required. You will also have to pass internal tests on the design of the object and drawing, the result of each of which should not be lower than 70 points.

There is also a design faculty at UrFU in Yekaterinburg. It is suitable for those who passed the exams less successfully: the average score of those who entered is 67.

Those who have passed creative tests in painting, drawing and composition, passed the Unified State Examination in Russian language and social science can become a website designer at UrFU. This university ranks 15th in the all-Russian rating, which is pretty good.

The direction "Design" is also in the branches of the RANEPA. The most prestigious are the faculties in Moscow and St. Petersburg. For admission, you must pass the Unified State Examination in social studies and the Russian language and pass additional tests - professional (essay and conceptual drawing) and creative exams (project composition).

Ex-schoolers struggle with additional tests, but if the final goal is to get a comprehensive understanding of current design trends, it's worth trying. The education that RANEPA provides in this area is considered one of the best for this profession.

It should be noted that the approach to education at the university is more traditional than a future website designer might like. Therefore, if you do not want to waste time acquiring a base, then it is quite possible to start with online schools.

Job search

Studying is much more interesting than looking for a job. But getting paid is also very entertaining! Therefore, after obtaining the necessary skills, it is worth considering where to find a job, unless, of course, you got it during online training, or you were not “hunted” right from the last year of university.

First you need to decide - do you want to work on free bread, like a freelancer, or are you considering a permanent contract with an employer? The profession of a web designer does not exclude both options for earning money.

True, if you choose the latter option, you should think about what mode of work will suit you - work in the office or remotely.

It is also possible to work according to a combined schedule: a specialist works most of the time in any place that is comfortable for him, and visits the company's office at a certain time.

You need to do this in order to build a strategy that will help you beat the competition. Well, get through to good orders when it comes to remote work as a freelancer.

I hope this material will help you understand how to proceed and resolve the issue of finding a job or orders in a shorter time than if you figured it out on your own.

Therefore, let's look at the places where you can find orders on the Internet.

Freelance

It is quite simple to become a freelance artist: just go to freelance exchanges, register, fill out a profile, pay a fee (if required by the rules of the service), attach your portfolio and answer questions from potential customers in a timely manner.

Along with this, it is necessary to monitor job offers posted by customers and offer favorable prices, conditions and deadlines. When working with exchanges, it should be taken into account that employees are selected not only by portfolio, but also by the number of completed orders and overall rating.

Therefore, at first, it may be difficult to receive applications. But if you lower the cost a little, then the probability of getting the order you need will increase. This is much better than sitting and waiting for a fat order with an inflated price tag.

The most common sites for finding web designer jobs are:

    Kwork is a freelance services store (as it positions itself), in which the performer can declare in the window his desire to work in the form of a card; he can also use the project exchange, where it is possible to offer his services to potential customers;

    FL - one of the oldest stock exchanges in Runet, has been operating since 2005; allows the performer to be placed in the freelancer directory, search for orders in projects placed by employers and participate in competitions for the best work;

    Freelance is a large and one of the most visited exchanges that offers a variety of features for freelancers, for example, a virtual manager that distributes proposals to various projects, safe transaction or a workspace for communication and order management.

The above exchanges can help you get comfortable at the initial stage. After them, you can think about more specialized exchanges, including international ones. To work on foreign services, of course, knowledge of English is required, but at the same time, wages for labor will increase markedly.

Below is a list of specialized exchange sites where a designer can find work:

  • designcrowd.com;

The main mistake of most freelance web designers is a careless attitude to work, missed deadlines, and the inability to communicate with the customer. If you don't want your rating to slowly rise, however, as well as income, you need to think about discipline.

Because working from home is relaxing, and the deadline is no longer perceived as something serious. Many cannot pull themselves together, set up a personal schedule, and accordingly, they do not earn anything. As a result, they begin to look for work in the office, with a boss and a stable salary: it’s more familiar.

Jobs in reality

Long gone are the days of looking for work through newspaper ads and waiting at the doorstep of the personnel departments of enterprises. Now, with the advent of the Internet, search has smoothly moved online.

It certainly makes the process easier. The first thing to do for a young and not very professional who is tired of freelancing and is applying for a job in an office is to create a clear and detailed resume by attaching a portfolio, since the designer needs to show the product in person.

After that, you need to determine the range of potential places where, in your opinion, there is good ground for development in your direction. These can be local firms or metropolitan companies. Find them and send out your resume. Don't forget to check mailbox, which you indicated in the resume, and pick up the phone on unfamiliar numbers.

As funny as it may be, most job seekers are superficial about their job search: they may not answer the phone, they don’t call back, they don’t check their mail, they are often not ready for an interview.

To increase the chances and get as many offers as possible, you need to distribute the prepared resume on special job search sites. Do not forget that you need to attach a portfolio to it.

The most popular job search services are:

    worka.yandex.ru;

In addition to distributing your resume, you need to pay attention to job postings. Remember - whoever seeks will surely find.

    If you have worked with large companies before, be sure to indicate this and list them.

    The best way to show yourself is to create and design your own business card website.

    Before going to the interview for the position "Web Designer" prepare your portfolio, which includes at least a dozen creative works.

    Do not submit your past projects as files to email: This is considered bad manners.

    Never speak badly about previous customers, even if conflicts arose with them.

    Indicate what is included in the list of your knowledge and skills as a website designer, and not what is not available to you.

    At the end of the interview, be sure to ask for the employer's business card.

In general, it is important to be persistent. If the employer has not shown enough interest in you even after following all the above tips, offer yourself as an intern.

If you subsequently prove yourself to be a useful web designer for the company with an extraordinary approach to problems and good design skills, you will be offered to stay on the staff and receive a salary.

If it doesn’t work out, in any case, you will get real work experience in the office of a design agency or studio and you can indicate this in your resume.

Is web design a highly paid profession?

Definitely yes, this is a well-paid profession. Moreover, the higher the level and competence of a web designer, the more he can earn.

If we take into account job search announcements, then offers with a minimum set of requirements start at 30,000 rubles per month in Russia. In addition, for this salary, a web designer can even get a job as an intern.

In Moscow, St. Petersburg and cities with a million population, the bar is already higher - salaries from 50,000 rubles a month with official employment and goodies in the form of free breakfasts and a rest room.

For web designers with experience and a skill set in UX and UI, the salary level hangs at around 100,000 rubles per month and above, not to mention art director positions. The money there is different - approximately 250,000-320,000 per month, depending on the company and specific projects.

As for earning freelancing, it is quite difficult to calculate the monthly income: you need to put in many variables, such as the general level of competence, the order of searching and processing orders, overall performance etc.

Based on the orders placed on the exchanges and the stories of the web designers themselves, we can conclude that earning 30,000-50,000 rubles a month is not difficult. On average, you can even calculate like this: one order is paid from about 8,000 to 12,000 rubles, 3-4 such tasks can be done per month, so the figure is quite real.

If we talk about big numbers, then here you need to have great professional experience and take (at least sometimes) orders from international exchanges. This allows you to receive about 150,000-300,000 rubles.

Conclusion

For several years, this profession has been one of the five most sought-after specialties on the Internet. The requirements for it are constantly growing: now it is not enough for web designers to create websites, they must be able to analyze the needs of customers, take into account the specifics of a particular project, be able to transform other people's ideas and generate their own.

Therefore, if you decide to master web design, develop, do not stand still and read more professional literature - without this you will not become an excellent and highly paid specialist.

If you don’t know where to start, the book “Web Design” by Dmitry Kirsanov will come to your aid. It explains the basic terms and methods of work in an accessible way.

You can continue with the work of Steve Krug "Web Design: Don't Make Me Think". It describes all the requirements for a successful website.

And to improve your skills in the selection of shades, you should choose the "Art of Color" by Johannes Itten.

Do not stop looking for new literature and always reach for new knowledge. And then in the field of web design you are simply doomed to success.

73.4

For friends!

Reference

Web design (from English Web design) is a branch of web development and a type of design. A web designer is a specialist in the field computer technology, which is responsible for how a website looks and feels. He comes up with logos, banners and other graphic elements, thinks through site navigation, determines where text should be placed. The designer needs not only to create an interesting site, but also to take into account the time it takes to load. He works closely with marketing specialists and brand managers, which allows him to create an effective site.

Description of activity

The profession of a web designer is associated with both modern technologies and creativity. This specialist is engaged in the design of projects on the Internet: he develops the design of websites, promo pages, landing pages, electronic presentations. The web designer creates logos, banners, infographics and other graphic elements of the page, thinks over the placement of the text.

At the same time, a web designer focuses not only on visual design, he must also take care of the convenience of using the site - its usability. In his work, he uses knowledge of the markup language HTML documents, the CSS document styling language, the basics of HTML layout.

Wage

average for Russia:average in Moscow:average for St. Petersburg:

Job responsibilities

The purpose of a web designer is to develop a style for a website or other project on the Internet. Receiving from the customer the idea, the concept of the project, instructions and preferences, proceeds to their implementation. However, often the designer himself has to offer ideas to the customer, based on his few installations.

The web designer thinks over the most successful solutions for presenting information, selects the color scheme of the site, focusing on the preferences of the client or the colors of the products that the site will be dedicated to, or the corporate colors of the company. When composing a web page, this specialist applies various design elements, selects background images. If the web designer has not received all the images necessary for the project from the client, he searches for them on his own on the Internet, various photo banks. If necessary, the web designer processes photos and pictures in graphic editors. With the help of these programs, sometimes you have to draw some elements yourself. All site components should load and display without problems and distortions on different monitors. This is also partly the concern of the web designer.

A web designer should take care not only of the visual harmony of the overall picture, but also of the “friendliness” of the interface, ease of user navigation around the site.

The duties of a web designer may also include the creation of banners, Internet presentations, interactive web applications.

Having completed the work, the web designer must check the created site, banner or other Internet project for errors and typos.

Features of career growth

The career growth of a web designer is due to the experience of high-quality performance of complex and responsible work for large customers. This gives fame in professional circles and allows you to reasonably qualify for new lucrative orders. It is possible to master the profession of a programmer or network administrator, building a business both in the field of web design itself and the provision of other services related to the Internet and others. information technology. Given the rapid development of IT-technologies, this field of activity should be recognized as very promising in terms of career.

Employee characteristic

A web designer needs both logical and imaginative thinking equally. This specialist must have artistic flair and aesthetic taste, creativity. He needs to keep abreast of the latest web design trends and know modern technologies in digital design.

When working with customers, a web designer needs to show not only communication skills, but also a lot of patience, and sometimes perseverance.

A web designer works not only with graphics, but also with text. This will require from him literacy, attention and accuracy.

The work involves spending a lot of time in front of a computer monitor - this will require perseverance. In this profession, self-control, responsibility and the ability to work on tight deadlines are indispensable, especially if a web designer works for himself or remotely.