Can you become a web designer without coding knowledge? Well, many of the answers you’ll get involve some kind of advanced Java, CSS and HTML knowledge. But the truth is, you need absolutely NO coding knowledge to become a great web designer. It’s possible to have a career as a professional web designer, even if you don’t have coding knowledge.
We know it might sound near impossible but hear us out – you don’t need any coding skills to become the best web designer there ever was. Don’t believe us? Just read on to find out how!
Use a Website Builder
Website builders are online tools that allow even the most inexperienced newbie to create a stunning website. Platforms such as Wix, Squarespace or WordPress come with predefined templates that you can take and transform at your leisure. These website builders are great “speedruns” to great design, as they don’t require any advanced skills to use.
The best thing about a website builder? You can also use it to create your very own portfolio website. A portfolio is a very important tool for any web designer, newbie or veteran, as it will allow clients to get a better understanding of your projects and workflow. It’s also a great way for you to curate and showcase your best work so you can attract even more clients!
Learn Some Visual Design
Even if you use a website builder, you still need to know what looks good and what doesn’t. If you learn visual design, you will also get a better understanding of the main skills you need to become a good web designer. So what is visual design exactly? Well, it’s what determines the entire look and feel of a website.
There are a lot of things you should learn when it comes to visual design but the most important ones are proportions, typography, color theory and grid systems. After you’ve mastered the basics of visual design, you will be able to put together mood boards and experiment with different fonts and color palettes.
Up Your UX Game
UX (User Experience) is the most important thing when it comes to a website’s design. A good web designer will know how to design everything according to a user’s perspective. Will this button be hard to reach? Is this font readable? Is this color too hard on the eyes? These are all questions you should be asking yourself when designing a website.
To properly do that, you’ll have to create user personas and sitemaps. You’ll have to analyze and figure out the path users take to reach their desired goal. After you’ve got that figured out, you will have to start working on wireframes that will sketch the most important parts of each page.
Learn About Domains and Hosting
This is a very important skill that most web designers overlook. Before you get started on a website – your very own portfolio, especially – you will have to do a bit of reading on the main differences between domains, hosting and server packages. Learn everything you can about different providers and the pros and cons of each one.
All this information is just a Google search away and it’s not hard to read or even technical at all! This way, you’ll be sure you have a domain and a hosting service for your website even before you start working on it!
Conversions First
No one will invest thousands upon thousands of dollars in a new website just because it looks pretty. People and businesses do it in order to drive profits. When it comes to conversions, the website’s design itself is the most important factor in determining the credibility and legitimacy of a business. So how does that translate for you?
Well, it simply means that you’ll have to learn to design for driving and increasing conversions. There are plenty of resources online that teach you how to do that. Bottom line is, you should always design with a successful conversion in mind.
Master Project Management
Besides the designer skills themselves, you need to learn a bit of project and client management as well. This especially applies if you’re aspiring to become a freelance web designer. You need to learn project management for yourself – it will streamline the entire process, improve the design experience and greatly reduce the stress you’re under.
Client management skills are also valuable. You have to offer your client the best experience – even when they’re not right – so they’ll keep coming back. Other than that, you will also be faced with deadlines, meetings and client onboardings that you’ll have to manage yourself if you want to run a successful business.
Get Some Marketing Skills
As a web designer, you will have to learn how to promote yourself and your services. You’re going to be your best promoter, so we recommend you get at least some basic online marketing skills. Things such as social media, email newsletters and on-site SEO will make a huge difference in your client influx.
On top of that, they’re not even that hard to learn. Once you’ve done your first Facebook campaign, for example, the second, third and one-hundredth will be a walk in the park. These can also be great extra skills you can offer to your clients – for extra cost, of course. 🙂
Our Conclusion
Becoming a great web designer with no coding knowledge isn’t impossible. Sure, you’ll have to take some extra turns but everything you learn will help you become a better professional. We hope this guide provided you with all the tips and tricks you need. At the end of the day, it’s all about continuous learning and practice – the more you learn, the better your skills will be.
