Do You Have the Eye to Learn Web Design? The web design industry continues to grow, despite the ever increasing number of web designers on the market already. It makes you wonder if the industry will overpopulate, becoming so full that a potential designer, like yourself, can’t make an honest living.
Why Web Design? If that is the fate of the industry then so be it, but it’s not likely happening any time soon. According to sba.gov,* there are over 23 million small businesses in America. According to Google, if you’re not on the internet, you don’t exist. And that makes sense. Even if you run a downtown bookstore that only conducts face-to-face business, you’re going to need information about you on the internet so that new people can find you. If you don’t create your own website and claim your business on Google, potential customers may never find you and take business elsewhere. It’s in the best interest of all 23 million small businesses in America to create and consistently update a website to create web presence. All businesses need to do this.
What It Takes That said there are a lot of contracts out there for the web designer; the key is deciding to become one and pushing towards that goal. Most people looking to learn web design and enter the industry have one enormous question on their minds, “Do I have the eye to learn web design?” Referring to the artistic eye to create something beautiful, many think you have to be a practicing artist to learn web design and do it correctly. What they don’t realize is that although that helps, it is not the deciding factor for every designer. Many companies just need a simple website to get their name and information out there. When a customer is looking to buy, they’re not looking for beautiful artwork. The customer is looking for a product that meets their needs. Even if all you learn are the basics of web design, that will be enough to get business running and money in your pocket.
With that in mind, your education shouldn’t end at the basics. The eye of artistic web design can be learned, even when you don’t have the natural ability for art.
Hone Your Skills There are plenty of blogs, manuals, and principles that can help you learn the industry. All you need to do is spend some time with them, check out other websites for examples, and identify what helps a user and what hurts them. As you get into the industry you’ll learn why certain color schemes are bad; for example, a bright red background and yellow text will push customers away because the colors are overwhelming. You’ll also learn how a customer’s eyes move across the page, teaching you where to place the most important items so the customer will notice. These skills have been identified and explained by analysts across the web. All you need to do is find the information and learn it. Although you may not have been born with the artist’s hand, you can develop the eye to learn web design without it. Just give yourself time, a bit of patience, and some practice to get it down. * http://www.sba.gov/content/small-business-trends Photo Credit: Kris Krug, Kris Krug, & Kris Krug via PhotoPin cc