While web design has been around for a couple of decades now, the job has changed dramatically since the early days. Web designers have evolved and had to move with the times.
Content management systems (CMS) like WordPress have made the process of building professional-looking sites simpler. But a CMS comes with its own set of restrictions and skilled designers continue to be in high demand.
When the client asks for a feature that isn’t available as a plug-in, when the template develops a bug, or when a completely new brand identity is required, talented web designers must step in and take the reins.
The typical career path of a web designer is also very different now. If you’re considering a career in web design and interested in what the future holds, here's a glimpse into your potential job titles and responsibilities.
Popular Web Design Job Titles
Before making any decisions on your future career, it’s important to understand the subtle differences between web design roles. Here are the key distinctions between some of the most popular job titles in the web design space:
Web Designer vs. Web Developer
A web designer is primarily responsible for the visual aspects, layout, and structure of a site. They’re creative artists that understand UX/UI (user experience and user interface) design. Their goal is to create an on-brand, aesthetically pleasing site that is intuitive and easy-to-use. Web designers are experts in design tools like Photoshop and Illustrator.
Web developers take care of the technical aspect of a site. They're responsible for the functionality and less interested in how the site is presented to the user. Developers generally have a more technical background and are masters of several programming languages. They use PHP, Python, and SQL to ensure the site works as intended. For example, they may be tasked with developing a secure shopping cart system on an e-commerce site.
Web Designer vs. UX Designer
A UX designer is responsible for ensuring the user has a positive experience when using a product. UX design is a key component of the web design process. But the UX role exists outside of web design too. UX design can be applied to both physical and digital products.
This means that all web designers must learn elements of UX design, but not all UX designers must understand web design.
The most important distinction is that a web designer is client-oriented and works to satisfy the needs of the client. A UX designer is user-oriented and focuses on keeping the user happy when they use the product or website.
Career Paths in Web Design
Let’s look at a typical career trajectory of a web designer.
Start your career as an intern or in a junior designer position. You’ll have very limited responsibility and may shadow a more experienced designer for the first few months. This will give you a great opportunity to learn new skills, understand your objectives, and have a clear idea of where you fit in the organization.
After six to twelve months you’ll be slowly given more tasks and start to work independently. You’ll be promoted to a web designer. Your designs will need to be approved by senior members, but you’ll become more involved in client meetings. You’ll continually be learning new technical skills along with developing your communication, presentation, and organization skills.
After gaining a few years of experience as a web designer, you'll become a senior web designer where you’ll be given more design freedom. You’ll be responsible for several different clients, and lead client meetings to gather requirements. Your job may now involve presenting to company stakeholders and updating managers on project progress.
You then have the option of entering into a managerial role where you’ll lead a design team, recruit new designers, and make key decisions on the project. You could also transition into the role of a UX designer or back-end developer.
After gaining more experience you can climb the career ladder and eventually become a creative director or senior manager.
