Must-have skills every web designer should possess

January 29, 2010
Design
Professional Development

A lot has changed for web designers since the dawn of the public web in the early 1990's. With the evolution of web standards and the rise of 'Web 2.0' (ugh, I can't stand that term), the bar has risen quite high for those of us who build web sites for a living. I thought I'd offer my own perspective on the skills one must possess to remain marketable in today's web designer profession.

Creative Design Skills

Web designers are first and foremost creative problem solvers. This requires not only being able to take an idea or a need and use the web to bring it to fruition, it also requires a talent for visual layout, style and presentation. Artistic ability is only one of a successful web designer's skill sets but it is a foundational one.

Have an eye for site layout, colour and balance
Possess solid graphic design and photo editing skills
Demonstrate an ability to apply attractive design within the requirements of usability and accessibility
Have expert knowledge of UI design and at least know the essentials of web site typography & iconography

Programming Skills

It used to be that desgners mocked up site in Photoshop or Illustrator and passed them off to developers to slice into XHTML and CSS. Designers didn't have to even know HTML! While this still occurs in some organizations, it's my opinion that nowadays you cannot survive as a web designer without also being a solid front-end developer and having at least some server-side development skills.

You should be able to hand-code (there's no need for WYSIWYG if you know what you're doing)
Have advanced to expert knowledge of XHTML, CSS and XML
Have intermediate to expert knowledge of Javascript and at least one JS library like jQuery or Mootools
Possess at least an intermediate level of skill with a server-side language like PHP or ASP.net
Have experience with Content Management Systems (installation, integration, theme development)

Best Practices

Having the skills to design web sites is one thing, knowing to best make them accessible and functional is another. Applying best practices to every step of a project is key.

Keep up to speed on W3C standards for web content (and use code validators!)
Know Search Engine Optimization inside and out
Have a solid knoweldge of browser accessibility and general usability
Know the basics of effective web copy writing

Social Media & Rich Content

To be a web designer today and not have any experience working with social media and rich content seems unthinkable yet there are still those in the industry who are just beginning to jump into the social web or have yet to at all. Apart from the ability to not cringe when a client says 'Web 2.0', you should be able to meet your client's needs the inclusion of social media into their project.

Know how to use and integrate social bookmarking
Be up to speed on social media integration (widgets, apps, etc.)
Have a good working knowledge of blogging, podcasting and content sharing tactics
Know how to convert audio and video for the web

Soft Skills

It's all well and good to have the technical requirements of your profession down, it's another to apply those skills in the real world. As a service provider, it's critical to have the soft skills that allow you to propel yourself forward and work with all types of people.

Have a positive attitude
Have a passion for web design and aim to be innovative
Be able to effectively negotiate with clients, stakeholders and users
Be efficient yet thorough
Know when to be patient and know when to be aggressive
Be able to handle criticism maturely

What would you add to this list? What would you take away?

Stay well.

Post a comment

Dharma Ferrari
I agree at all!
Posted: February 8, 2010
Anonymous
I don't think its necessary for a web designer to also be a server side programmer. It's perfectly fine to just specialize on front end.
Posted: February 9, 2010
Skyrocket Labs
I agree but my point was that in order to make yourself as marketable as possible it's important to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of back end. The emergence of the 'front end developer' is a good indication of how our skill set has evolved. Necessity + potential = opportunity, me thinks.
Posted: February 9, 2010