What is a web designer?

Business, Design, Entrepreneurship, Graphic Design, Marketing
January 22, 2021

Before learning about what a web designer is, you probably want to see some of their work. We invite you to see some examples of webs designs that we have done for our clients under point 8!

1 – What is a web designer?

A web designer is a professional who has the necessary knowledge to create websites with the adequate characteristics that a company needs to make sales online, independent of the industry that the business operates. They may also design and create blogs, landing pages, or online shops.

Basically, their work is based around having command of different tools that result in the creation of a complete website in accordance with their client’s specifications. Just as any designer’s work is to take the idea of his/her client and represent it in a way that is understood and which clearly transmits the message the client wants to send, a web designer should do the same, with an additional focus on making sure that their design has an intuitive navigation style for any user.

Unlike a web programmer, the web designer creates the design and is in charge of the creative part. A programmer uses programming language, without using templates or content generators.

2- What does a web designer do?

Explaining what a web designer is should be approached with care and detail, since the term tends to be confusing due to the common understanding of each word separately. Normally, people think of a web designer as the person in charge of the entire process of a web page, and as a result of this idea, many companies fall into the error of contracting someone who doesn’t know all of the necessary aspects needed to meet their objectives online, and therefore doesn’t achieve the desired results from their site and virtual space.

There are many web designers on the market who claim to know a great deal about the topic. However, when it comes down to it, they really don’t know what a professional website requires, and end up creating simple pages that don’t deliver impact or generate online traffic.

Given that, what a web designer does and what he/she offers is a combination of different elements that form part of the website: colors, menu, font, buttons, among others, and work to make all of these elements as harmonious as possible. Among the web designer’s functions is to know worldwide online design trends and apply them correctly in their creations, as well as to provide originality for each client’s project, adapting to what is required for each brand independently.

As with any profession, the more knowledgeable the professional is, the better the work will be. Given this, other functions that a web designer can and should know about to be better at their work include content creation for a web page, and the structures through which it is shown, though these aren’t obligatory skills for the job.

They should always base their work that they do around the principal objective of a website, keeping in mind the key aspects for adequate user experience. It’s very important that they clearly understand concepts of navigation, interactivity and information architecture.

It’s indispensable that they not confuse the functions and knowledge of a web designer with those of a web programmer. While it’s true that these are a good complement, both roles perform differently and give life to a website in different ways.

Its important to keep in mind that in order to develop a professional website you need a team of experts that have studied different areas and who have a variety of skill sets, so that the information that you present is much more complementary and achieves a complete final result. Not only do you need a good web site design, but it’s also important to have someone who understands programming, UX design, SEO positioning, visual communication, marketing, graphic design, etc…

3-Types of web designers

-UX web designer

In a few words, a UX designer is one who specializes in the user’s experience of navigating a page or website. UX is a reference to all of the relative aspects of interaction with the user—not just the design itself, but also the visual appearance, content quality, and everything related to the emotions and feelings that make up a brand and the transmission of these to the user. Given that, a UX designer is also the professional who is in charge of the perception and feelings that a product instills in a user’s mind.

Basically, the functions of a UX designer consist of:

Researching the market. This refers to the information that can be collected to make the content on the web site stand out, analyzing strategies that the industry uses and which gain results from the target audience.
Implementing evaluations, user testing, benchmarks, among other thing. This aids in determining whether the functions on a web page are user-friendly and align with the target audience’s objectives.
Data analysis and metric implementation. With the help of a web programmer, a UX designer can request the implementation of functions that keep a record of how users navigate the website and see if they are taking desired actions or whether changes should be made.
Information architecture. Adequate order will indirectly cause the user to feel closeness to the brand result in a better experience when they log on to the website.

A UX designer should generally have knowledge about psychology, sociology or anthropology, technology and digital product development, communication and marketing, business and sales, and industrial and graphic design.

-UI web designer

UI refers to the user’s interface and is the view that allows the user to interact with the system. It is the culmination between information architecture + visual elements + patterns of interaction.

Given this, the UI designer is in charge of visually creating the interface of the product and making sure that it’s form demonstrates harmony and generates an excellent user experience. At the same time, they create interactive elements and are in charge of making sure that the site looks perfect across all types of platforms. The UI designer should work by implementing style guides and patterns of use.

The activities that a UI designer carries out are:

Interaction design based on system response
Interaction guides that would come with system updates
Design elements like buttons and forms
Visual design of icons and images
Style guides like color palettes and sources

Something that may help one to more clearly understand the functions of UI designers is to understand the work that they do. For example, if you look at the trashcan button on your computer, you may see it in two states: with paper inside of it, or without paper inside of it. If you open the trash, you’ll also notice that it generates a sound, and if you eliminate what is inside of the trash, you’ll hear a different sound.

Well, the fact that the trashcan has paper in it when there are documents inside of it, and also that two different sounds occur when the trash is opened and when it is emptied, are examples of a UI designer’s propositions and executions to improve user experience.

4- What is responsive web design?

Maybe you have already heard this term before, but you don’t know what it means. Well, responsive design is design that is capable of adapting to screens of differing sizes with just one website. It has to do with re-dimensioning and adding web elements in a way that adapt according to the width of each device, achieving correct visualization and a better user experience. Perhaps your asking yourself, why is web responsive design important?

The world becomes more mobile each day. Everyday there are more people who use mobile devices, whether they are smartphones, tablets or laptops. This makes responsive design almost OBLIGATORY for companies that want to have an online presence. A website can adapt in a responsive way without any intervention, however there will be likely be errors that should be fixed by a web programmer who is an expert in the field.
Improves the user experience. This format allows for an optimized experience for users who enter a website, no matter which device they are using.
Essential for your SEO. Google penalizes positioning for sites that don’t offer a good user experience, including a responsive format. This generates a loss in traffic to your website.
Helps with branding. Your brand receives higher mark if the user feels satisfied when using your page. If you have good responsiveness that creates a good experience, it will position itself in the consumer’s mind as a high quality brand.
Obtains more leads. Improving navigation and making it easy to use for the client will make them feel more satisfied and want to see a bit more about what the brand has to offer.

How do we make our web page responsive?

If your website is designed from a WordPress template or if it follows a format, without any personalization, your website will be responsive across all devices. However, it’s very complicated to obtain a template that has all of the necessities and characteristics that we mentioned before and one which is able to appeal to your target audience. It’s probable that one doesn’t exist. This is where things get a bit complicated. At the moment in which WordPress is personalized for the needs of a business, it’s likely that a host of errors begin to manifest which affect page responsiveness for some screens and devices. To remedy this you need a good web developer to adjust web page responsiveness.

Should a web designer have knowledge of web page responsiveness?

In a labor market as competitive as the one that exists, the person who stands out from the others will always triumph, and be distinguished by their knowledge. A web designer should know about programming and types of responsiveness on different devices if they want to set themselves apart from the average web designer. In the world of web design, time is of the essence, and when a personalized design is made to adapt to any screen, the time which is saved in programming is a very valuable asset.

5-What do you need to create a web page?

A website has the purpose of helping a company transmit confidence to its clients, demonstrate an offer, and incite a purchase. It generates leads that can turn a simple user into a loyal client. So, what do you need to be able to create a website?

Domain: The first thing that you need to do is get a domain name, which means a name for your website, which users will use to find your website. The first thing you should do is research whether the domain that you would like to purchase already exists. In the event that it does not, there will be a monthly cost which should be paid to a domain registration in order to gain rights to the name.

It’s important that you keep in mind that a domain doesn’t mean that you have a website. It is simply the right to use this name for 1 year or the number of years for which you purchase the domain. The longer you purchase the domain for, the more economical it will be, but if you purchase a domain for a longer period of time, you also run the risk that you may abandon the project or that it simply doesn’t work and you end up losing this extra investment. Keep in mind that once the time passes for which you purchased the domain, you must renew your subscription as soon as possible. Generally, you will have approximately 1 month before the name becomes public again, and someone else can purchase it.

If possible, the ideal thing is for the domain to be easy for users to read and remember. That way, looking it up will be much easier, and the client will be able to remember it.

NOTE: We recommend that you purchase a domain in a different place than where you purchase hosting. This is due to matters regarding ease of management and appropriation of your site.

Hosting: Hosting is where your website lives. It is essentially the space on the internet that you pay for in order to have your page. Companies that sell this type of service have computers (web servers) that use high velocity connections in order for your site to be fast, and take little time to load.

It’s important that you hire a hosting service with the following in mind:

The domain can be or not be part of the hosting.
There are different applications for each need. Whether it is a static page or a dynamic one.
Free hosting services are neither good nor advisable.

Content: The content is the cover letter for your brand when it comes to internet users. If your content doesn’t makes sense or lacks dynamism, your website may not be appreciated and you’ll lose sales.

It’s very important that you create content that will be interesting for your potential clients. Don’t focus solely on sales, and although we know that this is the goal of your business, content should extend beyond this. If you want to capture the attention of users, you should use marketing and visual strategies that help, but this should be accompanied by relevant information for your client. Make videos or photos that are pleasing to the eye and which focuses on making sure that the information about your services is explicit and easy to understand. If you use blogs, look for themes of common interest related to your business. That way you make sure that everyone who enters, wants to stay.

Design: A website design is a culmination of texts, images, videos and sound, all in the same place. Once you have the domain, the host, and strong essential content, it’s time to design.

At this point the web designer implements their imagination and makes magic with all of that which the business owner wants to transmit through their page. The web designer should add a personalized feel and will be in charge of giving life to these ideas. This point is very important since the visual component is PRIMORDIAL for the success of the website.

If you are decided when it comes to your corporate colors and image, convey these to the web designer and they should know how to convey all of your ideas, as well as convert your textual content in a way that generates sales.

Programming: In a few words, programming consists of translating a design to code so that it can be read by people searching the internet.

It is very important that this is done by an expert since it is the structure that supports the website and its functionality depends on it. At the same time, the programmer is in charge of optimizing the page, and making sure that it loads quickly and works as it should once the user logs into it. Look for experts that have experience, since this will ensure that you don’t end up investing more money once your website is already loaded onto the web.

6- Advice prior to hiring a web designer

Hiring a web designer isn’t something that you should take lightly, since they will clearly be in charge of giving life to your web site and building the image of your company, which will make the difference as to whether or not you are able to interact with your clients.

This is why it’s very important that you hire specialized people who are aware of worldwide virtual trends, and what users are looking for nowadays when they navigate a website, and on the other hand, elements that can put the image of your company at risk in the eyes of your audience. You already know that a web designer is and all of the characteristics that they should possess in order to be an asset to your company, but we want to offer you more information before you hire one. Here we offer some tips that you should keep in mind before hiring a web designer:

Do they offer an example?: This isn’t obligatory since not all web designers have a web page. However, it is almost indispensable that they have one, since this is how they make their living and they need a way to demonstrate their talent, and what better way than by starting with their own business. If you search and find that your web designer’s web page is easy to understand, dynamic and simple to interact with, this should be taken into account when you hire. If they can do this with their own website, imagine what can be done with yours once you tell them the specifications that you are looking for.
What work have they done?: The best guarantee of a good web designer will be the work that they have completed. If you like their work, you will certainly be pleased with what they create for you in the future. If their way of working isn’t your style, then there is no point wasting your time or money. Usually each designer has their own style and different way of working, which will always be reflected in the results from their projects with previous clients.
Client opinions: Look to see if there are any comments from other clients in Google reviews. This is an excellent gauge that will give you even more assurance that you are talking with a professional. If you don’t see any results, dig a little more and see if you can make contact with a past client in order to have total certainty that you are investing your money well.
Client support: This may not seem important, but it is. If you see that client support is terrible, and that your calls and messages aren’t answered, you may experience the same issue during the process. If so, you won’t be able to have a work connection, which is indispensable for good design work. There should always be a dialogue between the client and the designer that allow the client’s ideas to be captured.
Clear accounting: Before hiring a designer, it’s important that you are able to see the specific services being provided. At times, a person may take advantage of the situation by offering a seemingly great package, and by the end of the project the results only include a small portion of what was promised at the start. We recommend that the contract be as specific as possible.
Design propositions: This point is very important. A sketch of the design before completion is necessary, since you as a client, should be able to see how your website will look and be able to offer suggestions to the designer. These types of situations should be assumed in the contract, since in order to avoid a loss of time and money for both the client and the designer, it’s necessary to see drafts that allow for revisions so both parties can be satisfied with the result.
Ask to submit a brief: There are infinite possibilities, preferences, and colors in a design. Given that fact, it’s essential that the client passes a brief to the designer with all needed specifications as well as what is desired from the website. It will be much easier for the designer to work from this information guide, and for the first draft to be much closer to what is desired from the client, than if he or she were to work blindly.

Determine your needs: With all of this information about what a web designer is, you may be tempted to hire the one with the most knowledge and aptitudes. It is always better to have the best web designer on your team, but keep in mind that having someone who is very well trained also comes at a high price.

7- Advantages of hiring a web designer

here are a large quantity of people on the market who will say that they are web designers, but who really don’t have sufficient experience to satisfy their clients’ needs. For that reason, since you know what a web designer is better than anyone, we recommend that you be very careful when it comes time to hire the people who manage the visual element of your company. It’s worth taking the necessary time to find a certified web designer, since the benefits of doing so will abound:

Specialty: A web designer is a professional who gains recognition as they complete work. Each designer should have a design portfolio where they demonstrate all of their previous jobs, which will help you to understand the way that they work before hiring them.
Direct contact: When you hire a serious web designer, you’ll notice that when you have direct contact with them you’re be able to manage the situation easily and be able to communicate your suggestions as they occur to you.
Time: Upon hiring an expert you’ll be able to focus on areas of your business that generate more income and require your constant attention. So, you won’t be distracted by diverting your time towards what looks better here and what looks better there, and should be able to make progress in other areas of your business more consistently.
Trends: A web designer should be aware of trends, and not just when it comes to colors and symbols. They should also know what is in style on the internet, and be able to use this to strengthen your website through their design. This means that your web page should always be using the best modern visual communication techniques.
They should focus your website towards SEO and sales. Although they aren’t specialists in this theme, they have basic knowledge that should help keep you from committing novice errors. They should also understand how to attract clients through organic positioning.
An easy website to use: The designer should understand the concept of usability and how this influences the positioning and ranking of the web site. The easier and more “digestible” the website is for the user, the more attractive the page will be.
Professional image: A good designer should, at the bare minimum, be trained to transmit the seriousness that your online business deserves.

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8- Web designs made by us – Different types of web designs and web pages

Would you like to design your web page with us? Here are some of the web pages that we have designed for our clients. You can also log onto our web design portfolio in case you’d like to find inspiration for your own web page design!

Pink Filosofy – Web design for a clothing store

Smiles by Mario Montoya – Web design for a dentist

Tree Experts Now –Web page design abut tree care

Nothing but Juice – Website for a natural juice distributor

QA Digital Ads – Web design for web designers

Visit our portfolio to collect ideas for web designs!

Our Portfolio

We are QA Digital Ads, a web design and marketing agency created by a group of internauts, who are experts in everything that includes the words internet, digital, publicity and web. We work towards the goal of helping people to get closer to achieving success in their projects through the digital world.

If you have any questions, comments or would like to inquire about one of our services, don’t hesitate to call us or send an email using the information below!.