Web designers are the professionals responsible for shaping how a website looks, feels, and functions for real users. Sitting at the intersection of visual creativity and technical problem-solving, web designers turn ideas into engaging and intuitive digital experiences. They combine design principles, user behavior insights, and technical expertise to create websites that are visually appealing and easy to navigate.
As businesses continue to shift online and user expectations rise, web design has become a critical skill set across nearly every industry. From small startups to global brands, organizations rely on skilled designers to help them convert visitors into satisfied customers.
For creatives who also enjoy working with technology, web design is an attractive and flexible career path. This guide breaks down what a web designer is, what they do day-to-day, the skills they need to succeed, how the role differs from development, and how to become a web designer with the proper training.
What Does a Web Designer Actually Do?
At its core, a web designer’s job is to create the look and feel of a website while making sure it works smoothly for users. A typical web designer job description includes a mix of creative planning, technical collaboration, and user-focused decision-making.
What Does a Web Designer Do?
- Designs page layouts, color schemes, and typography
- Creates wireframes and mockups that map out how a site will look and function
- Designs interactive elements such as buttons, menus, and forms
- Ensures websites are visually consistent across pages and devices
- Collaborates with developers to ensure designs can be built accurately
- Adjusts designs based on user feedback, analytics, or client input
While web designers focus heavily on visuals, their work goes far beyond aesthetics. They must constantly consider how users move through a site, where attention is drawn, and how design choices impact usability.
When people ask, “What is a web designer and what do they do?”, the simplest answer is this: they help organizations achieve their goals by designing useful digital experiences for their customers or visitors.
The Core Pillars of Web Design
Successful web design is built on a few foundational pillars that work together to create websites that look good, feel intuitive, and perform well. While tools and trends may change, these core areas remain central to what makes a designer effective. Understanding how they connect helps explain why web design is both a creative and technical profession.
Visual Design and Aesthetics
Visual design is often the most recognizable part of a web designer’s role. This pillar focuses on how a website looks and how that look supports a brand’s identity. Designers use color theory, typography, spacing, imagery, and layout to create a polished and professional appearance that aligns with a client’s goals.
Web designers carefully choose fonts, color palettes, and visual hierarchy to guide attention and create consistency across pages. Strong visual design builds trust, reinforces branding, and helps users quickly understand what a business or organization represents.
Designers commonly rely on industry-standard tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and Photoshop. These tools allow designers to create graphics, edit images, and refine visual details that contribute to a cohesive digital presence.
User Experience (UX) Design
User experience, often called UX design, focuses on how people interact with a website. While UX work is less visible than visual design, it plays a major role in determining whether a site feels easy or frustrating to use.
A web designer thinking about UX maps out how users move through a site, where they might get confused, and how to reduce friction. This can include planning navigation menus and structuring page layouts logically to make important information is easy to find. Designers also consider accessibility, ensuring websites are usable for people with different abilities across various devices.
Good UX design helps visitors complete tasks quickly and confidently, which benefits both users and businesses.
User Interface (UI) Design
User interface, or UI design, focuses on the interactive elements that allow users to communicate with a website. This includes buttons, forms, menus, sliders, and other on-screen controls.
Web designers use modern collaboration tools like Figma to design and test interfaces, share feedback with teams, and ensure consistency across projects. While UX defines the journey, UI brings that journey to life through the easy-to-use design elements users interact with.
Web Designer vs. Web Developer: Understanding the Difference
The terms “web designer” and “web developer” are often used interchangeably, but they describe two distinct roles. Designers shape the experience, while developers bring it to life through code.
Web Designer vs Web Developer
- What is a Web Designer? A web designer focuses on the visual layout, usability, and overall user experience of a website. They decide how a site should look, how users interact with it, and how information is presented. Designers work with layouts, colors, typography, and interface elements to create a cohesive experience.
- What is a Web Developer? A web developer, on the other hand, is responsible for building and maintaining the site’s underlying structure. Developers write the code that makes a website function, turning design files into working pages using programming languages and frameworks.
Essential Skills Every Web Designer Needs
A successful web design career requires a balance of technical expertise and soft skills. Employers look for designers who can create strong visuals, understand user behavior, and collaborate effectively with others.
Common skills web designers need include:
- Visual design fundamentals such as layout, typography, and color theory
- UX and UI principles
- Proficiency with modern design software
- Basic knowledge of front-end development concepts
- Problem-solving and critical thinking
- Clear communication and collaboration skills
- Attention to detail and adaptability
Together, these skills help designers translate ideas into functional, user-friendly websites.
Proficiency in Design Software
Design tools are central to a web designer’s workflow, and proficiency with industry-standard software is no longer optional. Employers expect designers to work efficiently in collaborative, cloud-based environments.
Key tools web designers commonly use include:
- Figma, which has become a leading platform for collaborative design and prototyping
- Adobe Creative Suite, including tools for layout and graphic design
- Photoshop for image editing and visual refinement
Basic Coding Knowledge
While web designers are not typically responsible for writing production-level code, having a foundational understanding of coding is essential. Designers benefit from knowing how layouts translate into HTML and CSS and how design choices impact performance and responsiveness.
This basic coding knowledge helps designers communicate more effectively with developers, anticipate technical constraints, and create designs that can be implemented smoothly. It also makes designers more versatile in collaborative environments.
Responsive and Mobile-First Design
Modern websites must work across a wide range of devices, from smartphones to large desktop monitors. Responsive and mobile-first design ensures layouts adapt smoothly to different screen sizes and orientations.
Web designers strategize their work with flexibility in mind, prioritizing mobile usability and scaling up for larger screens. This approach reflects real-world usage patterns, as a significant portion of web traffic now comes from mobile devices. Designers who understand responsive design principles are better prepared to meet current industry expectations.
How to Become a Web Designer: Education and Pathways
There is no standardized web design career path, making it an accessible field for people with diverse backgrounds and learning styles. Many designers enter the industry through a mix of formal education, hands-on training, and self-directed learning.
Some common pathways include:
- Formal degree programs, which provide a structured foundation in design theory, technology, and digital media
- Career-focused training programs, which emphasize practical skills, real-world projects, and job readiness
- Bootcamps, which offer accelerated learning for specific tools or disciplines
- Self-taught routes, where designers build skills through online courses, tutorials, and personal projects
Regardless of the path, employers tend to value strong portfolios that demonstrate problem-solving, usability, and visual consistency. Hands-on experience and the ability to explain design decisions clearly are often just as important as formal credentials.
Career Outlook: Salary, Jobs, and Industry Growth
Web design remains a relevant and evolving career as organizations prioritize their digital presence. Demand for professionals who understand design, usability, and front-end concepts remains steady across industries such as technology, healthcare, education, retail, and marketing.
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roles related to web development and digital design are expected to grow faster than average over the coming years as businesses expand their online services and platforms. Web designer salary ranges vary by experience, location, and specialization, with entry-level designers typically earning less than those with advanced skills or leadership responsibilities.
Different Types of Web Design Roles
Web designers can work in a variety of professional environments, each offering a different pace and focus. Understanding these options can help you decide which web design career path aligns best with your goals.
- In-House Web Designer: In-house designers work for a single organization, maintaining and improving that company’s website and digital assets. This role often provides stability and deep familiarity with one brand.
- Agency Web Designer: Designers at creative agencies work on projects for multiple clients across different industries. This environment tends to be fast-paced and exposes designers to a wide range of styles and challenges.
- Freelance Web Designer: Freelancers work independently, managing their own clients, schedules, and projects. This path offers flexibility but requires strong self-management and business insight.
Start Your Technical Career at Erie Institute of Technology
We’ve answered the question, “What is a web designer?” But before you begin building user-friendly digital experiences, you must first build your skills.
The right education can make all the difference. Erie Institute of Technology offers hands-on training classes designed to help students develop practical, career-ready skills that bridge creative design and technical execution.
Through our Web Design and Social Media Marketing program, students gain real-world experience working with modern design tools, digital platforms, and user-focused strategies.
Rather than focusing only on theory, EIT prepares students to enter the workforce with confidence by combining technical instruction, project-based learning, and industry-relevant skills. Our approach helps students build portfolios that reflect what employers are really looking for today.
Apply online to learn more and begin your journey toward a promising future in digital design.
About Author:
Ross Aresco
CFO
Ross Aresco is the CFO of Erie Institute of Technology. Erie Institute of Technology (EIT) is an Erie Pennsylvania technical/trade school providing training programs for medical, computer, electronics, manufacturing, and technology careers. EIT offers programs in many different areas to suit your interests and talents.