Web designer
Web designers use their creative and technical skills to design new websites and redesign existing ones.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
You could:
- take a lead in maintaining and developing a site
- attend meetings with clients to plan and develop website style and appearance
- use content management systems (CMS)
- analyse statistics about who is using the website
- write reports for managers, clients and partners
- report technical problems to IT support staff
Working environment
You could work in an office, from home or at a client's business.
Career path and progression
With experience you could:
- become a lead web designer or manager
- work as a freelance web designer
- set up your own web design business
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- design skills and knowledge
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- customer service skills
- analytical thinking skills
- to be flexible and open to change
- persistence and determination
- the ability to use your initiative
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to have a thorough understanding of computer systems and applications
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
You could take a higher national diploma or degree in:
- web design and development
- multimedia design
- digital media development
- interactive computing
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a higher national diploma
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
More Information
You could take a college course to learn some of the skills you need for this job, for example:
- Level 3 Certificate in Web Design and Development
- T Level in Digital Production, Design and Development
- Level 4 Diploma in IT Web Design
Entry requirements
You may need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
- 1 or 2 A levels, a level 3 diploma or relevant experience for a level 4 or level 5 course
More Information
You could take an apprenticeship, such as:
- Content Creator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
- Junior VFX Artist Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
- Creative Digital Design Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More Information
You could start working as a design assistant or web support assistant and train while you work.
You could volunteer for a local community group or charity and create a website for them. Any experience you can get will be helpful when applying for jobs.
Career tips
You'll need a portfolio of work that shows employers your creative design skills.
To make sure that you're up to date with the latest trends, features and design software you can:
- get involved in free webinars or online training courses
- sign up to free online magazines
- read the latest industry blogs for news and tips
Further information
You can get more advice about careers in web design from techskills.
You can also find out more from Discover Creative Careers.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.