5 things to consider when moving from graphic design to web design
Website design By BotEap.comWho is a graphic designer?
Website design By BotEap.comGraphic designers combine text and images to create layouts and designs. It is your responsibility to create interesting designs that grab the viewers attention and communicate the message effectively. The message can be intended for both offline and online audiences. Simply put, graphic designers are concerned with how objects look. It’s all about making static layouts as visually appealing as possible. There are many branches of graphic design and many designers specialize in creating one category of work, like movie poster designer Raj Khatri, while others prefer to do a bit of everything.
Website design By BotEap.comWho is a web designer?
Website design By BotEap.comWeb designers are broadly divided into UI and UX designers. User interface designers are responsible for the design of an application or a website, that is, the appearance of the interface for the audience. Whereas user experience designers are more concerned with what happens when one interacts with the interface. Together, they both work on how the product feels. Your goal is to maximize the simplicity of the product. They refine and iterate to create the best possible experience for users.
Website design By BotEap.comAs you can see, graphic designers differ from UI/UX designers both in their process and in the end result. There is no doubt that UI/UX designers are currently in the highest demand in India. They bridge the gap between how things look and how they work; and they are at the forefront of creating fantastic products for people in the technological age. On the other hand, the market for graphic designers has stagnated a bit and the job market is shrinking for them compared to the more technologically relevant designers.
Website design By BotEap.comIn fact, many graphic designers are changing to become web designers. Are you looking forward to making the change? Here are five tips to keep in mind when moving from graphic design to web design;
Website design By BotEap.com1. Don’t be the expert
Website design By BotEap.comThe best web designers are the ones who don’t have all the answers. Eh what? The key is to understand that all customers are different and one solution will not work for everyone. You need to understand what designs exactly they need and create them for them. Often, giving them an answer will not be enough. You’ll need to do your research and give customers reasons why your answer is correct. Be prepared to be stumped every day and have to work hard for every change you make, because you’ll need to accommodate clients’ needs in your designs.
Website design By BotEap.comGood web designers always start with the basics, always plan ahead as they work, and create preliminary outlines for their designs. Rough is the keyword here, as many designers often try too hard to make their wireframes look pretty and lose focus on their purpose. This is a very important point for graphic designers as aesthetics take a backseat when it comes to creating wireframes. This does not mean that you should throw away your creativity, but rather that you should learn to focus it and use it in the right places.
Website design By BotEap.com2. It is both a science and an art
Website design By BotEap.comBeing a web designer, you need to embrace product thinking. Being a web designer means understanding that design overlaps with product management, as no one can design an intuitive user interface for a product they have no idea about.
Website design By BotEap.comResearch and user testing are a big part of web design. Your intuition, as well as all sorts of biases, should never get in the way of the design process. This means you’ll need to conduct interviews, studies, consultations, and tests to validate your design and make sure it’s intuitive for your users.
Website design By BotEap.comIt’s a scientific approach, and you need to understand that in web design the definition of handsome it is what makes users feel good while navigating through your interfaces and not what is pleasing to the eye. To achieve this, you must not only be good at art, but you must also understand the science behind it all.
Website design By BotEap.com3. Design for Information
Website design By BotEap.comOne of the most important aspects of good web design isn’t so much about pixels, colors, or typography, but about the content that sits within your designs. People use websites and apps not because of their beautiful designs, but because they want easy access to content. When moving from graphic design to web design, you should keep this aspect in mind and make sure your designs are as simple as possible. It is very important to make it as easy as possible for users to find the content they need. The entire interface must be logical in its layout and easily accessible to the end user.
Website design By BotEap.com4. Follow the guidelines, don’t make your own
Website design By BotEap.com“Wait, you want me to follow the convention!” Although this sounds like cyanide to graphic designers, it makes a lot of sense when it comes to web design. Just like programming, UI/UX design has guidelines, like Google’s Material Design for Android or Apple’s iOS Human Interface Guidelines. And following them is essential to ensure that your design does not cause any confusion in the minds of users.
Website design By BotEap.comIf you completely break with established patterns, you may experience a steeper learning curve for new users. Many of them won’t bother to discover your design patterns and will move on to another website or app that fits what they already know.
Website design By BotEap.comHowever, this does not mean that there is no room for customization and unconventional design solutions. To some extent, it does, but unless you work at Apple or Google, it’s not recommended to reinvent entire design patterns that your users have already grown accustomed to. It is not creativity but ease of use that is important in this field.
Website design By BotEap.com5. Play
Website design By BotEap.comWhile it is obvious that you will need to research and read as much as possible about the world of web design, one thing that is often overlooked is that as a web designer, you should visit as many websites as possible. Many graphic designers feel that using a reference kills their inherent creativity and therefore avoid using references for what they create.
Website design By BotEap.comWrite down what you like about them and what you don’t. What makes them different from their competitors? What makes it easy for you to access content? Do you like that extra menu bar? How many clicks or actions does it take to get from one section of the website to another? All of this will help you a lot when designing your own websites as you can learn from what others have done and avoid the mistakes they have made.
Website design By BotEap.comconclusion
Website design By BotEap.comIf you’re thinking of switching to web design, keep in mind that there will be radical changes in your work process and mindset. The hardest part of this transition might be changing your perception of the design and your goal.
Website design By BotEap.comSo before sketching out your first interface, try to put yourself in the shoes of the user to understand what they are looking for in the product and what their goals are. Then think of design as a way to help them achieve them. From now on, that is your goal!