A web Designer is one who designs web pages and websites, which can be viewed through the internet and World Wide Web by users. That means web designers are basically the people who plan, layout and create a website being stored on web servers around the world. In web industry there is no limit to the number of Web designing Jobs and related jobs available. These jobs have a high growth scale
Web designing process :
Researching about the client’s company.
Asking the client what he wants and expects from the web.
Understanding competitiors.
Who are target audience?
What the target audience expects from the company
page ranking and fast loading.
Marketing the site
Make a sketch of the website (wireframes) in your mind and then put it on the paper (if possible). planning and pre-design planning saves your time, money and resources the best.
Web design software: After planning the layout is created on the computer. Various design Softwares like Photoshop, flash dreamweaver etc. are used to execute the project. Web designers usually gain their sense of design by observation and imagination. Knowledge of Color theory and basic design principles are a must.
Markup languages:
HTML– Hyper Text Mark-up Language: A web designer should know the first fundamental skill is HTML. It is basic Language. HTML uses tags to open and close a passage of text. HTML is easy to learn and you can create web pages using notepad or any basic text editor, as well as, software such as Dreamweaver.
CSS– Cascading Style Sheets The second fundamental skill is CSS or Cascading Style Sheets. This is what converts your HTML codes into the formatted web page you normally see on a website. CSS is basically the presentation of the HTML codes you have written. It is the look and format of each web page for example colors, fonts, text and borders etc. HTML will now look different each time. By using CSS you can reduce your file size and reduce your loading time also.
Understanding SEO: A good web designer ,needs to understand SEO. Optimizing web pages for search engines is a very important element in web design. This helps to rank the pages that you have created. Higer ranking means more visitors to your site.
Understanding Social Media
Social media is an off page technique for driving traffic to your site. Understand the various strategies and techniques in promoting your page helps the web designer to know how and where to include social media elements in the page
Web Usability
Web usability is about making your website in such a way that your site users can find what they’re looking for quickly and efficiently. A usable website can get huge benefits on to your website and your business. Successful Web designers have a good sense of what site visitors are looking for.
Training in all the above mentioned subject is a must to be start up as a web designer. Important to know institutes which offer these growth oriented careers in web designing with 100% guarantee along with further guidance and growth.
It is very important that a web designer should know “What web usability is?” He should know “what the user wants?” “How satisfy to the user?” And give the users a good UX (User experience).
Usability testing can be done in a simple manner by inviting people to work on the site and give their comments on the functionality of the site.
What is usability?
Usable Web sites are those which help users to accomplish a goal (e.g. to obtain some information) easily, quickly, and pleasantly.
Usability helps users to achieve a goal
achieve a goal Eg. (usually, to obtain some information or “do something” such as ordering a book).
Makes it easy for them to achieve that goal.
Allows them to achieve it quickly.
Gives a pleasant (i.e. not boring or painful) experience while the goal is being achieved.
Worthwhile content
To be usable, your site must do something useful – provide information or services that will be of interest to your audience. If the content is worthwhile. It is easy to find desired information within the site.
Making it easy & quick
Pages can make it easy to obtain content by providing good navigation controls, and helping the user to understand the navigation scheme with location information etc.
Pages download quickly and there are not too many “clicks” between the front page and a target page.
Clean design
Clean design can make pages more pleasant to look at, and also easier to use. You don’t need to be an expert graphic designer to create cleanly-designed pages.
Avoid unnecessary elements distracting elements & arrange the page into visual areas (title, content, navigation, references, etc.) and stick to that template
Don’t use techniques you don’t understand.
See video for Web usability
Usability problems
Many sites on the Web are not very usable. Some common problems include a lack of clarity (the site does not explain what it is about) and slow loading times due to overuse of large graphics.
Confusion because the site does not clearly explain what it is about?
Long loading times due to overuse of large graphics, Java applets, ad banners, and other “flashy” elements.
Inconvenience because sites require bizarre software to be installed.
Difficult navigation because the navigation controls are hard to find or poorly labeled – or because there are far too many navigation links on the front page.
Poor readability because of inappropriate design.
.
Design Tip for Web Site Usability
According to Web usability expert a good navigation system should answer three questions:
Where am I?
Where have I been?
Where can I go?
Your site’s navigation system will answer all three questions if you’re careful to include these basic elements:
A) Keep it consistent.
B) Use suitable text inside links.
C) Use CSS to highlight text links.
D) Always include text links.
E) Add a text-based site map.
F) Include a home page link inside your main navigation system.
How to become a Successful Freelancer Web Designer?
Freelancer web designer is a beneficial service. You get to choose when, where and what you work on. There is freedom with respect to work. Income earned by freelancers is variable because of Working in a any company will guarantee you for regular & stable income. But as a freelancer, it is your own tact to have more clients and work hard for you to experience unlimited income. The Income is not stable.
So for you to be an effective freelancer, you need to have the patience, diligence, build trust and confidence in your clients to make things work efficiently.
If you are a freelancer web designer, your actual design skills are only half of the equation required to find success. In order to be a successful freelance web designer, you not only have to possess top notch design skills, but you also need to know how to get top of the line clients. Whether it’s not going after the best clients or wasting your time on clients who are never going to do anything other than drain your resources, successful client relations are a vital skill in themselves.
To ready to learn more.
As Freelancer web designer, You may also refer to other people who have done a great job.
Whatever you are doing within a day or a week, plan some time to learn new things, which helps to you in your job. You may refer to some reference materials that will help improve your skill & ideas. This is very important point for to enhance your freelancing career.
To share or discuss on your skills.
It is a great advantage to Freelancer web designer to share or discuss your skills with other web designer. Our knowledge always improves by sharing or discussing. Learning new things from people who have mastered their craft is also beneficial. People like this know what they are doing. They are good examples and you can begin by merely observing how they perform their skill. Working with them, be part of their team sounds great. You can also ask them questions if something needs to be clarified.
Stay focused and pay attention to your skills
We may have skills that need to be polished. Stay focused on this skill and find ways to improve it. You can work on this skill, practice it till it gets perfect, explore new horizons and be creative. Who knows it can take you to places like having more clients. And having clients believe in your capacity brings great advantage.
To accept new challenges
As Freelancer web designer, you need to assert a certain diversion and explore new challenges. Experiment by trying new methods that cans further enhance your skill. It is important and should be given utmost value as you need to meet the expectations and requirements of your clients. It is also because you want to establish more lasting relationships with them. And you simply want to build trust and confidence in them. If your freelancing skills is improved, excellent results are achieved.
Specialize in your skills
As Freelancer web designer, you need to specialize in your skills. people are pay for experts. However, even if you know that you are an expert in certain areas, you need to make sure that you are communicating this to others. If you are slaving away and working on an endless variety of general design projects, you need to stop, take inventory of your specific skills as a designer, and then focus on one or two areas where you can excel (and charge clients rates that reflect your mastery of that specific skill).
Planning First
As Freelancer web designer, you need to do proper planning about your project work and time.Planning is a success of every work. What’s a project without a plan? Without a plan all you really have is an undefined job that needs to get done in an undefined amount of time. Chances are, that project will never get done.A project plan doesn’t necessarily need to be a lengthy document with charts and situation analyses. Instead, a project plan just needs to get you to the point where you can clearly identify milestones, responsibilities and tasks
Networking
Projects are about people. Communicating, delegating and outsourcing all involve a human element. While your in-house network is probably strong (since you’re likely a freelancer or small business), it’s the outside connections that matter most. Where do you go if you need an experienced programmer you can trust? Or, what if you need assistance with administrative duties? Exercise your networking skills to build a group of people you can fall back on when the workload exceeds your abilities.
Mangesh Monde
(Freelancer webdesigner & senior faculty of Edit institute Mumbai)
URL : http://in.linkedin.com/in/mangeshmonde
Email : mangesh@edit.co.in
It is veryimportant that a web designer should know “What web usability is?” He should knows “what the user wants?” “How to satisfy the user?” and give the users a good UX (User experience).
Usability testing can be done in a simple manner by inviting people to work on the site and give their comments on the functionality of the site.
What is usability?
Usable Web sites are those which help users to accomplish a goal (e.g. to obtain some information) easily, quickly, and pleasantly.
Some specific usability strategies include making sure the content is worthwhile, and keeping page size small so that the site can be navigated quickly.
Usability helps users to achieve a goal
achieve a goal Eg. (usually, to obtain some information or “do something” such as ordering a book).
Makes it easy for them to achieve that goal.
Allows them to achieve it quickly.
Gives a pleasant (i.e. not boring or painful) experience while the goal is being achieved.
Worthwhile content
To be usable, your site must do something useful – provide information or services that will be of interest to your audience. If the content is worthwhile. It is easy to find desired information within the site.
E.g. Users heading to an electronics manufacturer’s site are likely to have one (or both) of two goals in mind:
1. Information about products
2. Chance to buy products
Making it easy & quick
Pages can make it easy to obtain content by providing good navigation controls, and helping the user to understand the navigation scheme with location information etc.
Pages download quickly and there are not too many “clicks” between the front page and a target page.
There are two main ways to make a Web site quick to use:
1. Making pages download quickly.
2. Designing the site so that users can get to a desired information quickly .
Clean design
Clean design can make pages more pleasant to look at, and also easier to use. You don’t need to be an expert graphic designer to create cleanly-designed pages.
Avoid unnecessary elements (graphics or text that isn’t relevant).
Avoid distracting elements (animated GIFs, striking colors, etc.)
Don’t use techniques you don’t understand.
Arrange the page into visual areas (title, content, navigation, references, etc.) and stick to that template.
See video for Web usability
Usability problems
Many sites on the Web are not very usable. Some common problems include a lack of clarity (the site does not explain what it is about) and slow loading times due to overuse of large graphics.
What causes problems?
Confusion because the site does not clearly explain what it is about?
Long loading times due to overuse of large graphics, Java applets, ad banners, and other “flashy” elements.
Inconvenience because sites require bizarre software to be installed.
Difficult navigation because the navigation controls are hard to find or poorly labeled – or because there are far too many navigation links on the front page.
Poor readability because of inappropriate design.
Site identity
Every page on the Web should ensure that users can understand its purpose. Even users not in the target audience should be able to figure out enough about the site to know whether it has content they are interested in or not.
This can usually be achieved by a few sentences on the front page, linked to a more detailed “about this site” section.
Many, many sites on the Web neglect this basic duty, which means that users’ time is wasted as they look around the site trying to gain some sense of its purpose – which could have been simply summarized to them from the start.
Speed problems
Lots of Web sites are unnecessarily slow to use. Speed problems can be caused by a variety of issues, most of which are within the control of the site designer.
Large graphics.
Each page’s total size should be kept small, as small as possible. This means avoiding large graphics wherever possible.
Technology.
Unnecessary Java applets, Flash movies, MIDI files etc, are observed on many pages when they are not actually required.
Unnecessary graphics.
“send me email” animated GIFs, “Best viewed with Internet Explorer” buttons, “Under Construction” icons: these all increase download time, and are completely unnecessary
Tables.
Tables are often used (usually inappropriately) to layout pages. If the entire page is placed in a table, then some browsers will not display any of the page until the whole thing has loaded.
.
Difficult navigation
Some sites have navigational controls which :
are not clear to new users, because they use an unnecessary symbol.
are not clear because they rely on icons without explanatory text.
are confusing because the titles were poorly chosen.
are far too numerous, so that it is difficult to find the desired choice.
Poor readability
Sites are often difficult to read because:
a small font was specified.
Poor colors were chosen.
the “measure” (length of a line in words) is too long, so that text is too difficult to read.
a repeating background image or texture was used, making text difficult to read.
Ugliness
Pages do not have to include lots of graphics, complex color schemes, or interesting layout in order to look good. A page can still look good even if it is very simple. The problems mostly occur when people attempt complex designs.
Useful
A Web site probably is intended to fulfill objectives for the designer or the company; it must meet the user’s requirements first and foremost. Web sites are about users, and if users are upset or put off by a site, it makes no difference whether the marketing department’s message got through: they’re gone.
Design Tip for Web Site Usability
1. Design a clear and simple navigation system.
According to Web usability expert a good navigation system should answer three questions:
Where am I?
Where have I been?
Where can I go?
Your site’s navigation system will answer all three questions if you’re careful to include these basic elements:
A) Keep it consistent.
The navigation system should be in the same place on every page and have the same format. Visitors will get confused and frustrated if links appear and disappear unpredictably.
B) Use suitable text inside links.
Don’t make your visitors guess where a link is going to take them. Visitors should be able to expect a link’s destination by reading the text in the link or on the navigation button.
C) Use CSS to highlight text links.
To Use CSS style to highlight text link, consistent visual technique like a background color, different font, or text color that indicates a hyperlink.
D) Always include text links.
Every page should have basic text links that link to all major sections of the site.
E) Add a text-based site map.
Large or complex sites should always have a text-based site map in addition to text links. Every page should contain a text link to the site map.
F) Include a home page link inside your main navigation system.
Visitors may enter your site via an internal page, but hopefully they’ll want to head for the home page next.
G) Include a site search box.
A healthy site search feature helps visitors quickly locate the information they want. Make the search box prominent and be sure that it searches all of your site – and only your site
H) Keep the content clear and simple.
You may attract visitors with an eye-catching design, but content is what keeps them at the site and encourages them to return. Content is also the best way to improve your site in search engine rankings.
I) Don’t save the best for last.
Place your most important content high on the page. Think of a newspaper: the top story is always prominently displayed above the fold.
J) Make page content easy to scan.
Format your content so that it’s easy to scan. Highlight important points (or product characteristics) with a combination of header tags, bold type, color, or lists.
K) Add ALT and TITLE attributes to all images.
Each image should have a descriptive ALT attribute and TITLE attribute associated with it – particularly images that are also links to other pages
L) Contrast
Be careful with background images and colors because they can unclear the text content on the page. Make sure you have a good reason to deviate from the successful dark text on a light background model. Visitors can’t buy your products if they can’t read the content.
2. Consistent
A good brand creates a user’s impression of the site.
Keep colors and typefaces consistent.
Choose your colors and fonts carefully and use them consistently throughout the site.
Keep page layout consistent.
3. Provide for visitor feedback
Forms are critical to the success of ecommerce sites. Without forms, you can’t have a shopping cart. But any site usually needs at least one form to allow for user feedback. A form helps you control how user feedback is formatted and sent.
Keep feedback forms short and clearly note which information is required to successfully submit the form.
Present complete contact information including your business phone number and postal address.
4. Test the site on real users.
Remember that you are use almost usability But now it’s time to get user feedback – before your online users start sending it in.
It also gives you valuable answers to other questions:
Do visitors enjoy using the site?
If so, they’ll stay longer and read more content.
Do they understand the purpose of the site?
If not, there’s no compelling reason to return.
Is there any incentive to return after the first visit?
Your site should try to be the ultimate authority on the Web for your topic. A site with depth and breadth encourages visitors to bookmark it and refer friends interested in the same topic.
A web Designer is one who designs web pages and websites, which can be viewed through the internet and World Wide Web by users. That means web designers are basically the people who plan, layout and create a website being stored on web servers around the world. In web industry there is no limit to the number of Web designing Jobs and related jobs available. These jobs have a high growth scale
Web designing process :
Researching about the client’s company.
Asking the client what he wants and expects from the web.
Understanding competitiors.
Who are target audience?
What the target audience expects from the company
page ranking and fast loading.
Marketing the site
Make a sketch of the website (wireframes) in your mind and then put it on the paper (if possible). planning and pre-design planning saves your time, money and resources the best.
Web design software:
After planning the layout is created on the computer. Various design Softwares like Photoshop, flash dreamweaver etc. are used to execute the project. Web designers usually gain their sense of design by observation and imagination. Knowledge of Color theory and basic design principles are a must.
Markup languages:
HTML– Hyper Text Mark-up Language:
A web designer should know the first fundamental skill is HTML. It is basic Language. HTML uses tags to open and close a passage of text. HTML is easy to learn and you can create web pages using notepad or any basic text editor, as well as, software such as Dreamweaver.
CSS– Cascading Style Sheets
The second fundamental skill is CSS or Cascading Style Sheets. This is what converts your HTML codes into the formatted web page you normally see on a website. CSS is basically the presentation of the HTML codes you have written. It is the look and format of each web page for example colors, fonts, text and borders etc. HTML will now look different each time. By using CSS you can reduce your file size and reduce your loading time also.
Understanding SEO: A good web designer ,needs to understand SEO. Optimizing web pages for search engines is a very important element in web design. This helps to rank the pages that you have created. Higer ranking means more visitors to your site.
Understanding Social Media
Social media is an off page technique for driving traffic to your site. Understand the various strategies and techniques in promoting your page helps the web designer to know how and where to include social media elements in the page
Web Usability
Web usability is about making your website in such a way that your site users can find what they’re looking for quickly and efficiently. A usable website can get huge benefits on to your website and your business. Successful Web designers have a good sense of what site visitors are looking for.
Training in all the above mentioned subject is a must to be start up as a web designer. Important to know institutes which offer these growth oriented careers in web designing with 100% guarantee along with further guidance and growth.
mmangesh 
