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How to Become a 3D Animator

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3D Animators are at the forefront of the ever-growing entertainment industry. With big budgets being handed over for all types of entertainment, studios need competent professionals who have both the artistic and technical knowledge to succeed in animation.

1. Learn the Basics of 3D Animation

3D animators work with computer software to create images and manipulate their movements in 3D space. The work requires a high level of attention to detail, the ability to creatively problem solve, an intuitive mind, and cutting edge software.

Animators use digital models that are often completely developed from scratch. Think of a movie like James Cameron's, Avatar — every blade of grass, swaying tree, and gigantic alien creature had first to be designed in 3D, and then animated with specialized software. Unlike 2D animation, 3D animation requires the creation of believable objects in three-dimensional space. Some animators focus on specific elements like animals, while others make their living crafting a wide array of objects.

To succeed in the field of 3D animation, professionals must be up-to-date on the various software considered to be 'industry standard.' Right now, 3D animators make extensive use of programs like AutoDesk Maya, ZBrush, and Photoshop. While these are the staples of an animator’s toolbox, they are far from the only software used by animators. With technology always evolving, and studios always advancing their needs, professional animators must continually study new and varied software. A successful animator will always maintain a well-rounded knowledge of the current industry standard programs.

The film industry is the most common industry where most 3D animators work. From complete character models to minuscule blades of grass, 3D animators are relied upon to help create a living and breathing world for the audience to consume. Animators are even asked to recreate entire living and breathing cities from the streets to the buildings and the people within them. However, the film industry isn't the only industry that is currently hiring animators. Many professional animators are using their talents to produce video games in studios located across the globe, with notable studios based in Vancouver, Tokyo, and Los Angeles.

2. Learn Core Animation Methods and Concepts

The path to a 3D animation job is just as windy and twisty as most any other job in the arts. To find a job with a studio, you will likely earn a degree in visual effects, 3D animation, or computer animation.  An associate or bachelor’s degree is best, but an artist with a great portfolio and no formal training can still obtain a position as a 3D animator.

When attending college, prospective 3D animators should build a strong foundation of knowledge in lighting, texturing, modeling, and 3D movement. It is also beneficial to consider minoring or taking classes in other areas of the art world, like script design, art direction, film or even video game design. Animators won’t often work with the sum of a product; they collaborate with the 'whole, ' and it pays to be well-rounded.

The primary task an animator performs is the actual movement of the model they are assigned. While many 3D animators dream of working on the next Gollum (Lord of the Rings) or Kaiju (Pacific Rim) they will more likely spend time rigging up smaller, less famous 3D models. (Rigging is the act of fixing a 3D model to a skeleton so that the model can move). A 3D animator should be as prepared to rig up the movements of a piece of grass, as that of a monster's tail or a creature's fingers.

To become a proficient and competitive employee in the workforce, a 3D animator must also know several integral pieces of technology. Some of the most common 3D modeling software include AutoDesk Maya, Adobe Photoshop, and Apple Final Cut Pro. A keen mind for learning new digital software is a requirement, as the field is constantly evolving and programs are consistently going out of date. In other words, 3D animators must be ready to learn and relearn, sometimes monthly, everything about the movie- or video game-making process. They must be able to understand the concepts within a design, how they will be implemented into the project, and what it will take to make their superiors and co-workers thrilled with the final product.

Although a skilled 3D animator can work anywhere, the most common locations to find work in the United States are in Los Angeles and New York City. 3D animators can earn a degree from schools all over the country, but it is important to look for an art school that specializes in churning out working professionals. Once a student graduates from a reputable college or university, he or she can earn around $70,000 per year at the entry-level.

3. Build a Strong Portfolio and Professional Network

The path to success in the art world is notoriously rocky and infinitely harder to traverse than in many other career fields. So, how does a burgeoning 3D animator make it to that next level? In the creative world, it is more important than ever to have a public presence, an affinity for networking, and the fortitude to follow up on relationships you've established.

The fastest way to gain industry connections is by networking with students at school, because the students that attend class with you today are the professionals that may hire you tomorrow or recommend you to an employer. Pay close attention to those students with high aspirations, those who work hard, and those who seem committed to helping one another.

Another option for a 3D animator newly out of school is to pursue an apprenticeship or internship. Apprenticeships are common in the art world and a great way for entry level artists to pursue their dream career. Look for an apprenticeship at both little or big studios or companies, but understand that even these positions will be hard to get, and you'll probably start at the bottom. However, apprenticeships will allow you to showcase your efforts and your high quality of work in exchange for a full-time job in the future.

Finally, all 3D animators should be proficient in web design. This ability is key. Showcasing an industry-level website that showcases your portfolio is the #1 way to get hired for a project. Constantly update your portfolio while working hand-in-hand with marketing experts to ensure that your name is consistently getting churned out to the public. Having a web presence in today's day and age is the easiest way to get hired, so don't slack on it and put your best foot forward.

Additional Resources

Society for Animation Studies
The International Animated Film Society: ASIFA-Hollywood
Women in Animation
Animation World Network
The Animation Guild
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences

Additional Guides for Careers in Digital Arts

Are you considering a career in Digital Arts? Check out these how-to-become guides for similar occupations in the field.

How to Become a 3D Modeler
How to Become a Comic Book Artist
How to Become a Computer Animator
How to Become a Graphic Designer
How to Become a Logo Designer
How to Become a Video Game Designer
How to Become a Web Designer
How to Become a Web Developer

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How to Become a 3D Modeler

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The field of 3D modeling is as wide as it is deep. There are many opportunities for successful 3D modelers to apply their skills, which has made 3D modeling one of the fastest growing career choices for young professionals.

1. Learn the Basics of 3D Modeling

3D modeling blends advanced technology with creative thinking and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced and detail-oriented environment. From television commercials and video games to blockbuster Hollywood films, 3D modelers fingerprints can be found everywhere in the industry. Still, this isn't all that a 3D modeler is consigned to do. 3D modelers find rewarding careers in the scientific field, designing models for the purpose of research. So, what does it take to get into such a complex and multifaceted career?

The act of 3D modeling may be simple to explain, but it is far from simple to learn or master. 3D modeling is a job assigned to artists and animators who use computer programs to create figures and models in three-dimensional space. There are a plethora of tools that 3D modelers must master in order to create models that meet the standards of their employers. The needs required by a Hollywood blockbuster movie are going to be different than the needs of a medical lab's research study. 3D modelers will be charged with making almost anything that you can imagine – from items in the background to fully realized, detailed primary characters. 3D modeling at its core is a combination of skills that work together for use in our technologically-oriented world. But, while this can be an exciting profession it is also notoriously difficult to learn, and it takes a great deal of patience, advanced math skills and stick-to-itiveness.

2. Learn Formal Concepts, Methods, Theory & Technique

The art career world is notoriously unreliable in terms of finding straight line career paths from point A to point B. Still, 3D modelers typically fall into one of two camps: self-employed freelancers or employees at larger design firms. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 57% of 3D modelers are self-employed. Either way, the tasks required of a 3D modeler are similar, whether they are working at a firm or freelancing.

A large portion of the 3D modeling industry is located in the world of film. The Bureau of Labor Statistics again states that nearly 13% of all reporting 3D modelers worked within the film industry. 3D modelers aren't typically consigned to specific niches as their tools and understanding should transfer fairly easily. So, this means that on any given week, tasks could be different depending on their assignments. One week a 3D modeler might be creating assets for a video game. The next week that same 3D modeler could be shaping the 3D elements in a movie. 3D modelers will be expected to utilize their wide array of skills and knowledge in a variety of different applications. This makes 3D modeling the perfect career choice for active minds who need to be a part of new projects to stay keyed-in on their work. 

Even though some would say the art world is different than most other careers, there is still a focus on advanced education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests pursuing a four-year degree in fields related to the type of 3D modeling that aspiring artists intend on pursuing. A 3D modeler who wishes to work with scientific laboratories, for example, should focus on a degree that combines physics and 3D modeling. Conversely, a 3D modeler who is interested in working in the film industry would be better served earning a degree that combines some sort of film- intensive focus along with their 3D modeling skills.

3D modeling isn't a job that you can isolate in a vacuum. To be a successful 3D modeler, you must be able to employ a wide array of knowledge and skills based on the industry that you are pursuing. 3D modelers don't work as little islands; they work as links in a large chain, and working well within a team is essential. Also, understanding core industry concepts will help to enlighten a 3D modeler's work, thus making them a stronger potential hire.

3D modeling is a profession that mandates a complete understanding of certain software. The field of 3D modeling is always changing, and there will undoubtedly be updates to integral programs, so a 3D modeler must stay on top of their game. There are a few key programs that 3D modelers should understand, including Sculpting – 3D modelers will spend the majority of their time working with some form of sculpting programs like ZBrush or Mudbox. In these programs, a 3D modeler will sculpt the base of what the model will be. Here, a 3D modeler will get to flex their artistic skills while creating an asset that pays huge dividends for their client.

Another technique required of 3D modelers is Texturing – A 3D model without any texture will simply look like a block of clay. To bring a model to life, a 3D modeler must employ texturing. While texturing isn't exclusively a 3D modeling job, it is another part of the graphical pipeline that is worth learning about. A common texture program is PolyPainting.  Proficiency in animation is another skill required of many 3D modelers. 3D modeling and 3D animating are two different career fields that overlap considerably. 3D animators serve themselves well by knowing how to model, and conversely, 3D modelers serve themselves just as well knowing how to animate. In any event, 3D animating is the act of creating a rig and attaching a model to the rig to create movement. This process is what creates action out of otherwise fixed models.

3. Build a Strong Portfolio and Professional Network

Working as a 3D modeler will be hard work, but it can pay dividends fairly quickly. With a four- year degree, an experienced 3D modeler can expect to earn an average salary of around $65,000 per year. Due to the self-employed nature of the profession, however, it can be difficult to guarantee an annual salary with any certainty. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a fairly wide gap in salary expectations for the top and bottom 10 percent of modelers. The top 10 percent of earners brought home an estimated $113,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent earned closer to $35,000.

Self-employed modelers can opt to undercharge for their work in order to build working relationships. 3D modeling firms, however, are going to stick to industry-standard rates. In any event, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is expected job growth in the industry and modelers in the entertainment industry specifically can expect employment growth nearing 14 percent by the year 2018. 

In the 3D modeling world, you must impress people with your visual skills. A 3D modeler should have at least some understanding of web design, or they should be able to hire someone who does. A good portfolio will be based on an intuitive website that showcases recently completed jobs that will be showcased by a demo reel. A demo reel will have all your best work compiled into a video that tells the industry your story, your experience, your professionalism, and your skills.

No matter where you end up in the 3D modeling world — arts or science, you will want to focus on creating a network of professional relationships. Networking should begin in school with other students and your professors. The people you learn with today are the ones you collaborate with tomorrow. Otherwise, networking can be undertaken by attending industry events, and living in hot industry cities like Los Angeles or Vancouver can mean you have access to all sorts of professional events. Have business cards at the ready and an updated website as well.

Additional Resources for 3D Modelers

Society for Animation Studies
The International Animated Film Society: ASIFA-Hollywood
Women in Animation
Animation World Network
The Animation Guild
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Graphic Artists Guild
American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)

Additional Guides for Careers in Digital Arts

Are you considering a career in Digital Arts? Check out these how-to-become guides for similar occupations in the field.

How to Become a 3D Animator
How to Become a Comic Book Artist
How to Become a Computer Animator
How to Become a Graphic Designer
How to Become a Logo Designer
How to Become a Video Game Designer
How to Become a Web Designer
How to Become a Web Developer

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How to Become a Comic Book Artist

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The comic book, graphic novel, manga, and anime industries are some of the fastest-growing areas in all of literature, and the demand for great artists continues to grow with each passing year. If you can draw and spend much of your day reading Peanuts and The Hulk, or Tank Girl and Scott Pilgrim, a career as a comic book artist is for you!

 

1. Learn the Basics of Comic Book Art

CNBC, the Washington Post, Business Insider and even comic book geeks like Seth Meyers agree, the comic book market is hot. With the rise in comic-book-based movies over the past decade like Deadpool, Ant Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy, the comic book industry has witnessed an all-time high not seen since 1997, with an increase in sales during each of the past five years. Even webcomics like Twokinds, Replay, and Not A Villain have become increasingly popular in the last several years.

A comic book or graphic novel artist produces work in comic form and may produce the whole strip, or contribute to only a part of the comic. They convey humor or tell a story about everyday situations, recent trends, current events, and made-up worlds. It’s not uncommon for a team to be involved in the creation of a comic. One artist may create only the key figures in the comic, while another artist or artists create the backgrounds, and a writer or writers write the script. It’s also worth noting that these roles can be interchangeable, and an artist that draws a character may be brought in to write a part or the whole script.

Like the fields of illustration and design, the comic book and graphic novel industry is very competitive, and you must be extremely talented to succeed. And, your first job just starting out may not be as a comic book artist. However, an entry-level job with a publishing firm or film production house can still offer valuable skill-building opportunities you can use later.

2. Learn the Essential Skills & Techniques to Succeed

Although most anyone can become a comic book artist, there are several essential skills you’ll need to make it in this industry. Obviously, the most important skill to have is artistic ability and a natural talent for drawing, followed closely by the ability to conceptualize. Creativity, imagination, interpersonal skills, and manual dexterity are also skills every comic book artist should possess. And, since a lot of comic book art is generated digitally, even for printed comics in newspapers or other publications, artists must know and master a variety of graphic software, such as Adobe’s Photoshop and Illustrator, and Mac’s Made with Mischief. A Wacom tablet is also a must-have. But, the process of creating comics usually starts with a pencil in the form of rough sketches and drawings on paper, so owning an arsenal of pencils from 6H to 2B is important.

Since most (if not all) comics have a main character and a few or many minor characters, a comic book artist must know how to draw the human body accurately. Over-exaggeration can only take an artist so far, unless the specific comic calls for it, so making characters look believable is imperative in this field. Artists must also be able to tell a story that takes readers (or viewers) on a journey through sequential panels of artwork. You may not be the best writer in the world and may have a writer as part of the team, but you still must have a story in mind; from start to finish.

There are probably a couple dozen ways to break into the comic book industry, and earning a degree is one of the most valuable. Although a degree is not mandatory, the level of training you will receive can help when looking for a job, advancing in this field, or branching out on your own. Most comic book artists will earn an art degree with an emphasis in drawing or illustration, where they learn various techniques of studio or fine art and graphic design. An alternative to attending a two-year or four-year college or university is attending and earning a degree from a private art school. Art schools often offer specialized programs in drawing and illustration with an emphasis on graphic novel and comic book art, and more and more on webcomics, manga, and anime.

Webcomics, also known as Internet or online comics, are published on a website; often an artist’s personal site, but also on sites like Reddit, Imgur, Tapastic, or Webtoons, just to name a few. They are typically published on a regular schedule (Monday – Friday, 3X a week, or on weekends) and are free to view, although most webcomic artists make money via advertisements on the site, or even by selling t-shirts with imprinted artwork. Two to the most popular webcomics today are xkcd and Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. These comics are in strip form or single-panel format and usually written by the artist. Typically, the subject matter of most (not all) webcomics is a bit more niche than most printed newspaper or magazine comics, and the subject matter is usually much darker, yet the artwork and subject matter varies greatly. Although most webcomic artists stick to a simple presentation; just artwork and words, some will add animations, music, and motion.

3. Build a Strong Portfolio

One of the most important tools for any comic book artist is a strong portfolio and website. But, as not all comics are the same, neither should all portfolios be identical, and a successful artist will have a variety of artwork to show depending on the client, agency, or company. The main point of a comic book artist’s portfolio, whether printed or available online as part of a personal website, is to show you can draw well and consistently in a variety of styles.

A personal brand is also essential. You may be able to draw fabulous characters and write amazing copy, but if it looks and sounds the same as last year’s comics, your work won’t get a second glance. Developing your personal brand can take months or even years, and includes hours and hours of drawing and honing your brand. This is crushingly important if you freelance.

If you decide to freelance and try entering the market solo, the lack of regular paychecks, long hours drawing and re-drawing, finding clients, and simply learning how to run your business can take a toll. But, many comic book artists are very successful freelancers. Posting samples and your profile on one of the many freelance sites, like UpWork or Guru, can get you started. But, you won’t get rich right away. As in most art fields, you must prove yourself first, often earning very little money starting out. In fact, a comic book artist who is new to the field may only make $10 per page. But, as you gain experience and strengthen your reputation you can make as much as $200 per page.

Most comic artists work for newspaper syndicates, they freelance, or are employed by comic book companies. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has no specific salary information for comic book artists/cartoonists. But, the job outlook for multimedia artists and animators (which loosely includes graphic novel artists) is expected to grow six percent between 2014 and 2024, with a typical median salary of about $64,000. The amount an artist (or writer) gets paid depends on many variables, such as company size, location, medium (printed or online), and whether you are a company employee or working freelance.

Because the field of comic book artist is so specific, gaining professional experience while still in school can help. This may include internships, drawing a comic strip for your college newspaper, or freelancing on the side. Joining associations and organizations can also benefit an artist just starting out, as well as attending conventions – with your portfolio in tow. To advance as a comic book artist, you need persistence and dedication. By networking while at school and at conventions and other events, you can make life-long industry connections, which can often lead to a job.

Additional Resources for Comic Book Artists

Comic Art Professional Society
Comics Professional Retail Organization
National Cartoonists Society
Graphic Artists Guild
Association of Illustrators
American Institute of Graphic Arts

Additional Guides for Careers in Digital Arts

Are you considering a career in Digital Arts? Check out these how-to-become guides for similar occupations in the field.

How to Become a 3D Animator
How to Become a 3D Modeler
How to Become a Computer Animator
How to Become a Graphic Designer
How to Become a Logo Designer
How to Become a Video Game Designer
How to Become a Web Designer
How to Become a Web Developer

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How to Become a Computer Animator

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The quality and technical capabilities of computer animation have transformed and advanced tremendously, while the number of movie studios – as well as other industries utilizing computer animation – has grown as well. For anyone interested in becoming a computer animator, there has never been a more exciting and opportunity-filled time.

1. Learn the Basics of Computer Animation

Computer animation has grown by leaps and bounds over the past couple of decades. You only have to look as far back as 1995 – when Toy Story revolutionized both the movie and computer animation industries as the first feature-length movie that was entirely computer-animated  – to see how recent the modern computer animation industry is.

In the years since Toy Story was released as a major box office success, the quality and technical capabilities of computer animation has grown by leaps and bounds. Best of all, the industry continues to see growth and is projected to thrive for years to come, which means those who are talented and passionate about the field will find job security and ample opportunities to grow and excel.

Computer animators are responsible for taking an idea and making it come to life. A computer animator’s role will vary depending on the type of animation they are creating, however, 3D animation (which has largely become the industry standard) involves the creation of 3D models, which are adjusted slightly for each proceeding frame in the animation or film.

Computer animators have a relatively unique skillset. In addition to a creative eye, computer animators must be well-versed in the technical aspects of computer animation. They should know what computer animation software can do, but also know how to push the boundaries of that software to create innovative new techniques and outcomes.

Of course, having a passion for the field is essential, since computer animation can require long hours, tight deadlines, and last-minute revisions.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for multimedia artists and animators (which includes computer animators) are projected to grow four percent between 2018 and 2028, which is as fast as average for all career fields.  Demand is driven by the increased interest in visual effects and animation in video games, television, and movies. The median annual salary in 2019 was just over $75,000.

2. Learn Formal Concepts, Methods, Theory & Technique

Earning a bachelor’s degree in animation is the best way to learn the skills needed to succeed in this profession. However, a degree in graphic arts or fine arts can be useful as well.  That said, most employers require animators to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer animation, although some animators hold only an associate degree or certificate.  Upon graduation, students may find work with video production companies or within the motion picture industry, advertising firms, and software designers.  With continued education, animators might also find work in a number of related fields, including graphic design, web design, computer game programming, or as cartoonists and sketch artists.

Computer animators must have a strong grasp of animation technology and computer software. Examples include motion graphics software like After Effects, Flash, and Maya. Audio editing programs like Audacity and Adobe Audition. For those who are creating animations for video games, Unreal, Unity, and Game Maker are essential tools most computer animators will learn, and if you are creating animations for the Internet, an understanding of Dreamweaver is essential as well.  However, some of what you need to be a success in this field goes beyond computer software and hardware, and includes knowledge in storytelling, storyboarding, character design and development, camera and lighting techniques and drawing for animation.

In order to efficiently create motion, computer animation utilizes a number of techniques. Two of the most popular methods are motion capture and keyframing. Motion capture employs live actors, usually wearing a special motion-capture suit, which can then be transferred into a digital 3D model. Keyframing uses an animated “skeleton” to create motion without the need to manually animate each individual frame. Computer animators should be very comfortable and familiar with both of these techniques.

Computer animators must understand compression and encoding standards and processes, as well as a reasonably strong understanding of computers and the various operating systems and platforms they’ll use throughout their careers.

Because the industry is growing at such a rapid pace, computer animators must keep up with the latest developments in the industry, as well as relevant technologies as they evolve. A computer animator’s education is never done, and keeping up with new technology is key to long-term success.

3. Build A Strong Portfolio & Industry Connections

Building a strong portfolio – also referred to as demo reels – as a computer animator may be more difficult than for many other art or design fields. This is particularly the case for aspiring computer animators who are still relatively inexperienced.  Computer animations take time to create and building an online portfolio that covers a wide range of computer animation elements can be a long and laborious process. For individuals earning a bachelor’s degree in computer animation, creating your best possible work in every class is essential since those projects can form the basis of a strong portfolio early in your career.

Your portfolio allows prospective employers to easily view your knowledge, skills, and experience in the field of computer animation and should include a wide range of work that may include camera moves that have been rendered, a walk cycle, or space scene.  To enhance your job prospects further, you may want to create a personal website. Websites are relatively inexpensive and allow you to market your creativity and your skills. But, they should only include your very best work rather than anything and everything you’ve ever done.

Even though the industry is growing, it can still be challenging to find a job in the computer animation field, especially if you are just starting out. Networking can be a powerful way to find job opportunities you might otherwise miss, and there are several excellent organizations you can join in order to network and become more involved in the industry. The Computer Graphics Society (CG Society) is one example of a great industry networking and education organization. Internships and volunteering are also great ways to gain experience and further your knowledge.

Additional Resources for Computer Animators

Society for Animation Studies
The International Animated Film Society: ASIFA-Hollywood
Women in Animation
Animation World Network
The Animation Guild
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Graphic Artists Guild
American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)

Additional Guides for Careers in Digital Arts

Are you considering a career in Digital Arts? Check out these how-to-become guides for similar occupations in the field.

How to Become a 3D Animator
How to Become a 3D Modeler
How to Become a Comic Book Artist
How to Become a Graphic Designer
How to Become a Logo Designer
How to Become a Video Game Designer
How to Become a Web Designer
How to Become a Web Developer

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How to Become a Graphic Designer

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All great designers start the same way – with an idea. The question is, where do you begin? How do you go from having an idea about a career in graphic design to becoming a successful designer? Here, we guide you through the early steps of learning and training, so you’ll have all of the essential tools, skills, and knowledge to build a career with longevity and meaning.

To become a graphic designer, you need to build marketable skills that employers and clients value, including strong drawing skills, thorough knowledge of graphic design theory, mastery of design software, and a comprehensive understanding of professional standards. Whether you plan on pursuing a traditional degree or self-guided training outside of school, follow these steps to ensure you have the basic qualifications to be successful.

1. The Basics - Build Your Foundation

You’ve loved to sketch, draw and paint your entire life – and having grown up in the world of social posts, hashtags, memes, and live streams – your computer skills are excellent too. So, when the time comes to choose a career, you’ve decided that a job in graphic design is not only going to ensure a steady paycheck but also allow you to combine your gift for creativity with your computer skills

Graphic design professionals work in the commercial art industry, specifically, in advertising, marketing, and identity branding. As AIGA, the professional association for design, reports, you may find work at a specialized design firm as a member of a collaborative team, or work independently as a self-employed contractor. Graphic designers are responsible for laying out the design elements, creating concepts, and overseeing the production of all the digital, printed and visual materials for a brand.

A graphic designer works directly or indirectly for a client to create materials that align with the client’s brand, appeal to the target audience and, ultimately, please the client. An understanding of design theory, mastering specific commercial art skills, and learning industry standards should be the first objectives of all new designers who wish to set themselves apart from the amateur.

Essential Skills and Knowledge

  • Basic Drawing
  • Graphic Design Theory
  • Layout and Structuring
  • Fonts and Type
  • User Experience
  • Website Design Best Practices
  • Professional Copywriting
  • The Art of Critique

Learn Basic Drawing Skills

The answer about how to become a graphic designer always begins with learning basic drawing skills. Before approaching the commercial side of art, you need a basic ability to illustrate your ideas on paper. Many graphic designers begin every project with a series of “thumbnails” (small sketches that illustrate basic layouts and concepts) before turning their top selections into “roughs” (detailed layouts that illustrate the concept). They show these rough sketches to other professionals at their firm, including art directors, creative directors, and account managers, and to clients. To express your ideas concisely, you need basic drawing abilities and a practiced clarity in your sketching that allows you to express your point of view. And, later, if you work in television, designing for commercial advertising, you’ll use those drawing skills to “storyboard” your concepts – thumbnail drawings that accompany the voiceover text and art direction.

Learn Graphic Design Theory – Typography, Color Theory, & Grid Systems

Graphic design is not simply slapping a fun font and a few images into a design. Instead, good design and strong layouts can be approached in a scientific manner. You must put a lot of effort into determining the correct imagery, layout, spacing, visual structure and appropriate typography, and an appealing design. Graphic designers must consider the white space around the design elements in the layout – clients don’t like paying for empty space! – or how headers and subheads can be a consistent size while fitting the space on the page. Designers must know how color and imagery impact individuals and how to manipulate them effectively to direct users (and buyers) where you want them to look.

Learn the Basics of User Experience

A good graphic designer has to understand both the client’s brand and the brand audience to create materials that are appealing. A website, for example, must be designed in a way that visitors can navigate it easily. If user experience (UX) isn’t considered, visitors may become frustrated and quickly leave when they are unable to find the content they want.

Learn Website Design Best Practices

Users spend only a few seconds to determine if your digital ad or website holds their interest or meets their needs before deciding to explore further — or bounce. Understanding best practices for content, structure, layout and visual aids helps increase engagement time, click-through rates and visitor retention. You also need to know how to ensure quick page loading times, optimize designs for mobile and the responsive elements that personalize all aspects of the UX.

Learn Professional Copywriting

Graphic designers, especially those working as solo entrepreneurs, often need strong writing skills to ensure the client’s message is clear and appealing. Since visitors often skim content to determine if they want to spend time reading it, graphic designers frequently play the role of copywriters by writing descriptions, text blocks, headers, article titles, CTAs and even meta descriptions for brochures, point-of-sale, collateral, websites, and digital ads. Writing should be grammatically correct, concise and remain consistent with the voice of the brand in an effort to increase engagement and promote interest and visibility. If the company does not have a developed voice, then the graphic designer likely helps determine the voice best suited for the target audience of that brand.

Learn the Art of Critique

One of the hardest skills to learn is how to not only take criticism from others but critiquing your own work effectively. Graphic designers must be willing to create what the client wants. Clients, peers and even the public will criticize every part of ads and designs. Starting with the initial brainstorming process, a graphic designer has to be able to think creatively and look at every idea with a critical eye. Designers have to consider how something might be misinterpreted or how it could be improved in the smallest way.

2. Master the Software

Computer design skills are vital in creating professional layouts. To become proficient, the designer needs a high degree of skill in the industry’s standard software programs, usually acquired through long hours of practice. You need to get comfortable with the software to create designs quickly and up to industry standards. Whether you are preparing images for website use or laying out a brochure for the printer, a graphic designer must know the right size, format, and dimensions for every different kind of project a client may need.

If you aren’t familiar with the programs, you won’t know your limitations or design abilities before beginning the project. Three Adobe Creative Cloud suite programs have tools (and even time-saving hot keys) that designers often learn to use without even thinking. Other programs that many designers also become proficient in include Adobe’s Dreamweaver software for digital and web design. Many professionals advise designers to also learn at least some programming, using the languages of the web: CSS, HTML, or JavaScript. The more you know, the greater your chances for employment in the field.

Learn Adobe Photoshop®

If you need to edit or adjust an image, Photoshop is your go-to program. Photoshop works with rasterized images that allow manipulation of individual pixels. This ability makes Photoshop suitable for photographic imagery, but not for website design, logos, fonts or any other type of graphic design work. You can use Photoshop to swap parts of images to change out a face, for example, or to insert a background or edit flaws in a photo. From healing brushes, lasso tools, feathering and burning, you need to understand and be able to use the numerous editing tools that Photoshop offers to edit images at a true professional level for your client. A good designer will not rely on stock images, since they are often generic and do not promote the brand.

Learn Adobe Illustrator®

When a client needs a logo or an illustration, you will likely use Illustrator to complete the project. Illustrator works with vector art, creating lines that can be expanded in size but still not lose clarity. A logo created in Illustrator, for example, can be used on both a business card, on which it’s no large than an inch high and on a billboard, where it appears 10 feet high. Illustrator has an extremely complicated line, gradient, and coloring tools that allow the user to make complicated projects. Like Photoshop, Illustrator, created as a tool with professionals in mind, is not an intuitive program to beginners. This program does not handle raster images well and will quickly get bogged down if you try to drop photos into your design.

Learn Adobe InDesign®

For projects that combine rasterized images with vector elements, you need a program that handles both effectively. InDesign effectively allows you to organize your text, create layout formats, insert image placeholders and then save the file in a format designed for professional printing. If you are creating the mechanical for a brochure layout to go to press, for example, you will save your final project into a folder that contains copies of your fonts and images as well as the design file. Because the program is essentially adding “placeholders” instead of real images, you can create a large number of pages without the program bogging down due to its size. Once you’ve learned Illustrator and Photoshop, InDesign is somewhat easier to learn, but it is still quite different from most tools and should be practiced until you gain proficiency.

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3. Earn a Degree in Graphic Design or Related Field

We've all heard stories about people throwing off the chains of a bachelor's degree to start multi-million dollar businesses. People like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of college and went on to create companies that changed the world we live in. These stories reinforce the idea that a college education isn't necessary - all you really need is old-fashioned grit, originality, and natural talent to succeed.

Stories like this beg the question, are those who go straight into business after high school as likely to succeed as those who pursue higher education? What do the numbers say?

The Value of a Degree

Labor statistics conclusively show that students who pursue a bachelor's degree earn significantly more over the course of their career than those whose highest degree is a high school diploma. The lifetime earnings gap between college graduates and those without a degree continues to widen, as employers demand more skilled talent.

While it's true that not every job in the design industry requires a graphic design degree, it is also true that some skills are very hard to learn on your own. A degree in graphic design from a reputable university demonstrates to clients, advertising agencies, and other employers that you are a serious professional who has put in the effort required to be successful.

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

The bottom line is, there is so much for you to learn. Regardless of whether you are starting from zero or already have some experience, university education can help you develop your talent into a career. A lot of information simply isn't available by searching google or attempting the process of trial and error. Schools provide opportunities for aspiring graphic designers to master the software, explore the history of design, practice illustrations, learn the basics of animation, and much more, all while nurturing your own personal style.

Studying graphic design in a university setting also helps you achieve other objectives, like developing the soft skills that you need to succeed at work. Skills like communication, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork are all important attributes that are hard to develop on your own.

4. Choose an Area of Specialization

Having a niche helps narrow your focus to a single area, so you can get really good at what you do. For many graphic design firms, it is important to have a solid understanding of all aspects of graphic design, but a focus sets you apart from the rest of the professionals. If you plan to work as a freelancer, you want a very specific focus so that firms or companies are eager to hire you instead of other professionals in that area.

A few popular areas of specialization include:

Logo Design

Being able to pinpoint the direction of a company and succinctly conceptualize it in a memorable logo is no easy task. Graphic designers work to create logos that are unique but yet still express purpose and meaning to the target audience takes not only the ability to think creatively but also a deep understanding of design history combined with a lot of skill and practice. Logos have to be instantly recognizable, with the ability to be scalable for both small and large branded materials.

Web Design and Digital Design

Web and digital design are growing quickly in importance. Today, brands without websites or digital advertising lose a lot of business. Some estimates compare the lack of a website to closing the bricks-and-mortar location for an additional day each week. Digital designers must stay current with design and technology trends. A talented graphic designer with a niche in digital and web design must be able to understand the innate expectations of internet visitors, creating layouts and ads that are easily navigable and that function correctly.

Multimedia Design

With a wide number of formats and platforms, some graphic designers choose to focus on creating designs that work across multiple forms of media. You may prefer to focus on video and audio to help produce commercials, tutorials, and podcasts for your clients.

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5. Build a Stand-Out Portfolio

Your portfolio proves your skills and understanding of the industry. Your graphic design program should help you develop an impressive portfolio that helps you get a job (or internship) as soon as you graduate. You want to focus on quality over quantity, choosing your very best work to showcase to clients or potential employers. A portfolio should include a handful (often about 10 to 12 examples) of your best work that demonstrates your abilities and niche skills and interests.

Many students create mock ads, logos, and graphic design projects for fake companies or even fake projects for real companies. A student may choose an existing company’s materials and rework them for the sole purpose of displaying his or her talent in identifying and addressing the target audience. When you’ve worked in the industry or have worked on real projects as an intern, then you will likely want to include projects that demonstrate your ability to work for a real-world client. Some graphic design students volunteer their talents to organizations or local brands to work on projects for their portfolios. Others may be able to pick up graphic design projects for local companies with very small budgets that will pay an amateur rate for a project perfect for display in a portfolio.

6. Start Your Career

Taking the next step may seem scary, but your education has prepared you. The key to working as a top professional is continuing your education as much as possible by being involved in the industry and staying up on the trends. Continuing to critique your own work may be the single most important factor in improving, and you will constantly want to assess the impact of your work. After graduation, you will spend a lot of time initially in perfecting your resume and portfolio as well as marketing to potential clients and applying for jobs at marketing and design firms.

Be Exceptional

Don’t settle for middle-of-the-barrel work. Keep pushing for better and better designs. You want to stand out so that you are invaluable to your clients and employer. Many graphic design artists work in agencies, but some prefer to work alone. No matter where you land, you want to stand apart so that you are not easily replaced. Amateurs and college students abound who are willing to work for low rates just to build their portfolios. You will win jobs at premium rates only by being far better at your job than the other candidates for the position.

Be Original and Stay Involved

Keep working to stay original in your approach. Become a leader in the design industry, not simply a follower. Find ways to measure results and keep improving based on methods that work better than others. Stay involved in top companies from all industries, since you never know when inspiration may hit. Join local and national design organizations and participate in them. Explore new apps, platforms, media and tools without hesitation.

Keep Learning and Embrace Change

Don’t hamper your talent by slowing to a standstill after earning your degree. Keep growing and look for new perspectives that are outside the graphic design world. Don’t allow yourself to get into an echo chamber that keeps you thinking inside the same box with assumptions you don’t even realize you hold. Allow the data to drive your direction. Keep taking classes to stay up-to-date on new techniques, practices, and tools that will become industry standards for the competing new talent. Adobe and other software makers, for example, continually provide updates to their software, so designers must stay in “student” mode their entire careers, taking classes either online or in traditional settings, or teaching themselves new tricks and tips. This is an industry in a near-constant state of flux, as new trends and technological updates emerge. A designer who wants to stay employed in the field must learn to embrace change and stay ready to learn. As noted in GDUSA (Graphic Design USA), “It’s important to always be learning when you’re in a digital career.”

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7. Learn Business Basics - Contracts, Marketing, & More

Finally, don’t think that graphic design is simply a technical art. Explore the basics of business, so you have a solid understanding of a company’s background and history when a client approaches you with a project. Understanding how business leaders think will help you create the kind of strategy that they can understand and appreciate. Knowing how graphic design works hand-in-hand with the marketing and sales teams allows you to be relevant and invaluable to a company. As you continue to learn and grow, play close attention to the aspects of business and marketing that affect your job and continue studying ways to provide additional business value to your clients.

Additional Resources for Graphic Designers

The International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA)
Graphic Artists Guild
Society of Illustrators
Association of Registered Graphic Designers
International Society of Typographic Designers
Society of Illustrators, Artists, and Designers (SIAD)
Society for Experiential Graphic Design
Society of Graphic Designers of Canada
Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA)

Additional Guides for Careers in Digital Arts

Are you considering a career in Digital Arts? Check out these how-to-become guides for similar occupations in the field.

How to Become a 3D Animator
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How to Become a Comic Book Artist
How to Become a Computer Animator
How to Become a Logo Designer
How to Become a Video Game Designer
How to Become a Web Designer
How to Become a Web Developer

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How to Become a Logo Designer

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Logo design is one of the most interesting and exciting parts of the graphic design industry. The thought of creating a logo that could potentially be seen by millions of people is an alluring one for many, and it’s no surprise that interest in this field is stronger than ever.

1. Learn the Basics of Logo Design

Logo designers need to have an eye for creative and attention-grabbing design. They also need a firm understanding of the image or brand that the logo needs to convey, alongside an understanding of how various demographics respond to some of the most iconic and popular logos ever created.

A logo designer is responsible for conveying numerous (often complex) ideas in a simple, and frequently non-verbal package. The best logos create an immediate and visceral impact on whoever sees it and logo designers are responsible for creating exactly that response. More technically, a logo designer should be familiar and comfortable with both graphic design and the software used to create it. Typically, this means a strong working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, Coral Draw, Jeta Logo Designer, Apple Motion, and other graphic /logo software. Along with this technical knowledge is a close attention to detail — far greater than in most other professions.

A logo designer must also understand social, cultural, and industry trends — and avoid them at all costs. That's because logos usually need to be timeless, lasting far longer than whatever trends are popular at the time. Understanding these trends will be particularly important because logo designers also need to be visionary — at least to some extent. That's because a logo designer's clients often won't actually know exactly what they're looking for. It is the responsibility of the logo designer to explain their vision for the client and to do so in a way that helps the client understand the vision and be excited about it.

The field of logo design can be a challenging one, and it is certainly not for everyone. Among the various directions that a graphic designer can take, logo design can be highly competitive and requires a great deal of original and creative thought, as well as confidence in one's abilities. This means having a true passion, as well as the ability to learn throughout one's career.

2. Learn Formal Concepts, Methods, Theory & Technique

Logo design is a challenging field, and some will be more naturally inclined towards it than others. Passion is essential for this career field, particularly because you will sometimes be forced to butt heads with the very clients you're trying to serve. Of course, talent and passion will only get you so far. At some point, formal credentials will become increasingly essential.

In terms of hard credentials, a degree in graphic design will go a long way in ensuring success for a logo designer. In addition, a robust knowledge and proficiency with graphic design software, like Adobe Illustrator is absolutely essential. Other skills that will be highly useful include an understanding an appreciation for typography, as well as the ability to consistently think outside the box, while still being relevant to the current and developing zeitgeist.

A degree in business or communication can be very useful as well, since you'll need to understand your clients and their position in the market. Perhaps the most important "credential," however, is an impressive portfolio that showcases your abilities through your accomplishments.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects about three-percent job growth for all graphic designers (which includes those who specialize in logo design) through 2028 and an average median pay of $50,370 (2018).  Graphic designers are expected to face strong competition for jobs through 2024, so earning a degree and gaining work experience through internships, will play a part in getting you hired and may determine how much you will earn.

3. Build a Strong Portfolio & Develop Your Brand

After you've earned a degree, creating a strong portfolio is the single most important way to build a career as a logo designer. A strong portfolio proves that you are capable of getting things done, and have, in fact, done so for (presumably satisfied) clients. Early on, it can be difficult to build a robust portfolio, but it is still worth spending time on this important step. Building a portfolio while gaining formal credentials is a great, and efficient, strategy.

It's also important to build a personal brand. Like your portfolio, your personal brand will help give you the confidence when interacting with potential or existing clients; to share the vision you have for their brand. A personal brand works much like a corporate brand in the sense that it gives you more legitimacy in the eyes of your clients or prospective clients.

Finally, remember to network! Industry connections are important in many industries, but for logo designers, this is particularly the case. There are plenty of opportunities to network as well — from your college graphic design program to entry-level jobs, internships, and even attending industry events. Networking is also a great way to build your portfolio since you can offer to create a logo for free to a family member or friend with a small business or other organization they are a part of. The key is to be creative and to think outside the box — skills you'll need anyway if you want to make it as a logo designer.

Additional Resources for Logo Designers

AIGA – American Institute of Graphic Arts
The International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA)
Graphic Artists Guild
Society of Illustrators
Association of Registered Graphic Designers
International Society of Typographic Designers
Society of Illustrators, Artists, and Designers (SIAD)
The University & College Designers Association (UCDA)

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How to Become a 3D Animator
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How to Become a Comic Book Artist
How to Become a Computer Animator
How to Become a Graphic Designer
How to Become a Video Game Designer
How to Become a Web Designer
How to Become a Web Developer

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How to Become a Video Game Designer

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Professionals in the industry of video game design often say that going to work is not like work at all. And while that may be true, a career as a video game designer will keep you on your toes just to keep up with the ever-changing industry.

1. Learn the Basics of Video Game Design

The popularity of video games consoles like PlayStation and Xbox 360, desktop computer gaming, web-based games accessed through the Internet, and the rise of smartphone gaming apps have fueled a growing interest in the Video Game Design field.  Statistics published by Fortune reveal huge gains in sales within the video game industry, with revenue of $23.5 billion in 2015 alone. While that $23.5 billion represents combined hardware and software sales, at least $16.5 billion was from sales of software, which indicates a very robust industry and increased opportunities for individuals wishing to enter the field as a video game designer.

And the pay isn’t bad either. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows much faster than average growth in video game design jobs, with a 17 percent increase between 2014 and 2024.  The median annual pay for a video game designer is $100,690, or about $49.00 per hour.

Becoming a video game designer requires education and a creative mind. It also requires identifying which facet of the industry is most in line with your career goals – working in a small start-up company, a media firm, a software design company, or a multi-million-dollar video game production company.

2. Learn Essential Concepts & Build Creative Skills

The Importance of a Formal Education

Over the past several years, many well-known universities, colleges, and private schools across the country have added video game-related degree programs. In the past, game designers might have enrolled in film school or studied computer science to become a video game designer. In fact, some of the industry's most talented designers began their careers with virtually no formal education in video game design. But, that route is virtually impossible today, and formal education is often required to land that dream job. It's all about choices.

A future video game designer may choose from several learning options – a traditional college or university, a private art school, an accelerated boot camp program, online tutorials, or other self-guided options. Some students will thrive in a traditional college program while others may find the most benefit in an online program that allows them to progress at their own pace.

Video game design degrees at various schools include game design and game development, as well as traditional computer science degrees with specializations in game design. In addition to the benefit of a degree, study at an accredited school may also offer the student the valuable experience of an internship.

Theory and Technique

The learning environment a student chooses should offer a curriculum that caters to the student's career goals in video game design. For example, a future video game designer who wishes to create Android smartphone games will concentrate on the programming language Java and Android OS. Development of games for the Apple iOS operating system will require work with Objective-C.  First and foremost, however, video game designers will typically learn the theories of animation, computer science and programming, and intermediate or advanced math/algebra. They will even perform tasks associated with programing language and coding. Designers will construct story plots, and create interesting characters to keep players motivated and challenged.  A good designer will also think out of the box, be original, and inventive.

Video game designers must also possess certain creative skills to be successful in this field, such as basic drawing and design skills and communicate ideas. Designers are also aware of the various design platforms, and often fluent in 2D and 3D animation and graphics packages, such as NUKE, Maya, and Studio Max. They are computer savvy, able to communicate and work with a team, and have the fortitude to take direction and be open to critique. It also helps to be an avid fan of video games and the industry.

3. Build Your Knowledge of Programming Languages

Becoming a video game designer requires finding the right learning environment. However, the path to employment in the gaming industry may also require self-guided study and on-the-job training. Programming is an essential part of the video game designer's toolkit no matter where a video game designer wishes to work within the industry. From roles in creative development to jobs as a programmer, video game designers need to build and maintain working knowledge of popular programming languages. Additionally, learning to use a programming language is like learning a foreign language. It will only remain fresh in a student's mind with regular use and repetition, so on-the-job-training is invaluable.

After completing formal training and embarking on various personal projects, a fledgling computer game designer may elect to find work as a programmer with a company that produces video games. It may take a few years to reach a managerial position or gain the qualifications necessary for a high-ranking, creative role with an established company, but "paying dues" in an entry level position is a common requirement within many industries today.

While employed in an entry level position, a new hire will receive valuable on-the-job training, even if the school program he or she completed offered a current and updated curriculum. The speed at which the industry adopts new programming languages and standards is swift, and there is always more to learn as a programmer of any computer program.

Finding success as a video game designer means building strong working knowledge of current industry trends and practices while also cultivating new skills through independent study and exploration. The best video game designers are always operating at the cutting edge and imagining new stories, games, and characters to fill creative gaming worlds.

4. Build a Strong Portfolio

In most any artistic job, but particularly true for creatives like video game designers, a professional portfolio is a must-have. It can mean the difference between getting an internship, landing a job, or building your reputation. Projects that may prove valuable for a designer's personal portfolio include:

  • Mini games for smartphones
  • Scripts & stories for use in computer games
  • Animated shorts that introduce a new gaming world
  • Illustrations of environments and characters
  • Simple web-based games that showcase programming knowledge

A degree or certificate of completion in video game design or a related area may help a student get an interview with a potential employer. However, evidence of independent projects, an internship or past work experience will help a student's resume move to the top of the pile. Not only does self-guided study outside of school ensure a student remains current on newly introduced programming languages, but creating projects outside of class also helps the student build a valuable portfolio.

Additional Resources for Video Game Designers

International Game Developers Association (IGDA)
AIGA – American Institute of Graphic Arts
Entertainment Software Association
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
North American Simulation and Gaming Association 
Graphic Artists Guild
International Council of Design Associations (ICOGRADA)

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Are you considering a career in Digital Arts? Check out these how-to-become guides for similar occupations in the field.

How to Become a 3D Animator
How to Become a 3D Modeler
How to Become a Comic Book Artist
How to Become a Computer Animator
How to Become a Graphic Designer
How to Become a Logo Designer
How to Become a Web Designer
How to Become a Web Developer

Homepage / Digital Arts

How to Become a Web Designer

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Web design is a central part of any company’s marketing strategy today. Without a website, companies must rely on brick and mortar location sales alone. A website allows any company or person to reach out to a broad audience, and a well-designed website is created in a way that converts visitors into customers, advocates, fans, and followers of your product, service, or brand.

Here, we provide a step-by-step guide to help you understand the essential skills, tools, and knowledge you’ll need to build a long-term, successful career in web design.

1. Getting Started in Web Design

A web designer needs a keen eye for aesthetics, an understanding of creative techniques, and concise design skills, along with a strong a foundation in the most recent technology of the web. The best web designers know that good web design is nearly unperceivable and feels intuitive to the user. A designer’s job is to make websites and mobile applications appealing to the target audience and a pleasure to use. Knowing this, it makes sense for beginners to focus on the fundamentals, including basic drawing, web design theory, and industry-accepted best practices.

Basic Drawing

Though drawing is not critical for most of the web designer’s job, there is an element of illustration that is needed to express your ideas to clients and peers. Most graphic designers and web designers need to be capable of drawing graphs and grids to help clarify their layout plans. A designer should have a basic concept of drawing shapes, shading sections, roughing out menus, incorporating basic logos and more in their initial design process.

Web Design Theory

Most websites are not merely pages connected together with content thrown onto them. Good websites follow a strict theory of design, appeal, navigational rules and coding. Those that are going to perform at a top level are going to be specifically designed for a certain target audience and increase actions established as goals for the company. Web designers have to understand the ever-changing demands of technology and platforms that constantly affect the user experience.

Many clients want a lot of elements to “pop” on their page, not understanding that design has to be effortless in appearance and cohesive. A basic understanding of the principles of good design is the foundation for creating beautiful websites. You must learn to adjust adjacent colors to add contrast, create depth with texture, incorporate movement, and use repeating shapes, patterns, and borders to unify your design. Fonts have to be easy to read on a computer or a device, while keeping with the feel of the brand. Important elements have to grab attention without disrupting the design.

Layout and Structuring

Building a website takes a good understanding of structure. Websites shouldn’t be basic stagnant pages filled with content that stand for years, but an ever-changing part of a company’s virtual presence. As the company changes, the webpage will need to reflect that. From ecommerce security to the shifting requirements of search engine optimization, web designers have to understand what makes a page appealing to users from start to finish. Websites need to be secure from hackers, while open to helping search engine bots understand what their value is so they improve rankings. Pages need to connect in a way that moves a visitor through their buyer’s journey in an effective way. Websites need to have the right number of outgoing links, inbound links and buttons without directing users down a rabbit trail. And, after all of that, each page also has to have a structure that makes navigation intuitive for the user and branded for the client.

User Experience

A good user experience design will make visitors stay on your site. A bad one will make them go to someone else’s. An understanding of UX design principles will make your site behave in a way that users want and expect. Designers have to make sure pages load quickly and are responsive towards different devices and computer screen sizes. Users should be required to jump through as few hoops as possible, so designers should understand how to create intelligent forms that don’t ask for information they already have stored and how to create streamlined checkout processes. And, when users are looking for a specific location, product or bit of information on the site, finding things should be nearly second nature because of the design.

Website Design Best Practices

Websites have to be structured in a way that makes them friendly for users as well as search engine bots. As target users look for specific answers to their questions, your website needs to have the right pages to rank high in the search results for relevant keywords and queries. Best practices will tell you that you have to worry about producing quality content on the subject as well as including alt tags on photos and carefully crafted subheads to help increase your rankings with search engines. Understanding the current best practices of web design will help you know what your visitors and other platform algorithms are going to expect.

Metrics & Analysis

Finally, you have to be able to critique your own work as a web designer and improve with every effort. Your clients should be able to see unquestionable ROI (return on investment) when you create their websites. By learning how to utilize key metrics and measure your results, you can help build a case for whether or not specific areas of your website strategy were successful. These metrics will then help you built a pitch to improve their results by continuing some approaches while changing others.

2. Master Web Design Software

In every industry, becoming fluent with the key tools is the difference between success and failure. You cannot enter the web design world without knowing the basic programs that are going to impact your career. You should become very familiar with the capabilities and shortcuts available on each program. A great web designer will be fast and effective, using these key programs as if they were simply second nature.

Learn Adobe Photoshop®

The best program for editing specific images is Adobe Photoshop. While you may not be doing a lot of stylistic photo editing for clients, you should understand the basics. More importantly, a web designer should know how to properly resize and compress images to be suitable for web viewing. Professionals should know how to crop an image to properly fit within specific spaces in the design. You might even need to change file formats to better suit your needs. Photoshop is going to offer control over raster based images (or images with pixels, like photographs). It will allow you to include slices and add hotspots for your website.

Learn Adobe Illustrator®

You will want to be able to use a program that is great with font and vector images (or line-based art that contains no pixels). If you want to use a specific font on a website, for example, you can’t simply put it in the code, since many computers may not have that same font downloaded. Instead, you need to create an image that can be placed as a graphic within the design so every user will see it the same way. You may need to adjust logo colors or create custom button graphics for your client, so knowing how to use Illustrator is very important.

Learn Adobe Animate®

Most web designers have been trained on Adobe Flash for website purposes. Adobe discontinued Flash and replaced it with a similar tool in Creative Cloud called Animate. This program allows a user to turn vector images and text into animations. This is incredibly useful for increasing engagement in websites and apps.

Learn Adobe Dreamweaver®

Of course, web designers should understand how to actually write and edit code. Dreamweaver is a text editor that has tools to help you edit your code faster. Hints within the program will help you learn HTML, CSS and other languages faster. Special coloring and visual aids can help reduce errors. Live preview capabilities and inline editors help make editing efficient on the platform, while also helping you as you create responsive designs that fit your content correctly on any size screen.

Learn Adobe Premier Pro®

Many websites are now incorporating video as part of their content. Web designers are often expected to help create video testimonials, product showcasing, tutorials, advertisements and other short clips that help the client. At least a basic grasp of video editing and manipulation will be helpful when you are including client content on the site.

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3. Learn the Programming Languages (Learn How to Code)

It is going to be difficult to be a good web developer without knowing any of the programming languages. You will struggle to know the possibilities when you work strictly through programs. Here are the big languages used by web developers and you may want to consider learning one or two in your own educational pursuits.

HTML/CSS

Some of the highest paid web developers are those that know HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). These are the basic languages that will not only help you know how to code, but how to edit code. Typically, HTML establishes the structure and content of the page, while CSS is what controls the design. Even developers that use programs to help them code should understand at least the basics if they want to really get in and make edits or find errors. Many professionals do not learn these languages, but they should be central to the education of a web developer because of how fundamental they are.

Javascript

As one of the most in-demand programming languages, it is important for designers to know JavaScript. It’s ability to work across multiple web browsers is highly important for interactive websites. This programming language can be used to create games and apps.

Flash

Flash is also an interactive language that is often used for games, apps, animations and more. Flash is not required to be a web designer, but it is another tool you may want to have up your sleeve. In some circles, Flash is considered a dead or dying language. Flash is known for crashing sometimes and taking the whole browser down with it, annoying many people. A lot of the flashing web ads are also Flash banners, which hasn’t given it a good reputation as a strong programming language.

Python

Many designers consider Python a beginner’s language. However, Google, NASA, Instagram and Pinterest all rely on this language to work their platforms. The language is capable of working with desktop as well as mobile devices.

PHP

Websites like Facebook, WordPress and others are powered by PHP. Not all web developers need to know PHP, but those that want to develop anything on WordPress or Facebook will have to know it. This is not a beginner language, so only advanced students and professionals might take an interested in learning it.

11 Web Certifications That Are Worth Looking Into

4. Earn a Degree in Web Design

The best way to prove your knowledge is to earn your degree and back it with a strong portfolio. Most businesses are more likely to hire you if they feel you are up to the task – college shows you at least have the basic education to use the tools properly.

On top of mastering basic tools and programming languages, college classes should give you an in-depth understanding of design theory, audience expectations, and best practices as you look to enter the field. College should ensure you have a basic understanding of writing and communication skills that would allow you to work professionally with clients and fellow designers.

While a lot of information can be found online, the experience of college profs, competition among peers, and intense project deadlines are a large part of helping a novice become ready for the professional world.

 

5. Create Your Own Website

Build a virtual presence for yourself that represents your capabilities as a professional. You want to showcase the skills you possess as a designer and also establish your website as early as possible so the content you publish about yourself begins to get traction with search engines. Google is more likely to view your website as valuable and authoritative if you’ve been around for a while and have been updating content regularly. A professional website is a place where clients can contact you for projects and firms can check out your work before connecting with you for an interview.

Every single project you work on – even those for yourself – should be treated with equal care. You want to create stunning work that catches the eye of your potential employer. This means that you have to carefully test your own website – checking load times, looking at responsiveness, trying out personalization and testing navigation. If you are sending clients there and hoping to snag new leads, you definitely don’t want to have any flaws or problems that are sending your viewers away. Don’t even launch before you’ve thoroughly tested.

You want to feature clients or projects you’ve worked on that show a range of your capabilities. Utilize a portfolio section of your website to highlight companies, organizational or professionals that you’ve designed for. Include your very top pieces and if you don’t have many (or any), reach out. There are plenty of small organizations that could benefit greatly with some volunteer web design help. Your broad range of skills should showcase the mediums, platforms, design theory and varying client styles with examples of what you can do.

The Game Plan for Selling Web Design to Your Clients

How to Sell Website Services to Local and Small Business Clients

6. Begin Your Career

A career path is the ultimate goal for any educational process. You need to keep your eye on the prize and leave your education with a degree and a hunger for your industry. You will have decisions to make along the way that will help you know which way to turn as you exit. You will want to continue to improve and make yourself and invaluable asset.

 

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Freelance or Work for an Agency?

Before graduation, you should at least have an idea for what direction you want to head in. A large agency can offer the comfort of regular clients, regular paychecks and a supportive system. Working freelance can offer higher pay, provide you with flexible hours and allow you to work remotely. Making a decision on your direction will help you refine your own website and portfolio to appeal to the right people. Clients are going to want to see other client examples and know a bit more about the actual process of working with you. Web design firms are going to be looking at your past work in a different light and wanting to see a lot of examples of your abilities that might be needed on their own team.

Learn How to Sell Yourself: Build a Brand

If you are going the freelance route, you will want to sell yourself to clients. Find what sets you apart and capitalize on that. Maybe you are more relational, helping the client get where they need to go at a slower and more personal pace. Maybe you are more flexible – fitting your schedule to meet their posting or creation needs. Perhaps you are more agile or you work at a lower budget for quality work. Whatever the case, find a way to sell yourself as the best option.

Market Yourself

Clients aren’t going to just come pouring in. You are going to have to get the word out and then keep pulling in the business. Look for ongoing gigs where companies want you to continue to post or make edits on their site, giving you a small monthly fee to keep up with certain aspects. Push word-of-mouth and ratings on your platforms to boost interest of those connected to your customers. Target your audience with ads and then retarget those who leave without a commitment of any kind (like signing up for your newsletter). Stay in touch with an email that is centered around value your customers will want and produce blog posts, pod casts, tutorials or other content that will show you as an authority. You might want to look into additional marketing classes if you are thinking about becoming a freelancer, since so much time is spent in finding and converting leads.

Keep Learning and Constantly Evolve

Web design is a field in constant development. Web designers will be in a permanent state of evolving. Don’t ever let things start passing you by, unless you are retired and done with following the industry. Continue to critique your own approaches and educate yourself on the trends. You can join peer groups if you are freelance and feeling somewhat isolated. You can also read blog pots and other resources from authoritative sites to help you learn about how the world is changing.

Remember that your first jobs are about gaining experience and contacts. The money is important, but when you are getting started, the foundation of referrals and experiences is most important. Many professionals that are just graduating start out in a lower position or making less per hour freelance then is industry standard. Don’t feel disappointment when you don’t start right at the top; plan to move up the ladder with a great work ethic and solid understanding of your field.

What Is the Difference Between a Web Designer and Web Developer?

Additional Resources for Web Designers

AIGA – American Institute of Graphic Arts
Graphic Artist Guild
Association of Web Design Professionals
International Web Association

Additional Guides for Careers in Digital Arts

Are you considering a career in Digital Arts? Check out these how-to-become guides for similar occupations in the field.

How to Become a 3D Animator
How to Become a 3D Modeler
How to Become a Comic Book Artist
How to Become a Computer Animator
How to Become a Graphic Designer
How to Become a Logo Designer
How to Become a Video Game Designer
How to Become a Web Developer

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How to Become a Web Developer

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Are you a designer, a creator, and a visionary? Do you use both the left and right side of your brain? Do you often find yourself creating projects from the ground up — and do you find the realization of these projects fulfilling? If this sounds like you, it’s likely that you would make a great web developer.

With a higher than average growth rate, exceptional flexibility, and a variety of unique and exciting specializations, web development has a lot to offer the right person. But where do you get started? Do you value a formal education or do you prefer a self-guided learning environment? Here, we provide you with all of the essential steps to get your career in web development off the ground.

1. What Kind of Developer Do You Want to Be?

Before we get started, let’s discuss a few definitions. “Web development” actually encompasses a fairly broad-spectrum field. When we say, “web development,” we often mean one of three things:

Web Design

Front-end web design encompasses the look and feel of a website, including its user interactions. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are heavily used. This is often called “client side” web development, as all of the actual processing is done on the client device.

Web Programming

Back-end web design encompasses the functionality of the website, such as database manipulation and access. PHP, ASP, and MySQL are heavily used. This is often called “server side” web development, as the code is compiled on the server before it reaches the client device.

Full Stack Web Development

Full stack web development includes both web design and web programming. In full stack development, a web developer takes a project from the very beginning to the end, programming the back-end as well as designing the front-end.

Many developers fall in different areas of the spectrum. Some are only designers and some are only programmers. Some do both, but they are strongest in a specific area. There is no “right answer” to being a web developer, but understanding the different components will help you along your career path. And even if you’re a designer or programmer primarily, you’re still going to need to know the basics of each.

What Is the Difference Between a Web Designer and Web Developer?

2. Learn the Basics: HTML, CSS, & Javascript

Getting started with web development invariably begins with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These are the building blocks of the web; they are what tells a computer, tablet, or smartphone how to display text and images on the screen. And the fantastic thing about HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is that getting something simple and functional that works is really quite easy. Most of your study is going to be in developing things that look good and function well. Many web developers learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript through self-study. Resources include: Codecademy, Coursera, and hackr.io.

HTML & CSS

HTML & CSS are both mark up languages. They control the way that text and images are formatted — and they are an excellent foundation for web design. Both HTML & CSS are extremely forgiving and easy to learn. If their code is “broken,” they simply won’t display properly; but the website will still work. Many web designers operate exclusively in HTML & CSS, as they aren’t interacting with databases or doing complex processing.

Javascript

JavaScript is one of the easiest to learn and most versatile programming languages available. But unlike PHP or ASP, JavaScript is a client-side server language; the code is compiled on the client device. Learning JavaScript is important for web developers as it teaches the basic theory of programming. Though different languages may have different syntax, functions, and methodologies, they will all operate very similar to JavaScript from a conceptual standpoint.

LESS / Sass

LESS and Sass are both extensions of CSS which are used as frameworks to design websites faster and more effectively. Once you have a strong foundational knowledge of CSS, you may want to extend that knowledge into LESS or Sass. LESS is JavaScript-based while Sass is Ruby-based, making LESS the more likely option of choice for those who have just begun to learn the basics of CSS and JavaScript. Though LESS, Sass, and other CSS extensions are not strictly necessary, learning them will dramatically shorten development time.

3. Learn Bootstrap and the Fundamentals of User Experience Design

As a web developer, your primary goal is to give the user an intuitive interface. But what is an intuitive interface? An intuitive interface is one that the user can predict. A user should be able to view a web application and instinctively know what each function will do. Moreover, these functions should be internally consistent and predictable; a user should never be surprised by what an interface does. User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design are both complex disciplines that cover user behavior and user psychology. But as a web developer, you primarily need to focus on giving the user what they expect and what they want.

The Golden Rules of User Experience Design

It must be responsive. Web development now encompasses PCs, laptop, tablets, smartphones – even the “smart refrigerator” in the office break room. Because of this, each design needs to be responsive. A responsive design alters itself on-the-fly to the size and capabilities of the user’s device. This is generally handled through client-side configuration. Across all platforms, the design must still remain consistent and predictable. Tools such as Bootstrap for CSS make it easier to create responsive websites without having to “reinvent the wheel.”

It must be consistent. A website must be structured in a clear, concise, and easily categorized way. Simply building a framework for a website that includes the categorization of its features and its content can be an easy way to develop a site that is well-organized and consequently easy to navigate. Look for the “a-ha!” moment; a user coming to your website blind to look for specific information should be able to immediately identify which section it is in.

It must be familiar. Rather than attempting to create a UI out of whole cloth, the best web developers will follow generally accepted principles. Using, for instance, a “gear wheel” to represent setting is something that users expect and understand. By using this as an interface shorthand rather than attempting to establish a unique design, a web developer can easily ensure that their design is as intuitive as possible.

It must be simple. A major principle of all design is that simpler is better. Modern development has tilted strongly to extremely crisp, clean designs that present only what the user needs at any given time. It is better to have two or three extremely solid functions than dozens upon dozens of experimental functions. Learn to pare down to only what you need.

4. Learn Advanced JavaScript

JavaScript is one of the first languages that many people learn – and consequently many are surprised to find out how robust the language truly is. In fact, there are very few things, if any, that cannot be done in a JavaScript code base (though it may not necessarily be the best tool available). Once you have a solid handle on CSS and JavaScript, it’s time to dig down into advanced JavaScript. This will give you another box of tools that you can use to create more advanced, adaptable websites.

Angular JS

Released in 2010 and maintained primarily by Google, Angular JS is a web application framework that makes it faster and easier to build web applications from the ground up. AngularJS pairs extremely well with web design and is best used for single page applications.

Node JS

Node JS, licensed by MIT, is an open source runtime environment for JavaScript. Node JS makes the process of developing in JavaScript faster, simpler, and easier, as it allows for the on-the-fly compiling and of code outside of a browser.

React JS

Developed by Instagram, Facebook, and other well-known community projects, React JS is a JavaScript library that has been specifically designed to create user libraries. React is an ideal solution for those who want to be able to develop these libraries quickly without having to program everything from scratch.

These tools are extremely useful for web developers who already have a handle on the basics — but they can be a little overwhelming for beginners. For that reason, they should be explored once a developer already feels confident in their JavaScript skills.

5. Additional Web Developer Tools to Master

It’s often said that a craftsman is only as good as his tools. While a skilled, experienced developer can create a website from scratch, it would take an exceptionally long time for them to do so. In the field of web development, tools are often just as important as knowledge and skill. With the right tools, web developers can create highly complex websites very quickly. But this also requires being familiar with these tools and knowing which tool is right for the job.

Design Patterns

Design patterns create proven structures through which certain programming elements are solved. By properly using design patterns, applications can be easily built and designed by even relatively inexperienced developers. More experienced developers often have larger libraries of design patterns that they can call upon as different tools in their arsenal. Very few problems in programming need to be solved from scratch.

Chrome Developer Tools

Chrome Developer Tools are a built-in feature of Chrome that makes it trivial to edit client-side scripting on-the-fly. Developers can alter the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript of pages as they view them, to test out changes or simply to see how something was implemented by another developer. Chrome includes tools for debugging, profiling, and authoring, which can also help in tracking down errors.

Git

Both small and large projects can benefit from the version control offered by Git. Git serves as a code base repository, so web developers can quickly revert back to prior versions of their projects and can control different versions that they produce. In larger projects, Git makes it easier for multiple developers to work on a single project without interfering with each other’s work. In smaller projects, Git makes it easier to track down where errors may have been introduced or to rollback to prior versions.

Grunt & Gulp

Both task runners, Grunt and Gulp are used to improve upon and optimize JavaScript code. Grunt and Gulp automate tasks such as minification (making files smaller), testing, and compilation, thereby streamlining and optimizing the development process. At the same time, some developers believe that task runners such as Grunt and Gulp can lead to bloat. These task runners are generally used by those who are somewhat experienced in JavaScript.

6. Learn SQL and PHP

So far, we’ve mostly been talking about client-side web development. But at a certain point, developers are going to have to turn their eyes towards server-side programming. Modern server-side programming is most frequently done with SQL and PHP, but that isn’t always the case. Other languages often used for server-side configuration include ASP and Java. That being said, a strong foundation of both MySQL and PHP are usually necessary requirements for those in the field.

SQL

SQL (structured query language) is a language used to interact with relational databases. The most popular SQL language is MySQL, the largest open source database solution. But other systems may use Microsoft SQL or PostgreSQL. All of these languages are very similar and involve both accessing and manipulating data. Database tables — similar to a spreadsheet table — are created to store data, which is then updated in a series of queries. SQL is incredibly important in an era of data-heavy development.

NoSQL

You should also be aware that NoSQL is also becoming extremely popular as big data grows. MongoDB, CouchDB, and BigTable are all NoSQL databases; non-relational data sets. Though web developers will only be working with NoSQL databases for extremely intensive applications, it’s still a good idea for a web developer to be aware of the technology.

PHP

PHP is an extremely forgiving language that has a very shallow learning curve. Learning to program in PHP is fairly trivial, but learning to produce solid and secure code in PHP can be a challenge. PHP programmers must be highly disciplined because the language itself has very few controls within it. PHP is often used in conjunction with MySQL to interact with and update data. Many extremely popular websites are built upon PHP and MySQL, such as WordPress.

7. Your Career Path: Do You Need a CS Degree?

It may be surprising, but at this point you are essentially a web developer — you have the knowledge and the skills to develop for the web. But it’s at this point that you need to consider your career path. How do you want to develop? This will control your next steps.

If you want to work for a web development company, you may want to consider getting a degree in Computer Science. In working with a web development company, having a degree will make you more competitive – especially in field in which many people have successfully learned through self-study. On the other hand, if you want to complete freelance work on your own and develop your own client base, you’ll find that whether or not you have a degree at all will seldom come up in your list of qualifications.

And, of course, there’s your own learning style. Many people are able to learn web development simply by doing it — by completing projects and by challenging themselves. Others truly require a more structured format, such as one provided through a degree program. Happily, this works out quite well; those who do require a more structured environment may not find themselves drawn to the self-motivated discipline of a freelance position. Those who do find it easy to learn on their own also find it easy to self-motivate.

8. Hone Your Skills and Knowledge by Creating Websites

Whether you’re looking for a position at a big development firm or trying your hand at freelance work, you’re going to need a portfolio. Portfolios show clients and employers that you have what it takes to take a project from start to finish — and it’s really the only reliable way to both build and show off your skills. A portfolio can take some time to develop, but picking up small jobs for family and friends, or approaching local businesses, can be an excellent way to get started.

Start Simple

Create websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — but start from scratch and grow your knowledge. While you’re learning, you should avoid shortcuts such as Bootstrap templates; though they’re a critical part to modern design, they may become a crutch. A modern, responsive, and professional website can be built with HTML and CSS alone by a talented developer. Your goal should be to learn as much as you can about each language and tool before moving on to the next.

Challenge Yourself

As you grow as a developer, you can begin to add more advanced technologies, such as PHP and MySQL back-ends. If you’re working on your own, you can begin by taking on more advanced projects. If there are certain elements that you don’t understand, you can challenge yourself by intentionally designing websites that are comprised of those elements. Revisit and review coursework provided by sites such as Coursera to learn more advanced techniques and to keep current on modern strategies.

9. Build a Stand-Out Personal Portfolio Website

Once you’ve developed a handful of extremely solid, well-developed websites, it’s time to build a stand-out portfolio. You might be surprised to discover that many web designers don’t have extremely fancy personal websites; in fact, many of them simply have a WordPress site that shows their work. A portfolio isn’t about being flashy; it’s about showcasing your personal projects in a way that sands out. Your skills and experience should be front and center.

Developing a Personal Portfolio

More than anything, clients and employers want to see finished, highly polished projects. If you have additional accomplishments — such as plug-ins or style sheet frameworks you’ve developed – these should also be included, but the primary focus should be on your finished work, with a priority on our most current and complex projects. If you’re just starting out, it’s more than acceptable to make “mock-up” designs for fictional companies; just make sure they’re solid.

Build Your Personal Brand

A web developer is at least part designer, and that means that you also need to be able to develop a personal brand. If you’re working on your own, you’ll also be doing a significant amount of marketing — with yourself as the product. In addition to adding your portfolio, you should also include information about yourself, your design and development philosophies, and what drives you.

10. Start Your Career

It’s time. You now have all the knowledge and experience you need – you just need to actually get started. Starting any career can seem overwhelming, but by breaking it down into small, manageable steps, you can get to your destination faster than you ever believed.

 

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Be Passionate About What You Do

Passion is something that is easy to pick up on. Clients and employers will be able to tell whether or not you truly enjoy your work — and someone who truly enjoys their work is nearly always the right choice for a project. Moreover, now is the time to determine whether you can truly see yourself as a web developer. If you don’t enjoy what you do, why do it? Enjoyment is what makes it easier to self-motivate; what makes it possible to wake up every day ready and prepared to work.

Keep Learning and Growing

Web development is a field that changes from year to year — sometimes even month to month. Not only do design standards change, but new tools are released, and clients begin to seek different things. A web developer has to be committed to learning, growing, and improving over the entirety of their career. They will need to be able to regularly shift gears depending on the current needs of their clients and to invest time in learning new languages and technologies.

Share Your Knowledge

One of the best things about web development is the sense of community that surrounds it. And that sense of community isn’t just important for morale — it’s also an important source for networking. When possible, a web developer should share their knowledge on code repositories, their professional blog, and question and answer sites. Through this, you’ll be able to connect with other web developers, learn from them, and even potentially get leads on new and exciting projects.

Learn Freelance and Business Essentials

Once you become a freelance web developer, you essentially become the owner of a small business… and the only product is you. Passion, experience, knowledge, and skill are all only part of the mix. You also need to have extremely strong business skills. You need to be able to appropriately price your work, collect on payments, and calculate the amount that you need to work to make a living. All of this together are the essentials of running a business.

11. Market Yourself and Reach Out to Prospective Clients

Web development is growing field, but it’s also a competitive one. Where do you begin when trying to find clients? Marketing happens in a few different ways: through online advertising, in-person advertising, and networking.

Online Advertising

Paid online advertising becomes expensive quickly, but there are other forms of advertising such as social media sharing, blogging, and online classifieds. Online classifieds, in particular, can be an excellent source of clients while an individual builds their client base.

In-Person Advertising

Business cards and flyers are a great way to reach out to local businesses who may already be considering the development of their own websites and web applications. You can often ask local businesses to feature your business cards and flyers to their own clientele.

Networking

Word-of-mouth can be extremely potent; let family and friends know that you are currently looking for projects, and you can easily find small projects coming to you. Just make sure to appropriately value your time.

12. Manage Your Projects and Your Income Streams

How much money are you making per hour? Are you collecting all your billable hours? Are you on track with your projects – or are you falling behind? All of these fall under the category of “business management,” and though they may not be directly related to web development, they will make the difference between a profitable venture and an unsuccessful one.

Project Management

If you aren’t organizing your projects, you may find it difficult to meet deadlines — and that can make it harder to retain clients and to grow your client base through word-of-mouth. Free tools such as Asana and Trello provide simple, easy project management solutions that can keep you up to date on your current tasks.

Money Management

As a freelancer, you won’t just be tracking your income; you’ll also be setting aside money to pay taxes, paying advertising costs, and generally paying the expenses of running a business (such as software subscriptions). A basic money management service, such as QuickBooks, can help you track your income and expenses.

There you have it. That’s everything you need to know about becoming a web developer. Web developers are highly motivated individuals who are able to be both creative and analytical; individuals who can adapt to new environments and who excel at problem-solving. Becoming a web developer takes a lot of work, and the learning never ends — but it’s also extremely rewarding, especially to those who enjoy seeing the end result of their hard work. And all it takes is a computer and an internet connection to get started.

Additional Resources for Web Developers

AIGA – American Institute of Graphic Arts
Association of Web Design Professionals
Graphic Artists Guild
Interaction Design Association
International Web Association
World Organization of Webmasters (WOW)
Higher Education Web Professionals
HTML Writers Guild
Society of Illustrators, Artists, and Designers (SIAD)
Society of Graphic Designers of Canada

Additional Guides for Careers in Digital Arts

Are you considering a career in Digital Arts? Check out these how-to-become guides for similar occupations in the field.

How to Become a 3D Animator
How to Become a 3D Modeler
How to Become a Comic Book Artist
How to Become a Computer Animator
How to Become a Graphic Designer
How to Become a Logo Designer
How to Become a Video Game Designer
How to Become a Web Designer