The Skills of Web Design

There are so many options available for businesses wanting to invest in a website, and DIY options are very attractive. But beware; most of these options are too good to be true. They may be cost effective or even free, but they can seriously limit the functionality of your site. Hiring a web designer may seem expensive, but think of the skills and experience which you are buying with your money...

HTML and CSS skills are a basic requirement of any professional web designer; even the most basic websites are built using HTML which tells the site what to do with your content and CSS which determines the layout and style of your website. Add to this further programming and coding skills which many web designers are fluent in – PHP, JavaScript – and even database management such as MySQL and you get an idea of the level of skill needed to create just a single webpage!

How your website looks has an impact on its efficacy, to give a professional feel it needs to be designed by a professional. A DIY website no matter how current or up to date has the effect of appearing homemade. Web Designers are skilled in the art of design; they understand layout, colour schemes and content placement. Without these finely honed skills they are unable to fulfil even the most basic elements of their chosen career, so unless you are Philippe Starck in hiding its best to stick with the pros!

When you look at a website what do you see? Most probably you just see the final effect, the words and images that are on your browser screens. When web designers look at a site they see something completely different, they see the architecture of the site, it’s bare bones. When web designers develop a design concept, they are already making calculations and estimations on how they are going to build that site for you. It starts with site architecture, what pages need to connect to what, how many layers of navigation should there be? Linking relevant content to ensure a seamless user journey. Site Architecture is such an intricate process and takes a lot of skill and knowledge to pull off.

And don’t forget the other skills that web designers bring to the table – search engine optimisation, CMS customisation and integration, image rendering and manipulation, graphic design and branding. Some website designers even create content strategies for your business which encompass blogging, social networking and online promotions. So all in all, investing in a professionally designed website is a bit of a bargain!

For a further information on web design, see Quote Bean's Web Design buyer's area.