Summary of 6 skills needed to master web page production

Although I have sorted it out before writing this article, I found that if I want to list all the skills other than those of a non-professional web designer, it is really like an old lady looking at a map – this is just the beginning. The scope involved is too broad. In addition, my own abilities are limited. As I continue to write, I find that the skills required of a web designer are far from enough. Let me first list the 6 most important things about myself and encourage each other.

By the way, if you are interested in books other than the ones I introduced, you can also check out the books I have read on Douban.

1. Coding skills

Due to the limitations of web page codes, web designers need to know what can and cannot be done before designing. Unlike graphic designers, they cannot design the layout as they please. Not only that, when designing, you also need to consider how to benefit SEO, which means that many texts cannot be displayed in pictures using specific fonts.

Coding skills include many aspects: HTML code, css+div, js, action script, etc. Here are some codes based on my personal experience:

HTML: There is no need to explain this. How can you claim to understand web pages if you don’t even know this? You can search for tutorials on Google for details.

css+div: When I started learning, I read several books. Compared with them, the book "CSS Website Layout Record: A Website Design Guide Based on Web Standards" was more practical. Others such as "CSS Zen Garden" are not worth reading.

actionscript: It has to be said that after so many years of development, flash has become a very important part of the web page. Several basic functions of AS2 such as gotoAndStop(), gotoAndStop(), getURL(), etc. still need to be mastered. If you are interested in AS3, you can refer to Hei Yu's "Flash ActionScript 3 Road to Palace" (it is a bit complicated, and it is a big challenge for designers without programming experience).

javascript: There is no other way. It is really annoying if you often bother programmers to add some small JavaScript programs. Not to mention being able to write, at least you should be able to understand the code and modify existing code.

php, asp, .net: The same applies. If you think you are a handsome guy who can attract the beautiful female programmers in your company, then you can find them to do minor modifications. Or think you are a beautiful lady who can attract the handsome programmer in your company. If the other party is unwilling to help, try to be self-reliant.

2. Ability to improve user experience

Although people abroad began to pay attention to user experience as early as 2000, it has only become popular in China in recent years. After all, the purpose of building a website is not to give users an interface to appreciate, but to have users use the website. The website interface is beautifully designed, but it is difficult for users to use it smoothly. Then, it will not be possible to retain users.

There are many books on user experience, which are too numerous to list here. Students who are interested can read my previous article "A Summary of Interactive Books I Have Read", which lists in detail some books I have read on user experience and interactive design. In addition, the article "How Interaction Designers Can Improve Their Skills" should also be helpful to students who are interested in user experience.

3. Demonstrate design skills

It is undeniable that designers impress clients with their designs. But this still requires the designer to have sufficient ability to express himself. He not only needs to show the design to the client, but also needs to use words to convince the client to accept the design. To answer customer questions such as: "Why do you need to use red instead of black?", "Why use vertical layout instead of horizontal layout like our competitors?" and so on. How to successfully persuade customers is also a skill, which is mentioned in my "Translation: How to Persuade Your Users, Boss or Customers".

4. Ability to communicate with customers

After explaining the design work, the next step is to communicate with the client. Only through sufficient communication can we deeply explore some previously unknown ideas of customers. Why do people say that designing is so tiring? Although there is only one final draft, the repeated communication and revisions take up most of the designer's time and energy. Some were even tortured terribly.

I believe that only by fully communicating with customers can we ensure that the revised design draft can better meet the customers' ideas. Only in this way will the customer dare to let you do it, which also proves your confidence to the customer and means that the amount of modification will not increase that much.

Simply being a yes-man will only make the client think that he is a design expert and you are just a tool to complete his design. Remember: you are an expert in design. Don't blindly agree to excessive design requests from clients who are not design experts. Otherwise, not only will you be led by the nose by the client, but if you make a mistake, the client can also turn the tables and say that it was the designer who did it. I think this is also a problem that many designers are troubled by. I will not elaborate on this here. If you are interested, please refer to the previous article: "Designer Ability: Adequate Preparation-Make Your Design More Easier to Be Approved".

5. Ability to continuously learn

If you pay enough attention to the design industry, you will find that the popular design styles are different every year: in 2004, Korean style was popular, with large blocks of solid colors and delicate gradient colors everywhere. Since 2005, the web2.0 style has gradually become popular, and a series of styles such as font size have become popular again. This means that designers need to always pay attention to popular design trends, not just follow the trend but absorb useful elements from design trends and improve their own design capabilities.

On the other hand, as everyone can see: Internet technology has been in continuous rapid development. If you don’t learn new technologies in a timely manner to supplement the popular technologies a few years ago, your abilities may become outdated in a few years. Therefore, web design not only requires some understanding of existing technologies, but also requires a full learning attitude to recharge. This is also the reason why I mentioned in the previous article: "Plagiarism - One of the essential skills for web designers". By constantly plagiarizing, you can "keep pace with the times" in design trends. Of course, you should be honest and remember the "Eight Honors and Eight Shames" of designers. Don't just grab a few screens and piece them together and then go out and show off. It can be said that the earth is big, but the Internet is not big. There is no guarantee that plagiarized works will be discovered one day.

6. Communication skills

As the saying goes: Three good men make a gang.

If the designer not only does visual design, but also has to update the program of the client's website (although there are many free and open source CMS systems available, it is difficult to guarantee that the client will make a request that requires code changes). At this time, it is very important to have a programmer friend who can help modify the code. A designer may need 2-3 hours to modify the code, but others can do it in just ten minutes. Therefore, it is important to have a good partner.

On the other hand, although it is said that competitors are enemies. But it does not affect the interactions between designers, as there are many benefits: exchanging design experiences with each other/forming a team to take on cases that a single designer cannot complete, etc.; plus, there are many handsome men and beautiful women doing design, and if after getting to know each other, in addition to cooperation, a romantic relationship develops, there is nothing that can be done. Hehehe~~

Another thing to say is: paying attention to some celebrities in the industry can often help you learn the latest developments in the industry through this channel, which may help you improve your abilities faster. There are many channels now: blogs/Weibo and other methods.

The following article is what I have been preparing for a long time, "Quote a price that matches your ability – How designers quote", everyone is welcome to read it.