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Essential Skills in Website Design and Graphic Design
Essential Skills in Website Design and Graphic Design
Website design and graphic design are two different experiences and require different sets of skills. Web design skills include HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Graphic design skills include sketching, typography and print design & layout.
Sydney,
NSW,
Australia
(prbd.net)
28/11/2011
Website design and graphic design are two different genres. While graphic design is about designing for print, website design is all about designing for the web. More often than not people consider graphic designing and website designing as one and the same thing. Just because a designer is good at one doesn’t mean he’ll be good at the other as well.
Graphic design is commonly used for creating corporate logos, advertisements, publications and product packaging. Moreover, it is used in web design as well. So when graphic design is used in website design, does that make these two genres the same? The answer is NO. There are different sets of skills required by a web designer and graphic designer. While some skills might be common, there still are others that are exclusive to each profession.
There are some common skills that a graphic designers as well as a web designer must possess-
- Creativity
- Logical thinking
- Attention to details
- Teamwork
- Time management
- Entrepreneurial skills
- Graphic design basics and website design basics (both the genres are closely related and so knowledge about them would be beneficial for both type of designers)
Skills required in website design:
Despite the shared skills, a web designer should also learn certain skills that a graphic designer may not be aware of. Some of these skills are:
1. HTML- For beginners HTML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language) is the starting point in web design. HTML is the fundamental skill which is used for creating web pages. It uses tags to open and close a passage of text.
2. CSS- Cascading Style Sheets is another fundamental skill in web design that helps in converting the HTML codes into the formatted web page normally seen on a website. It deals with the look and format of each web page with respect to the colours, text, fonts and borders etc.
3. JavaScript- This is the script language used in web designing and is associated with HTML. This language enhances the feature of interactivity of a web page by adding dynamic content. The JS is embedded within the HTML code.
4. SEO- A web designer has to ensure that the site is search engine-friendly. He has to understand the basics of search engine optimisation and incorporate its features in the design in order to help the website gain more exposure and visibility on the Internet.
Skills required in graphic design:
Just like website design, graphic design too requires a different set of skills. Some of these skills are:
1. Sketching/Drawing- This is the basic skill that a graphic designer must have to graphically depict his ideas on paper. The designer can also learn a variety of computer software to improve his sketching ability.
2. Typography- It is the art of type design and requires a firm understanding of font families, use of line-height, kerning and tracking. A graphic designer must learn the difference between families and styles of type and when to best use them.
3. Print Design & Layout- An understanding of digital print production is a pre-requisite for a graphic designer. The use of page layout programs such as Adobe, InDesign and Quark is essential. The designer should have a thorough knowledge of the printing process to understand the use of colour space.
4. Photography- This is an add-on skill that can further improve the ability of a graphic designer to impress his clients. Using a digital camera, the designer can adequately illuminate the subject.
About
Sigma Infotech (www.sigmainfotech.com.au) is a web design firm that understands taking business to the web. Our website development team includes the best website designers, web developers, application developers, web designers, graphic designers, and search engine optimisers who can design and customise a website design to suit the needs of your unique business.
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