How to Become A Freelance Web Designer?

In the age of the Internet, establishing a presence on online mediums for a business or a profession has become very basic. Whether it is an educational institute, an online marketplace or a company, websites are the medium to interact with a larger audience and giving them information about your services. But who conceptualizes and designs the website for organizations? Well, a Web Designer is a professional behind developing and maintaining a website. The rise of Internet-driven businesses has led to the emergence of Web Developing as a lucrative career option for many tech enthusiasts. The fascinating job profile gives professionals an option to work both as full-time and as a freelancer. In this blog, we will unveil to you key aspects of becoming a freelance web designer and the skills needed to excel in the field. 

Step 1: Choosing The Right Course

Even though certification or Diploma in Computer Science is an ideal way to start a career as a Web Designer but most of the students prefer pursuing BSc Computer Science to get a complete understanding of the field as well as gain hands-on professional training. The course spanning over 3-4 years will allow you to study various aspects of computers while enabling you to focus on the area of your choice. The skills can be later upgraded by taking specialization programs or short courses. Further, online courses and video lectures by professionals on YouTube are another way of reinforcing your skills in the field. Once you finish your education, it is your prerogative to work either as a full-time or a freelance web designer.  If you want to know about the subject syllabus, read our detailed blog on Web Designing course syllabus.

Also Read: Computer Courses List

Freelance Web Designer: Courses

Being a highly sought-after career option, a large number of universities worldwide offer comprehensive courses in web designing that will give you the fine grounding to start a career as a freelance Web Designer. Tabulated below are some of the best universities and courses in the field: 

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University	Location	Course	Duration
Northumbria University, Newcastle	UK	BSc (Hons) Computer Science with Web Development	3 Years
University of Leicester	UK	MSc Web Applications and Services	16 Months
University of Wollongong	Australia	Bachelor of Information Technology (Web Design and Development)	3 Years
University of Hartford	USA	BA in Multimedia Web Design and Development	4 Years
Langara College	Canada	Post-Degree Diploma in Web and Mobile App Design and Development	2 Years
Durham College	Canada	Diploma in Contemporary Web Design	4 Semesters
Ara Institute of Canterbury	New Zealand	Diploma in Web Development and Design	1 Year

Step 2: Building Portfolio

The second step to starting a career in the field is to build a portfolio. A portfolio is a collection of the pieces of work done by the student, freelancer and even a professional and it comes handy when applying for jobs. While working as a freelancer, it becomes more than important to establish your credibility and there is nothing more convincing than showing the work you have done. Not only does having a portfolio gives your work a professional outlook but it also helps you to enhance your earning potential as a freelance Web Designer. You can start building your collection by taking small projects and then upgrading gradually to bigger ones. The best way to keep your portfolio organized at one place is to maintain a website for all your sample works. 

Freelance Web Designer: Skills Required

Whether working as a full-time or a freelance web designer, you need to have a specific skill set to succeed in the profession. The skills of a professional web designer can be categorized into two: Professional and Soft Skills which have been elucidated below: 

Professional Skills 

Being a highly competitive job profile, web designers need to have a set of professional skills to carry out their job efficiently. To start a career as a freelance Web Designer, you should have: 

• Proficiency in using Design Tools like Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, After Effects, Maya etc. 
• Strong sense for designing and layout.
• Good understanding of UX design, responsive design, and graphic design.
• Good hold on scripting languages like HTML, CSS, Java.
• Knowledge of web server management. 

Soft Skills 

Besides technical skills, a professional also needs to work on soft skill development to keep the work of Web Designing organized and more professional while working at your convenience. Some of the skills required are listed below: 

• Time management
• Project Management
• Customer Service
• Proactivity and Creativity
• Digital Marketing and Social Media Skills (SEO)

A career as a freelance web designer is all you need if you are someone looking for a challenging and creative job profile but at your convenience. At Leverage Edu, we understand the importance of making a career, which is why we believe in providing the best career-related guidance to help your journey to success. If you are looking for the best courses that will give your skillset a power boost, our experts are there to help you. Book your 30-minutes free career counselling session now and get your queries cleared within minutes!