1. Know the principles of design
2. Typography
3. Composition
4. Color Theory
5. Software for design
6. Content Management Systems (CMS)
7. User Experience (UX)
8. User Interface (UI)
9. Graphic design
Know the principles of design: Emergence
Rather than focusing on individual parts, we tend to process visual stimuli as a whole. Emergence is seeing an arrangement of visuals and immediately understanding what they represent. When something breaks a pattern, we become aware of the pieces that make it up.
Reification
Reification is using only the essential parts of an object to make it identifiable. It lets you exercise restraint in a design, while still conveying meaning.
Invariance
Invariance is being able to use tasteful discordance in your designs, making something stand out from a group of similar objects. The use of invariance allows you to highlight parts of a design.
Typography
Typography shapes our perception of ideas. A type’s weight and geometry communicate meaning, and as a designer, it’s important to know the best way to deliver messages with the appropriate typographical choices.
All the font options can make it hard for new designers to know what to choose. Practical fonts like Georgia, Verdana, and Robot work well for body copy, while more decorative typefaces should be used sparingly as ornamentation. Good designers know the difference between typestyles and where to use them.
Composition:
The arrangement of text, visuals, and other elements serve both an artistic and utilitarian purpose. There’s the visual harmony of a design and the organization and hierarchy of ideas. Important content should grab our attention and look great.
A well-composed layout involves creating balance with contrast, negative space, and proportioned elements. Pay attention to the design around you — websites, paintings, movie scenes, billboards. The more you’re aware of and can recognize good composition, the more it will show up in your own design.
Color Theory
Basic concepts, like combining primary colors to create new colors will help you craft pleasing color palettes.
As a designer, you should be familiar with the color wheel and how complementary, contrasting, and analogous colors work together.
Software for Web design
Adobe Illustrator, XD, Photoshop, Figma, and Webflow are a few design software programs designers should be familiar with. You should have a grasp of photo-editing basics and the ability to tweak vector-based graphics, like a logo that may come your way.
Content Management Systems (CMS)
Knowing how to use a CMS, as this blog Collection from the Webflow template Fashionlatte, makes taking care of large blocks of content far less burdensome.
User Experience (UX)
User Experience focuses on someone’s emotional response to a design — a combination of a site’s usability and integrating interactive and dynamic elements to make the design a joy to navigate. UX aims to shape a person’s experience while engaging them and guiding them through the site.
User Interface (UI)
Where UX is concerned more with the broad aspects of how a design affects someone, UI focuses on specificity. Web pages, buttons, menus, and micro-interactions are all a part of UI. These elements guide an audience through a design, free from obstructions, for a smooth experience.
Graphic design
Website and graphic design share a similar creative space. Both involve the artistry of crafting visuals. But while web design is a medium where ongoing changes and updates are a part of any project, graphic design is about creating visuals with longevity. Designing a website or a logo may be different design disciplines, but they’re both a part of branding.