Web Designer

Think about the last website you left after five seconds. Tiny letters, ten pop-ups, and you couldn't find the "Contact" button anywhere.

Now think about a website that just felt easy. You knew where to click. It looked nice. You maybe even bought something.

The difference between those two websites? A web designer. Let's see what they do, and if this could be your thing.

What is this job, really?

The simple version: a web designer decides how a website looks and feels. Colors, fonts, pictures, where the buttons go, what you see first when the page opens.

Think of a website like a shop. The web designer is the person who decides where the shelves go, how big the signs are, and where the cash desk is. If the shop is a mess, people walk out. If it's clear and nice, they stay and buy. Same with websites.

What does a web designer actually do?

Plans the pages. What goes on the home page, what goes on "About us", what goes on the price page.
Draws the layout. Where the menu is, where the photos go, how big the text is. Usually in a tool called Figma.
Chooses colors and fonts that match the brand. A yoga studio and a car repair shop shouldn't look the same.
Makes sure it works on phones. Most people visit websites from their phones, so the page has to look good on a small screen too.
Sometimes builds the site in tools like Wix, Webflow or WordPress, so the client gets a ready website, not just a picture of one.

Who needs a web designer, and why?

Every business that wants to be found online. Imagine Luca, who has a small family hotel near a lake. His old website looks like it was made in 2009 (because it was). Guests can't find the booking button, so they book through big booking sites instead, and Luca pays them a commission. A clear, beautiful website with a big "Book now" button can bring guests straight to him.

Typical clients: small businesses, coaches and therapists, online shops, restaurants and hotels, startups, and design agencies that need extra hands.

Freelance or in a company?

Freelance: you make websites for different clients, project by project. Very common for this job.
In an agency: you design sites as part of a team. Great for learning.
In a company: you take care of one company's website and keep improving it.

How much talking is involved?

Medium. You'll talk with clients at the start to understand what they need, show them your design, and collect feedback. Most of it happens by email, chat and a few video calls. The rest of the time, it's you, your coffee and your design. ☕

How hard is it to learn? How long does it take?

You don't need a degree. Clients want to see a portfolio: a few websites you designed (even practice ones for imaginary businesses count at the start).

First weeks: design basics (colors, fonts, spacing) and your first steps in Figma.
First months: how websites are organized, how people move through a page, how to design for phones.
Around 4 to 6 months of regular practice: you can have 3–5 portfolio projects and start looking for first small clients.

Learning to build sites in a no-code tool like Wix or Webflow makes you more useful, because many small clients want "the whole thing done".

You'll probably enjoy it if you:

Get annoyed by confusing websites and want to fix them.
Like both pretty things and logic.
Enjoy seeing your work used by real people.

How is AI changing this job?

AI impact: AI-assisted 🤖

AI website builders can now make a simple website in minutes. You type "website for a bakery", and you get a page with a croissant photo and some text. For a tiny business with no budget, that's sometimes enough. So the simplest "one page, nothing special" projects are harder to get.

But AI still struggles with what really matters for a business:

Understanding the goal. Is the site meant to sell, to get bookings, to collect emails? The design changes completely.
Making a brand feel unique, not like 10,000 other AI websites.
Thinking about real people: older visitors, slow internet, people in a hurry.
Fixing the details that make a site actually work.

Web designers today use AI as a fast helper for ideas, texts and first drafts, and spend their time on the thinking part.

Honest downsides

Lots of competition, especially for cheap, simple websites.
Clients change their minds. "Can we try it in purple? No, the old one was better."
Tools change fast, so you keep learning.
Some clients think a website costs as much as a sandwich. Learning to explain your price is part of the job.

Try it before you choose it

Here's a secret nobody tells you: you don't have to choose a profession for the rest of your life. You're picking something to try. Like a new dish at a restaurant. If you hate it, you order something else next time. No drama.

And honestly? You can't know if you'll like a job until you try it. Reading about it is like reading about swimming. Useful, but you stay dry.

So here's the tiny, safe step:

Take one short beginner course. Watch a few lessons in the evening, after work. Try a small practice task. Then ask yourself one simple question: "Do I want to do more of this?"

Yes? Great. Now it makes sense to look for a deeper, more serious course.
No? Also great. You just saved yourself months, and you can try the next job on your list.

Either way, you keep your current job while you test the waters. No quitting, no big risks, no throwing your stapler out of the window.