A web designer needs to be a jack-of-all-trades. This means a good designer has to have a an understanding of visual design, along with branding and logo design, UI and UX design, and even front-end development. Due to the broad scope of the necessary skills, hiring web designers can be difficult and time consuming.
Web design encompasses many skills, and sometimes, separate professions. A web designer nowadays has to wear many hats and may have varying levels of proficiency and experience in different fields.
Ideally, a good web designer should have basic understanding of visual, branding and logo design, user experience design, user interface design, interaction design, information architecture, and front-end development.
This means that hiring web designers can be a daunting task, so it is vital to include clear skills and requirements in your job description and job ad.
Web Designer Job Description And Ad Template
Copy this template, and modify it as your own:
Company Introduction
{{Write a short and catchy paragraph about your company. Make sure to provide information about the company’s culture, perks, and benefits. Include office hours, remote working possibilities, and anything else that makes your company interesting.}}
Job Description
As our new Web designer you will create the look, layout, feel, functionality and features of all the websites we are developing. You will work on developing new websites and on enhancing our existing Web properties.
You will work closely with our creative directors, project managers, strategists and other design team members to develop specifications and make adjustments regarding the use of new and emerging Web technologies.
Responsibilities
Your key responsibilities will be meeting with clients, using wireframing tools, using functional user-interface techniques in your Web design workflow. You will also be responsible for writing clean, semantic front-end code - HTML5, CSS3, JAVA, PHP.
More responsibilities in detail:
Work with clients and project managers to build and refine graphic designs for websites. Must have strong skills in Photoshop, Sketch, InvsionApp, UX Pin, or equivalent application(s).
Convert raw images and layouts from a graphic designer into CSS/XHTML themes.
Determine appropriate architecture, and other technical solutions, and make relevant recommendations to clients.
Develop and maintain robust Webstyle guides for all our consumer- and business-facing products.
Provide thought-leadership on Web design best practices and next-generation digital trends.
Create high-fidelity mock-ups for vetting and user testing, and finished .psd files for development.
Assist in the development of a new brand and how to convey it cohesively across our multiple Web properties.
Create site layout/user interface by using standard HTML / CSS / PHP / JAVA practices
{{Add other responsibilities here that are relevant}}
Requirements
Bachelor’s in computer science or related field, or significant equivalent experience.
Three years minimum experience with HTML/XHTML and CSS.
A strong visual and technical portfolio.
A high level of proficiency using Adobe products (or equivalent tools).
Knowledge of browser compatibility across multiple platforms and devices.
Strong ability to design with accessibility in mind.
Experience working in an agile/scrum development process.
Familiarity with multiple HTML frameworks, strong JavaScript & jQuery skills (such as consuming APIs)
{{List education level or certification you require}}
The goal of this guide is to help you find the perfect web designer for your team or project. This can be achieved by better understanding the different roles a web designer fills, and by having a good idea of the sort of strategic questions you can ask during the hiring process.
Toptal is a marketplace for clients to find web designers and web design services in the world. Each Toptal freelance web designer is thoroughly vetted and trusted by top companies for their most critical web design projects.
Scott has worked with a broad range of companies to tackle unique design problems. His latest project, LifeWallet powered by MSP Recovery, helps organize a person's health record by analyzing their claims data and displaying it in an easily digestible way. Scott has also had the pleasure of working with Rightway Healthcare, CareCloud, UNA Health, Pano Technologies, Detect, QuantumSi, Tesseract Health, Mantium, and RITEQ in their early design stages.
Mirko is a seasoned UX/UI designer with over 10 years of experience, predominantly focused on designing and revamping cross-platform applications, SaaS and enterprise products, and landing pages. His areas of expertise include research, strategy, prototyping, and UI design. Notably, Mirko has also worked on design projects within the music and lifestyle industries. His work has been acknowledged with several awards and featured in renowned design books, magazines, and blogs worldwide.
Dawid has more than a decade of experience in the design industry and he specializes in UI design. He creates brands, products, and UI/UX designs for large and medium-sized companies all around the world. Dawid combines strategy, creativity, and technology to build unique brand identities and experiences.
Alexandre is a user experience designer and strategist with 12+ years of experience working for companies like Deutsche Bank, Philips, Vodafone, KLM, Intel, Pernod Ricard, Asics, and Toyota. He designs better ways for customers to experience products and services that improve their lives and the business's bottom line. What drives Alexandre is simplifying complex things, understanding behavior, and creating real, innovative experiences.
Aida is a UX/UI designer with experience designing for Fortune 500 companies like Nike, Levi’s, Activision, and more. Her experience spans across digital agency to co-founding a startup and leading the redesign of major web software. Aida's passion lies in crafting the full product life cycle revolving around human-centered design, business goals, and market trends.
Steve is a digital art director at DDB, with years of experience in digital design. He freelances for companies all over the world as a visual and UI/UX designer on websites, web apps, and mobile apps. Steve has had the pleasure of working for advertising agencies such as DDB, Tribal Worldwide, Grand Creative, Colenso BBDO, and many others. He communicates exceptionally well with his clients and has worked in teams of all sizes.
Danielle is a user-centric professional with over 10 years of experience and an innovative approach to idea and concept development. She has a history of success providing creative direction and management, leading strategy, and innovative interfaces at tech-forward, product-driven companies. Danielle has specialized in fintech, enterprise Sass, and Medtech, designing interfaces that serviced over 300 million users.
Matthew is a 30-times, award-winning, lead-product UX/UI designer, advisor, and creative director with more than twelve years of hands-on experience. He's worked with leading Fortune 500 brands and startups, including Disney, Samsung, Sony, Adidas, BMW, Lufthansa, to bring impact via innovation. Matthew's mission is to deliver the most efficient, engaging, innovative, and high-quality experience with an emphasis on user experience.
Ilona is a highly analytical professional with extensive experience in devising product design strategies, planning releases, and developing/curating novel ideas that ensure product success and profitability. She is an expert UX researcher and designer with progressively responsible experience in delivering a world-class digital experience that delights users and streamlines workflows.
Matthew is a UX/UI professional who focuses on pragmatic customer-centric, data-driven solutions. Matthew is a CXO but started his career as a designer, then a front-end developer, and ultimately as a UX specialist, giving him a holistic and realistic understanding of project delivery. He's skilled in leadership and has built and managed both small teams and large departments.
Roman helped build and ship applications used by tens of millions of people worldwide. As the sole product designer at Dubsmash, he was a part of the team that made the app that ranked second in the US short-form video market with over one billion monthly views. While at Reddit, Roman oversaw the design of the live video product. He's currently helping create the future of presentation software at Pitch, one of the top European SaaS startups.
