Web designer job description
Where we source our data
Let’s get real. Job information online can often be overly optimistic — conveniently glossing over the raw bits. But when you’re making decisions about your future, you need all the facts.
That’s why we anonymously surveyed web designers about their job, with hopes of getting an honest insight into what it’s really like.
While we did our best to ensure respondents were Australians and verified their job titles with proof of employment, we can’t guarantee complete accuracy — or that your experiences in the field will reflect theirs. So, we suggest that you take these insights as a guide only and try to talk to people in the field before making an important decision.
Where we source our data
Let’s get real. Job information online can often be overly optimistic — conveniently glossing over the raw bits. But when you’re making decisions about your future, you need all the facts.
That’s why we anonymously surveyed web designers about their job, with hopes of getting an honest insight into what it’s really like.
While we did our best to ensure respondents were Australians and verified their job titles with proof of employment, we can’t guarantee complete accuracy — or that your experiences in the field will reflect theirs. So, we suggest that you take these insights as a guide only and try to talk to people in the field before making an important decision.
Imaginative
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.
Intellectual
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.
Cooperative
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.
Tasks and responsibilities for a web designer
The tasks and responsibilities of web designers include:
- Designing landing pages, menus, and web content
- Integrating CMS (content management systems) in their designs so that clients can update their website with new information and posts
- Optimising existing sites in terms of design and SEO (search engine optimisation)
- Testing websites and find any bugs, errors, missing pages, broken links, or typos
- Getting briefs from clients about their website needs and deciding how to fulfil those briefs
- Showing clients their suggestions through sketches, wireframes, and proposed alternative designs
- Writing website code, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Reasons to choose this job
Based on our career survey data, these are the factors that workers said were most important to them when choosing this job.
Enjoyable
Being a web designer encourages you to exercise your creativity to make unique and striking designs. Meeting a client’s briefs and specific needs can be satisfying as you get to express your vision.
Learning opportunities
The internet is constantly evolving. There are always new software packages, platforms, tools, design aesthetics, and skills to learn. Web developers continuously satiate their desire to learn more as they keep up with changes and trends.
Flexible hours
Many web designer job opportunities allow you to work remotely, choose your hours, or become self-employed. This flexibility enables you to maintain a good work/life balance.
Job satisfaction
Overall job satisfaction
This overall score combines the critical factors in job satisfaction. It includes fulfilment, stress levels, and opportunities for advancement, based on our career survey data.
Stress level
How stressful workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.
Fulfilment
How personally rewarding workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.
Skill level
The skill level required to do this job is based on both our career survey data and official data from the Labour Market Information Portal.
Job market trends for a web designer
Every industry requires web designers to bring their brand to life on the internet. Web designers play an essential role in marketing different brands and delivering content to a broad audience.
As such, the design industry has strong expected future growth. 62,100 people worked in these occupations in 2020, and that number is expected to grow to 70,100 by 2025.
Median salary
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Projected job growth
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Pathway options
Job pathways are drawn from the Australian Apprenticeships Pathways site.
As you gain experience as a web designer, you may be able to move into higher-level roles, with potential career paths like:
Mid
-
Frontend web developer
Most common qualification: Diploma of Information Technology (ICT50120)
-
Web developer
Most common qualification: Diploma of Information Technology (ICT50120)
-
User Interface Designer
Most common qualification: User Experience Design Certificate
Senior
-
Full stack developer
Most common qualification: Advanced Diploma of Information Technology (ICT60220)
Skills you might already have
Based on our career survey data, the soft skills that workers said were most needed to do their job well.
People interested in web designer jobs are already likely to be technology-inclined and solutions-driven. Soft skills that you could already have (or can develop naturally from exploring your interests) include:
Creativity
Maybe you’ve always loved to draw or take pictures or make things. Web designers use their natural creativity to develop unique, visually appealing, user-friendly, and functional designs.
Time management
Many different tasks help make up an overall web design when working on a website. From choosing fonts and images to making sure the website is easy to navigate and integrates with various tools. You need to be good at managing all these different tasks, setting reasonable deadlines for milestones, and staying on track throughout the process.
Communication
Web designers create websites in line with a client’s needs. This process involves having excellent communication skills: listening closely to what clients want, offering suggestions and recommendations, and explaining technical aspects of the process in sufficient detail to build trust (but not in so much detail that you overwhelm them). You may also draw on your communication skills to collaborate with other professionals like web developers.
Hard skills
The job-specific skills that workers said were most important, supplemented with data from JobOutlook and online job advertisements.
When looking to become a web designer, university-level training comes in handy to develop some of the necessary technical skills, such as:
Design
Web designers need to know how to approach design briefs and problems. Coming up with prototypes, mockups, templates, and wireframes and knowing how to execute your ideas into a useable, striking website is essential. You can design with programs like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Your design work is bolstered by a strong understanding of design software, design tools, principles, and theory.
Research and analysis
As web designers understand your client’s needs, they research the different ways they can be met. You require strong analytical skills to weigh the pros and cons of different options in line with your client’s priorities.
Coding
Web designers must know how to code a website to function based on your design. There is a particular emphasis on coding visual and front-end aspects of design — the elements of a website people see. You need a strong understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You may also need to pick up other programming languages depending on what you’re making and integrate your code with content management systems like WordPress.
How to become a web designer
-
Study
No formal qualifications are required for a career in web design. But, you do have to pick up technical and soft skills before you can hit the ground running. You can draw on open-source resources, coding bootcamps, advice from forums like Stack Exchange to study web design. You can also learn in more formal settings, taking a course like Certificate IV in Information Technology (Web Development) (ICT40120), Diploma of Information Technology (Back End Web Development) (ICT50220), or studying design or IT at TAFE or through university.
-
Building websites
Get lots of hands-on experience making websites with your design projects. You can make your own or volunteer to make websites for friends or local community groups. This practice allows you to go through the entire design process a few times to gain confidence and expertise and solve problems you might not have imagined.
-
Find a job
You could find a job as an in-house web designer for an organisation or a web designer working more broadly as part of a graphic design or marketing firm. Alternatively, you can become a self-employed freelance web designer and offer your services directly to clients.
Explore related qualifications
Certificate IV in Information Technology (Web Development)
Learn the fundamentals of managing website development projects, like designing a website, building wireframes, search engine optimisation, software development, responsive design, web frameworks, APIs, cybersecurity, version control, website accessibility, e-commerce, coding languages and scripting, and developing and maintaining websites and databases. Work on both group and individual assignments to get a sense of what working as a web designer is like. This qualification takes 12 months of full-time study (or part-time equivalent) to complete.
2 providers offer this course
Diploma of Information Technology
Learn the technical side of how websites work over their whole design lifecycle. Get hands-on experience working on live website projects and develop skills in working with clients, project management, designing databases, developing cloud applications, information architecture, working with big data, machine learning, developing web apps, cybersecurity and privacy, and quality assurance. This qualification typically takes 12 months of full-time study (or part-time equivalent).
6 providers offer this course
Related subjects
If you’re interested in technical jobs where you work with the web and deliver useable products, you may also be interested in:
Reviews
How we collect reviews
Reviews are from Australian workers with this job title or a very closely related one.
Is this your job title?
Share your thoughts and help people decide if this job is right for them.
How we collect reviews
Reviews are from Australian workers with this job title or a very closely related one.
Is this your job title?
Share your thoughts and help people decide if this job is right for them.
- All
- Positive
- Negative
Luca
Nov 22 2021Creating new designs under a time crunch.
What are the best parts of the job?
When creating a new design you get to be creative and problem-solve.
What's the most challenging part?
We're pushed to innovate but there usually isn't enough time to do so.
Rachel
Nov 03 2021Make your own choices.
What are the best parts of the job?
I have autonomy which is great.
What's the most challenging part?
Meeting deadlines, especially when there are competing projects and stakeholders.
Taj
Nov 03 2021Full of variety.
What are the best parts of the job?
It’s fun and always differs.
What's the most challenging part?
Deadlines and being on time can be tough.
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Job cluster: The Technologist
What are job clusters?
The seven job clusters are sets of closely related jobs that share skills, making it easy to apply skills learned in one career to another.
The idea of the seven job clusters first appeared in a 2016 research report by the Foundation for Young Australians, titled “The New Work Mindset”. Researchers analysed thousands of online job advertisements and found that jobs are more similar than commonly thought — and the skills you gain in one position are easy to bring to another. In fact, they can help you get 13 other closely related jobs.
This model is a great way to think about 21st-century careers, where the average person changes career five times. We’ve used this framework (along with the much-loved Holland Codes model) to build a career quiz.
Why not take it and find out which job cluster feels like home?
What are job clusters?
The seven job clusters are sets of closely related jobs that share skills, making it easy to apply skills learned in one career to another.
The idea of the seven job clusters first appeared in a 2016 research report by the Foundation for Young Australians, titled “The New Work Mindset”. Researchers analysed thousands of online job advertisements and found that jobs are more similar than commonly thought — and the skills you gain in one position are easy to bring to another. In fact, they can help you get 13 other closely related jobs.
This model is a great way to think about 21st-century careers, where the average person changes career five times. We’ve used this framework (along with the much-loved Holland Codes model) to build a career quiz.
Why not take it and find out which job cluster feels like home?
Web designers and other tech roles are suited to the career personality of The Technologist.
Technologists are curious about computers and gadgets. You may have already dabbled in creating your own websites or designing codes or games for curiosity’s sake. You enjoy learning new skills and checking out the latest innovations.
Take the Career Quiz to discover what jobs are a great fit for you.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to become a web designer?
Courses that give you an overview of the fundamental of web design typically take around a year. However, if you’re highly motivated, you may be able to build the skills you need on your own, drawing from the numerous online tutorials available for learning about web design. Technical skills necessary for becoming a successful web designer, like coding, typically take three months to build. Don’t be discouraged if it takes you longer to get the hang of things.
How do I start a career in web design?
Start a career in web design by learning about design theory and different aspects of building a website. Then, gain hands-on experience in actually making websites — expanding your skillset. It may be helpful to do a related course as well. Once you have the requisite technical and soft skills employers are looking for, you will likely find success in your job search.
How can I become a web designer at home?
You can learn the ins and outs of website design from home through self-study or enrolling in an online course. Once you’ve understood the fundamentals, there are plenty of opportunities to work from home or remotely as a web designer. You can talk to colleagues and clients over email or teleconferencing software (such as Zoom). And you can do all the technical work remotely too.