What Does a Web Designer Do? Role, Skills, Process, Tools, Web Designer vs Developer, and Salary
What web designers (website designers, web page designers) do day to day
In this article
A web designer plans and creates how a website looks, feels and works for visitors: the layout, visual style, typography, colours, images, navigation and user experience across desktop and mobile. Many web designers also build the site in tools like Webflow, WordPress or Framer, or with code, and handle content structure, basic SEO and launch. Their goal is a website that communicates clearly and turns visitors into customers.
What a web designer does day to day
| Task | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Discovery | Understanding the business, audience, competitors and goals |
| Information architecture | Planning pages, navigation and content hierarchy (sitemap) |
| Wireframes | Low-fidelity layouts focusing on structure |
| Visual design | Colours, typography, imagery, icons, brand application |
| Responsive design | Layouts that work on phones, tablets and desktops |
| UX and conversion | Calls to action, forms, user flows, reducing friction |
| Prototyping | Clickable mockups for feedback (often in Figma) |
| Building | Implementing in a CMS/builder or handing off to developers |
| Accessibility | Contrast, readable fonts, keyboard navigation, alt text |
| SEO-friendly structure | Headings, page structure, speed-conscious design |
| Testing and launch | Cross-browser checks, fixes, training clients |
| Ongoing updates | New pages, landing pages, improvements |
The web design process
- Brief and discovery: goals, audience, features, budget, timeline
- Sitemap and content plan
- Wireframes for key pages
- Design concepts (home page first, then templates)
- Feedback and revisions
- Build (or development handoff)
- Content entry and SEO setup
- Testing: devices, browsers, speed, forms
- Launch
- Support and iteration
Web designer vs web developer
| Web designer | Web developer | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Look, usability, layout, user experience | Code, functionality, performance, data |
| Typical tools | Figma, Adobe XD, Photoshop, Webflow, Framer | VS Code, Git, frameworks (React, Next.js), databases |
| Outputs | Designs, prototypes, sometimes built sites | Working websites, web apps, integrations |
| Front-end overlap | HTML/CSS knowledge helpful | Front-end developers implement designs |
Many freelancers are both ("designer-developers"), which suits small businesses that want one person responsible for the whole website. Complex functionality is a developer's job (see How to build a web app).
Skills web designers need
- Visual design: layout, typography, colour, hierarchy
- UX design: user research, flows, usability
- Responsive and mobile-first design
- Conversion copy awareness: headlines and CTAs
- Tools: Figma, a builder or CMS (Webflow, WordPress, Framer)
- HTML/CSS basics (and JavaScript is a bonus)
- SEO and performance basics
- Accessibility standards
- Communication and client management
Tools web designers use
| Purpose | Tools |
|---|---|
| Design and prototyping | Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch |
| Building | Webflow, Framer, WordPress (Elementor, Gutenberg), Wix Studio, Shopify |
| Code | VS Code, HTML/CSS/JS, Tailwind |
| Images and graphics | Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva |
| Animation | Lottie, Rive, After Effects (see What are motion graphics?) |
| Testing | Browser dev tools, PageSpeed Insights, BrowserStack |
| Collaboration | Notion, Trello, Loom |
How much do web designers earn and charge?
- Salaries for employed web designers in the US commonly fall roughly in the $50,000–$100,000 range depending on experience, location and role (UX/UI designers often earn more)
- Freelance rates commonly range from about $30 to $150+ per hour, or fixed project prices (see How much does a website cost?)
Do you need a web designer?
You likely do if:
- Your website is a key source of customers
- Your current site looks dated, loads slowly or doesn't work well on mobile
- You need booking, payments, WhatsApp or CRM integration
- You don't have time to learn website builders properly
(Choosing one: How to hire a web designer.)
How to become a web designer
- Learn design fundamentals (layout, typography, colour)
- Learn Figma and a builder (Webflow or WordPress)
- Learn HTML and CSS basics
- Redesign real websites as practice
- Build a portfolio of 3–5 strong projects
- Do small projects for local businesses
- Learn UX, SEO and conversion basics
- Specialise (an industry or a platform) to stand out
Frequently asked questions
What does a web designer do?
A web designer plans and designs a website's layout, look, navigation and user experience for all devices, and often builds it in a website builder or with code.
What does a website designer do day to day?
Meets clients, plans site structure, creates wireframes and visual designs, builds pages, tests on devices, makes revisions and updates existing sites.
What is a web page designer?
Another term for a web designer: someone who designs the layout and visual elements of web pages so they're attractive and easy to use.
Is a web designer the same as a web developer?
No. Designers focus on appearance and user experience; developers write code to make sites and apps function. Some professionals do both.
Do web designers need to code?
Not always, thanks to builders like Webflow and Framer, but HTML and CSS knowledge makes designers more effective and employable.
How much does it cost to hire a web designer?
Typically around $1,000–$6,000 for a small business website from a freelancer, more for agencies or complex sites.
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Start a conversationWritten by Sachin Rawat
AI & automation engineer · websites, apps and motion design
I build AI agents, automations, websites, apps and motion design for businesses. These guides answer the questions people actually search, written from hands-on experience building them.
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