It’s easy to get demotivated. Not that it always happens. There are times when you feel you’re on a run, your work is going well, your clients love you, and you get a lot of referrals.
Then there are times when your work halts, you feel uninspired and you lose motivation. This is particularly true for freelancers who work from home, and who are not surrounded by an inspiring and encouraging community.
If you love what you do, learning new tips, trying out new methods and increasing your repertoire may inspire you to move out of your rut.
Here are some tips on how to increase your knowledge as a web designer:
Understand the web
If you’re designing for internet purposes, it makes sense that understanding the web, the flows and trends, its history and purpose, will assist you with predicting future trends.
Mastering what is happening with the web will give you the ability to stay cutting edge rather than always following a step behind. This will make the world of web design easier to navigate.
Go back to the drawing board
Stepping away from your computer will assist you with conceptualizing and planning your ideas so that you can be happy with the results.
Using a drawing board or whiteboard will enable you to conceptualize your design, allowing your process to develop.
A whiteboard with markers means you can brainstorm with others, finding inspiration, and jotting down ideas as they come along.
Removing marks you’re not happy with, or making changes along the way, is easy with a whiteboard. Your work won’t feel so permanent.
Once you have your concept or design jotted down, take a photo with your phone, and work from there.
Create responsive designs
A responsive design can be used on different screens, such as mobile devices and tablets. This means creating your website or application in a way which can be viewed on a small screen.
On smaller screens, space is of the essence, people often tap rather than click on a program, and navigation tools can be more difficult to use (or sometimes pushed out of sight).
When creating a design or template, work in a way which will also appeal to smaller, narrower screens.
Understand the goals you will be working with, the budget you have, and how your site will work on the various different goals out there.
This includes exploring different visibility classes, push-pull classes, and flexible images and media.
Learn HTML & CSS
A designer who has a basic understanding of HTML & CSS will understand the framework of all web pages.
Being able to speak the language will make you a more flexible designer, who will be able to work dynamically and with purpose. It will also enable you to feel more confident. And you can also create cool CSS text effects which impress anyone.
Understanding HTML & CSS will enable you to:
– Improve your productivity by enabling you to expand your repertoire.
– You will be able to design demo websites.
– You will understand the limits of your design, enabling you to add more features or reduce some, depending on what would bring the most benefit to your clients.
– You will be more competitive in the marketplace.
Allow your curiosity to guide you
There’s always something new and interesting to learn or explore. The more you learn, the more you will have to offer your clients.
Have a look at what inspires you, motivates you, or awakens your curiosity. This will be a new area to explore. The more you have to learn, the more you have to offer your clients.
By being open to continual learning helps with developing skills as a web designer. The internet is constantly changing and evolving, moving from parallax scrolling to flat design and then into material design.
Continually developing enables you to work with the changes happening in the field, keeping you on top of your game.
Keep it simple
When it comes to navigation, keeping options simple might seem counterintuitive, but it can actually assist in keeping users engaged.
When people know how to use your site quickly and efficiently, you can guide them to your most valuable content.
Reduce the number of drop-down menus you place on your site as well as the number of links, headers or sidebars, and your visitors will be able to navigate your site easily. This will make your site more efficient.
Choose your tools
Your goal is to work speedily and efficiently. Therefore, select your toolkit carefully, so that you only with tools which increase your productivity.
Sometimes designers get fascinated with technology, the newest techniques and the latest gadgets. Only choose those which will help you along in your process, keep you focused, and add to your end product.
Upgrade your business knowledge
If you’re working as a freelancer, developing your business skills will help you to market yourself, enable you to relate to your clients, and maintain your finances effectively.
Understanding the fundamental aspects of business will enable you to take on quality clients and deliver a great product while simultaneously keeping your business afloat. This will help you grow and develop your career.
Understand SEO
SEO is a broad term which focuses on improving the quality of a site. The goal is to increase your site’s visibility and search engine rankings.
Building a quality site will enable search engines to find and rank the site. It will also improve user experiences. Search engines look for relevant information.
They also focus on quality, which means in-depth writing which focuses on reader enjoyment. Site speed and ease of navigation will give your website a higher ranking.
Likewise, if the website is seen to be a trusted authority in a field, it will gain high Google rankings (as well as high viewer loyalty)
With more people accessing a site through organic searches rather than paid adverts, taking SEO into consideration will assist you with producing a quality website while giving your viewers a rewarding experience.