In this day and age, it is very easy to find many professional web designers, but how do you know which one will do the right job for you? We’ve created a list of the top 10 qualities you should look for in a web designer to help you choose the right one!
1. Empathy
The objective when designing a website is to create one that will attract your target market. You will want a web designer who designs with the end user in mind, rather than their own personal interests. Customized design requires extensive research work, specifically studies to learn the online behavioral traits of your specific audience demographics.
2. Analytical
A good website designer balances empathy with precision through the use of data. If empathy focuses on the image, analytics will build the substance of your website. You will want a designer who keeps SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in mind, which will help your website be found on the Internet. It is also important to use purposeful content and strategic design elements to make sure speed and functionality are not compromised.
3. Trustworthiness
When you are collaborating with a web designer, you are entrusting your vision and ultimately your business with that person. If you don’t feel comfortable working with the web designer, chances are the arrangement will not turn out well. Disagreements are part of collaboration. But if you are frequently clashing heads, not only will you fall behind the launch date but you may not end up with the website you want.
4. Passion
You can tell if a person has passion for what they do. There’s an unmistakable energy and enthusiasm in how they approach work because they love the job. For a passionate designer, web design is not just a means of livelihood. It’s an opportunity to help clients meet their business objectives. They will show interest and care in your project and actively offers solutions. On the other hand, a web designer who only does it for the money is hardly expressive or involved. All they want to do is the bare minimum without giving much of an opinion.
5. Good Listener
A professional web designer will always understand that their role is to turn your vision into a collection of web pages and multimedia content by using their knowledge on website design. They will allow you to express your ideas as openly and candidly as possible because it’s the best way to develop an understanding of your vision and branding strategy.
6. Effective Communicator
Communication is key when collaborating with a web designer because you must be constantly bouncing ideas off one another. Creating a feedback loop between you and your web designer opens up the chain of communication and reduces the probability of making mistakes. A web designer who is also an effective communicator knows how to relay opposing viewpoints without discouraging or embarrassing the client.
7. Understands the Value of White Spaces
White Spaces are also called “negative space”. A professional web designer knows how to utilize white spaces and turn something empty into sophisticated elegance that remains simple yet understated. For the best web designers, white isn’t an empty color. They know how to use it to breathe more life into the web page.
8. Solutions-Based
Many things can go wrong when building a website. A good website designer does not merely settle for alternatives or problems on your website. Instead he looks for solutions and exhausts all possibilities to get the job done right.
9. Meticulous
There are many key areas of responsibility to oversee when building websites. A website designer who is not meticulous in his work process might overlook details that may lead to costly mistakes. They should be able to compare the details to the overall vision of the site. They should frequently run tests to make sure the website is not only aesthetically pleasing but highly functional and usable.
10. Proactive
They might have lots of experience and the necessary skills, but the best website designers know their limitations. There are times when a website designer needs to collaborate with other technical experts who will help them achieve the goals & vision for your website. It is important that your web designer develops a network of references that can help in various situations.
Source: Mountain Top Web Design (mountaintopwebdesign.com)