I would like to share some recommendations for web designers from the perspective of e-commerce, which is the field I work in. I believe that the most important thing for a web designer is not design skills but rather planning ability. A certain level of design tool proficiency and aesthetic sense are undoubtedly basic requirements. However, assuming that the basics are in place, if we were to quantify the importance of design skills and planning ability, the ratio would be around 7 to 3, overwhelmingly favoring planning ability.
The problem is that this planning is difficult to quantify, and it is often challenging to understand without actually working on it. It is necessary to engage in visually effective storytelling based on structured thinking, but it is difficult to assess a web designer’s actual planning ability based solely on the detailed pages, banner images, and site they have worked on. This is because other factors such as company guidelines and the intentions of brand managers may be incorporated into the final product, in addition to the web designer’s own abilities.
Therefore, when hiring web designers, I carefully examine the composition of the candidate’s portfolio site itself. Focusing not only on the portfolio results but also on the arrangement of the portfolio, the structure of the site, and the order of category display can provide a closer understanding of the web designer’s planning ability.
I have worked with quite a number of web designers in the e-commerce field. Among them, it was regrettable that many designers only considered design skills, or more narrowly, proficiency in Photoshop and Illustrator. Designers who merely follow the instructions of e-commerce managers or clients like machines will soon be replaced by AI. It is quite evident that just focusing on the ‘skill’ of using Photoshop and Illustrator, similar to how typists who typed on typewriters disappeared from the world decades ago, will lead to the disappearance of web designers’ roles.
(By the way) That being said, we at eCommerse are looking for skilled web designers with planning ability to survive even in this disruptive era. We welcome applications from junior to senior designers, and we are preparing competitive compensation commensurate with their abilities. We appreciate the interest of web designers who are interested in applying.
<Image source = Pixabay>