Becoming a Digital Designer: The Ultimate Comprehensive Guide

**Table of Contents**

1. **What is Digital Design?**
2. **What Does a Digital Designer Do?**
3. **Is There a Difference Between Digital Design and Graphic Design?**
4. **Skills Required to Become a Digital Designer**
5. **Digital Designer Salaries**
6. **Freelance Opportunities Vs. Full-Time Employment in Digital Design**
7. **How to Become a Digital Designer**

**What is Digital Design?**

Digital design encompasses various design disciplines such as graphic design, illustrations, user interface design, user experience design, animation, and more. It involves creating visuals that are aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly, intuitive, accessible, and interactive for different devices and platforms. These platforms include websites, mobile apps, online ads, commercial ads, and social media. Digital designers need to have a thorough understanding of best practices and be able to communicate effectively with tech teams.

**What Does a Digital Designer Do?**

Digital designers are responsible for creating compelling visuals for digital screens that users can interact with. They may work with various types of visuals, including static graphics, animated gifs, videos, and the aesthetics of UX and UI design. Digital designers use multiple design software programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Figma, and Sketch. They can find work in almost every industry as everyone needs a visual representation of their brand. It is important for digital designers to keep up with emerging trends in different industries and upskill accordingly.

**Is There a Difference Between Digital Design and Graphic Design?**

While the terms “graphic design” and “digital design” are often used interchangeably, there are some differences between the two. Graphic designers design for both print and digital mediums, whereas digital designers specifically create visuals for digital platforms. Digital designers need to have a better understanding of digital design technologies and techniques, as well as a good understanding of visual communication.

**Skills Required to Become a Digital Designer**

Becoming a digital designer requires a diverse skill set. In addition to proficiency in design software, digital designers need technical expertise, design flair, and excellent communication skills. Some technical skills that digital designers need to learn include Adobe Creative Suite, design principles and techniques, accessibility in design, coding languages, and content management systems. Soft skills such as creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and time management are also important for success in this field.

**Digital Designer Salaries**

The salary of a digital designer varies depending on factors such as location, job title, working hours, technical designer skills, years of experience, company size, and reputation. Glassdoor suggests that junior digital designers can earn an average of $80,651 per year, while senior digital designers can earn an average of $101,296 per year in the United States. Digital designers specializing in product design or user experience design can make even more than $100,000 per year on average.

**Freelance Opportunities Vs. Full-Time Employment in Digital Design**

Digital design offers opportunities for both freelance work and full-time employment. Freelancing allows for freedom, flexibility, and the ability to work on projects of your choice. However, it also comes with the responsibility of running your own business and constantly searching for new projects and opportunities. Full-time employment provides stability, steady income, employee benefits, and the opportunity for company-sponsored training. However, it may limit flexibility and creativity.

**How to Become a Digital Designer**

To become a digital designer, it is important to broaden your skill set and knowledge. This can be done by reading blog posts, taking online courses, and gaining expertise in specific design skills. The Interaction Design Foundation offers courses on various digital design topics. Whether you choose to freelance or seek a full-time job in digital design depends on your preferences and priorities.