Digital Designer vs. Web Designer: What Are the Differences?

A digital designer creates visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. They develop the overall layout and production design for various applications such as websites, advertisements, brochures, magazines, and corporate reports. A web designer, on the other hand, focuses on creating the look and feel of a website. In this article, we will discuss the similarities and differences between digital designers and web designers.

What is a Digital Designer?

Digital Designers are responsible for the look and feel of digital products, including websites, mobile apps, and other digital media. They work closely with user experience designers and developers to create visually appealing and user-friendly designs. Digital Designers use a variety of software programs to create their designs, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and Sketch. They often create wireframes and prototypes to communicate their ideas to clients or development teams. Digital Designers typically have a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related field.

What is a Web Designer?

Web Designers are responsible for the design, layout and coding of websites. They work with clients to understand their needs and create a website that is both visually appealing and user-friendly. Web Designers use a variety of programming languages and software to create websites, and they must have a strong understanding of color theory, typography and graphic design. In addition to their technical skills, Web Designers must also be able to communicate effectively with clients and other members of a project team.

Digital Designer vs. Web Designer

Here are the main differences between a digital designer and a web designer.

Job Duties

Web designers create the structure and framework for a website. They decide on things like the URL structure, how pages are organized and what type of coding is necessary to build a functional site. Web designers also choose the colors, fonts and images that go into a website and ensure that it’s aesthetically pleasing.

Digital designers focus more on the visual aspects of a website. They use web designers’ work as a foundation and then add graphics, animations, video and other multimedia elements to enhance the user experience. Digital designers may also work on branding efforts for an entire company, not just one website, which can involve creating logos, posters and social media images.

Job Requirements

Digital designers and web designers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, web design or a related field. Many digital designers also have a master’s degree in fine arts or another creative field. Additionally, most digital designers and web designers complete an internship before beginning their careers. This allows them to gain practical experience in the field and learn from more experienced professionals.

Work Environment

Web designers typically work in an office setting, often collaborating with other team members to create a website. They may also travel to meet with clients and attend meetings. Digital designers usually work from home or another location that allows them to focus on their projects. Some digital designers may work for themselves as freelancers, allowing them to set their own hours and work remotely.

Skills

Both digital designers and web designers use creativity and technical skills to design websites, apps and other digital products. However, their specific responsibilities can differ, which can require the use of different skills.

A digital designer typically focuses on the user experience when designing a product and may create prototypes or wireframes to test how users interact with a product. They also need to have strong visual communication skills to create designs that are both aesthetically pleasing and effective in conveying the desired message.

Web designers often focus on the technical aspects of creating a website, such as coding or developing the structure of a site. They also need to be aware of trends in web design to ensure that the sites they create are up-to-date. In addition, web designers need to have strong problem-solving skills to troubleshoot any issues that may arise during the development process.

Salary

Digital designers can earn an average salary of $75,740 per year, while web designers earn an average salary of $61,086 per year. Both of these average salaries may vary depending on the size of the company at which you work, location of your job and the level of experience you have prior to pursuing either position.