They talk about what truly makes for good web design, backed up by research. They concentrate on the user experience (UX) rather than discussing how to make websites look appealing. For example, how sliders and carousels negatively affect a user’s experience, and how form inputs should have placeholder text and labels so users always know what form their typing into.
They touch on so many other topics like website footers, navigation, layout, fonts, breadcrumbs, the colors of visited links, sitemaps, sliders, and much more.
The more content you consume and learn from their website, the better you can create an objectively researched-backed website design that’s great for user experience.
CharityVillage – A Canadian charity board
2) Do Free Web Design for Non-Profits
This is a great way to improve your web design skills while also doing good. There are non-profits and organizations being made all the time that understand the importance of a website, which is where you can come in.
You can find charity boards websites in your area where organizations post volunteer opportunities. Considering not many people volunteer, if you have a portfolio that has some decent samples of your work you have a good chance of getting the gig.
If you’re in Canada, Charity Village is your best bet. And if you’re in the US you can try Volunteer Match. I recommend checking the charity boards once a week to get into contact of the non-profit before someone else does.
my initial website My very first website 3) Make Your Own Websites
Nothing is more time-consuming than building your own websites if you want to improve your web design skills. If you’re just starting out and are thinking about web design as your future career, you’re going to need a portfolio to showcase your skills for when you’re trying to get hired by a company or even potential clients.
Your portfolio can be more than just the websites you’ve worked on in the past; it can also be a place to really show potential employers your skills, interests, and information about yourself. If you already have your own portfolio you can make websites for factious companies to make your portfolio even bigger. Id recommend having at least 6 solid websites to include in your portfolio for a potential employer to have a good idea of your skills..
web design subreddit r/design_critiques on reddit
4) Evaluate the designs of others’ websites Even if you think you’re not qualified to critique other people’s websites, you can still have a positive impact on other people’s designs and personally get a lot from doing it.
You may not be familiar with the best web design practices, but there’s something to that – having a fresh perspective. A review of a website by someone who isn’t a web designer can provide less skewed feedback and the perspective of a typical viewer, which is arguably more helpful. Reddit is easily my favourite place to give and receive web design critiques. There’s a subreddit called r/design_critiques specially made for digital designers looking for feedback.
On the subreddit every Friday, there are weekly threads where people can post their website URLs or Imgur links to get feedback on their work. Anywhere from 10-30 people usually participate (including myself) in an effort to mutually improve e