8 Mistakes New Developers Make When Learning Design

It is true that most of the times, in every aspect of a professional career, it is better to become well rounded to perform well and exceed expectations. This also goes the same with web development and web design — these two are the perfect marriage of skill set when it comes to building a website.

People would often think that designing is pure talent. However, it is also a skill and it can be learned. You only need to have the right resources and tools for learning. It’s also like programming, only you use codes to complete a project.

Did you know that 48% of people said that a website’s design is the first factor to determine the business’ credibility? This is according to a report from Blue Corona. In addition, 38% of visitors stop engaging with a website if its content or layout is unattractive. These are just some of the reasons why it is smart to learn web designing too.

Probably the first question that comes into a web developer’s mind is “Can I learn and master the techniques and tools of design when I’m used to working on the logical constructs of coding?” — The answer is a definite yes and there are known mistakes new developers make when learning design.

One of the fastest ways to learn something new is by asking others who have done it or experts on that field. There are web developers who learned design to add to their skills, while others made a complete career switch.

Now, let’s get started on discussing these 8 mistakes new developers make when learning design

1.Not Focusing

Designers spent years to determine what area of design they want to dive into and become experts on their chosen path. During their time at design school, they would try on motion graphics, to photography, and then to UX (user experience). Until eventually they found the area of design they are passionate about. However, in your case, you’re a working web developer with limited time to spare. Therefore, you need to be specific about what you want to learn.

Most developers would choose either UX design or visual design and you should consider which of the two speaks to you the most and during this phase, you shouldn’t mistake your lack of experience with lack of natural talent.

2. Being distracted by the tech

Naturally, you’ll be drawn to subjects that are related to design and some examples are Bootstrap, CSS (cascading style sheet), and material design. However, you should really be focusing on research and personas for visual design — composition, hierarchy, and typography for UX design. Developers are builders and there is always an urge to build but you also need to be mindful when this happens because you should forget about coding while learning.

3. Getting distracted by tools

There are a lot of web developers who are also skilled in using Illustrator and Photoshop. However, they can’t really utilize those tools to come up with design solutions. Learning other tools available is key to both design and development strategy. You should be able to integrate other multimedia elements such as podcasts and videos — you shouldn’t stop when you’ve learned these tools because that’s only the first part.

The said tools in the world of graphics industry are production artists and not for designers.

4. Giving visual effects more consideration, rather than design

If you only focus on style-related tutorials, you’ll never really learn other principles of visual organization. This may lead to you producing unattractive and poor-looking designs. This can be difficult because the majority of the available resources online fall into the category of style and technique.

Now, instead of putting all your efforts into the style category, you can use theses design elements below to practice and research other design principles:

• Alignment
• Color
• Composition
• Concept
• Hierarchy
• Proximity
• Style
• Type

5. Adding irrelevant content for the sake of aesthetic

Every piece of a website’s content should be relevant.  You should always include aesthetically pleasing content that is relevant to a website’s objectives and goals. Adding a myriad of design elements, images, and graphics for the sake of aesthetic appeal will take away value.

6. Getting bogged down in theory

Think of how much time you’ve spent reading a design book to understand its basics. If you are able to come up with a design decision and evaluate it based on some specific design principles mean you have digested enough design theory in your mind.

Knowledge from books is fairly important but you must keep in mind that you’ll be able to hone your skills most when you practice and not just doing some research.

7. Wallowing on design envy

There are other works from designers that can be intimidating. You are a web developer, your foundation is coding and you shouldn’t compare your designing skills to those who are experts in that field, especially when you’re just starting.

Most of the times, people get hired not just for their skills but also for their strengths. Design experts have been doing their craft for years and some may have even reached perfection, while you’re learning during your free time. Of course, your work won’t be as tight. Don’t get intimidated by experts that you never get started on learning design.

8. Covering yourself with excuses

There are web developers who think that being able to design comes naturally. Yes, this may be true because a lot of great designers across the globe are artistically inclined. Natural talent is a factor. However, you can still get really good in design with your dedication, determination, and practice.

Doing something outside your comfort zone can be really difficult but you have to give yourself some credit for achieving small victories during your journey. Give yourself time to practice, a trial run of 20 to 30 hours to learn design is a good amount of time to commit yourself into.

When that trial ends and you’ve determined that design isn’t for you, at least you know that you’ve tried and you’ve given your shot without making any excuses.

If you’ve really decided to learn design and you work with experts, you can take some points from them and use those to help you achieve your goals and objectives. Become your own teacher, be patient and learn from these mistakes because it would help you become better and improve. It is never too late to learn something new.