Are you a digital designer? What does digital design mean to you?
I've noticed recently that many job adverts are explicitly looking for a "digital designer" to join their team. However, apart from the most basic level (designing for a screen vs designing for print), there's not much of a common thread in what they are looking for.
I just wondered what being a digital designer meant to you, and what advice you'd give to someone trying to break into that field or looking to upskill or specialise in 2021?
... and Merry Christmas!!
Replies4
- I started my career as a web designer and since the introduction of mobile and other form of digital portal, the role changed to Digital Designer.Like you've mentioned, it is designing for screen therefore a good understanding of the best practices are essential. So things like screen accessibility (ie colour contrast), minimal dimensions for buttons, basic understanding of user navigation, etc are useful.I would suggest team up with an experienced digital designer if you can to learn the basics as you already have transferable skills working as graphic designer. Also, read up on UI design and web design standards.
- It's just a name. Like every job role in the design industry.Yes, it's important. It's important for me that I'm known as a book designer, but mostly because of the clients I'm trying to attract. In reality I'm a book, branding, and digital designer. All of which fall under the umbrella of graphic design (which isn't the trendy thing to call it right now, but hey-ho).When we see idiots with Photoshop calling themselves designers and messing clients around or employers advertising the work of three different jobs under the moniker of "junior designer" it makes it very clear that these things are just meaningless appellations.
- I think digital designer is a title you can use if you have a sound undertanding and experience in UX or UI, because you can still work closely in the digital space (social media, ppcs and responsive banners) and barely brush the surface of 'digital design'. I'm in the same boat - graphic design background with an interest in digital.A good start in my opinion, is looking into courses of UX design thinking - and starting out with an internship or junior level so you can grow into the role. It might be abit slow though considering covid and the liklihood of them having the time to teach; so it won't be as smooth as we'd like to go.
- Hey Ben, my personal observation and opinion is that digital designer is just another fluffy, meaningless term which employers use to make their positions sound more modern and appealing. I'd use the respective job description as a guide to guess what they mean and if I make it to an interview, ask them explicitly to explain in plain English. You said it yourself, though, digital designers normally design for web/mobile but nowadays even graphic designers are expected to do that so why bother make a distinction and come up with 1000 useless namings for pretty much one and the same thing.Apart from leaving an angry comment (which is just my personal stand), I found those two articles on the topic, you might have found them yourself already:https://uxdesign.cc/digital-designers-explained-quickly-4d7e25a465c5https://skillcrush.com/blog/what-is-digital-design/As for an advice, it's a battlefield out there, and everything's so subjective, I've come to realise that apart from just keeping at it and being creative in the way you approach prospective positions, the rest is a matter of luck.Merry Christmas and take care,Jana
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