What Is Web Design? 6 Production Steps, Key Considerations, and Essential Skills Explained in Detail

Web design is an essential means for companies and individuals to establish an online presence in today’s digital society. It goes beyond mere visual decoration and requires providing users with an intuitive, efficient experience that allows them to obtain information smoothly. For example, in an e-commerce site, it is necessary to simplify the purchase process, while in an information site, readability of content must be enhanced.

This article explains the fundamental concepts of web design, the specific steps of production, key considerations for ensuring project success, and the skills required to thrive as a professional. From beginners to intermediate-level practitioners, it provides systematic and practical knowledge that can be applied in real work. If you want to gain a deep understanding of design theory and techniques and apply them to actual projects, be sure to read until the end.

1. What Is Web Design?

Web design is the process of designing the visual elements (layout, color scheme, typography) and functional elements (navigation, interaction) of a website. Its purpose is to provide users with a comfortable experience while effectively communicating the brand’s message.

Web design is not just about making things “look beautiful”; it plays a strategic role in helping users achieve their goals and supporting business objectives.

The purposes of web design are diverse. The table below organizes the main objectives:

To achieve these goals, it is essential to balance aesthetics and functionality. For example, overly complex animations can slow down page loading speed, causing users to leave. Thus, both visual appeal and performance optimization must be considered.

2. Relationship Between Web Design and UI/UX Design

Web design is a broad concept that encompasses UI (User Interface) design and UX (User Experience) design.

• UI design focuses on the visual design of interactive elements such as buttons and menus.
• UX design focuses on the overall user experience when interacting with a website (e.g., smoothness of operation, time required to access information).

Relationship Between Web Design and UI/UX Design

Web design integrates these aspects, ensuring harmony between visuals and functionality.

For example, while UI design determines the shape and color of the “Add to Cart” button, web design considers how that button harmonizes with the overall site color scheme and brand image.

3. Six Production Steps of Web Design

The web design process may vary depending on project size and purpose, but the following six steps represent the standard workflow. Each step is analyzed in detail with explanations on how to apply it to real projects.

3.1 Step 1: Research and Requirement Definition

The first step in web design is research and requirement definition, which clarifies the project’s objectives and target users. Understanding the client’s business goals and user behavior patterns helps determine the effective direction of design.

Key elements to investigate during research:

• Client’s Goals: Brand values and objectives to achieve through the website (e.g., sales growth, information dissemination).
• Target Users: Analyze attributes such as age, gender, interests, and device usage; create personas.
• Competitor Analysis: Study competitor websites to identify strengths and weaknesses in design and functionality.

Thorough information gathering at this stage prevents mistakes later.

Example: When designing a restaurant’s website:

• For local regular customers → prioritize menu visibility.
• For tourists → add multilingual support and map functionality.

Neglecting research can result in a design that does not meet user needs, reducing the effectiveness of the project.

3.2 Step 2: Creating Wireframes

Wireframing is the stage where the structure of the website is designed. It excludes visual decoration and defines content placement and navigation flow. The goal is to build the skeleton of user experience.

Wireframe Design Points:

Wireframes serve as a “blueprint” for building consensus among clients and developers.

Common Tools Comparison:

A carefully created wireframe reduces the burden of later design corrections. At this stage, analyzing user flows and ensuring intuitive navigation are crucial.

3.3 Step 3: Visual Design

After confirming the wireframe, visual design begins. Using color schemes, typography, images, and icons, the designer expresses the brand’s identity. This stage determines the user’s first impression, so visual elements must be carefully designed.

Color Scheme Points:

• Brand Consistency: Base on brand colors, add accent colors.
• Visibility: Ensure color contrast according to WCAG guidelines (e.g., contrast ratio of 4.5:1 or higher between text and background).
• Psychological Effects: Use colors strategically (e.g., blue for trust, red for urgency).

Typography Points:

• Balance readability and aesthetics.
• Font size: at least 16px; line height: at least 1.5x.
• Japanese fonts: recommended Noto Sans JP, Yu Gothic.

Example: In an e-commerce product page, displaying product images large and using a bold, prominent color for the “Buy” button increases conversion rates.

3.4 Step 4: Prototyping and User Testing

Prototyping is the stage of creating a working model to test design interactions. User testing is conducted to collect actual user feedback and identify improvement points.

Main Objectives of Prototyping:

User Testing Example:
Recruit 5–10 target users, assign them task-based tests (e.g., “Add a product to the cart”), and gather feedback for design adjustment.

Tools Comparison:

Skipping user testing may cause problems in live operation, increasing correction costs. Testing is therefore strongly recommended.

3.5 Step 5: Development and Implementation

Once the design is finalized, the development team builds the website using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc. Designers work closely with developers to ensure that the design intent is accurately reflected.

Designer’s Main Roles in Development:

• Provide design systems: share style guides and assets to maintain consistency.
• Check responsive design: ensure no layout breaks across devices.
• Handle technical constraints: adjust designs to feasible solutions with developers.

Performance optimization is also important at this stage. Example: keep CSS animations lightweight and avoid excessive effects.

3.6 Step 6: Launch and Maintenance

After launch, ongoing maintenance is crucial. Websites should be regularly improved based on user feedback and analytics.

Main Maintenance Tasks:

Using tools like Google Analytics and heatmaps helps analyze user behavior and improve site design and functionality.

Note: These steps are interlinked. Research influences design and development, while test results inform future projects. A systematic approach ensures efficient, high-quality websites.

4. Key Considerations in Web Design

To succeed in web design, it is essential to keep the following considerations in mind. Each is analyzed in detail below.

4.1 Prioritize Usability

Usability determines how easy a website is to use. Design should ensure users can achieve their goals without confusion.

Ignoring usability increases bounce rates and negatively impacts business results. Example: overly complex navigation confuses users and prevents them from finding target pages.

4.2 Optimize Performance

Page load speed greatly affects both user experience and SEO.

Performance-conscious design improves user satisfaction and enhances search engine ranking.

4.3 Ensure Responsive Design

With smartphones and tablets now mainstream, responsive design is a must.

Neglecting responsiveness increases mobile user bounce rates and causes missed opportunities.

4.4 Integrate SEO

SEO is essential for improving website visibility.

SEO-conscious design not only improves usability but also increases chances of higher rankings and reaching more users.

Balancing usability, performance, responsiveness, and SEO enables building websites that are both user-friendly and search engine–friendly.

5. Skills Required in Web Design

To succeed as a web designer, both creative skills and technical knowledge are required. The following are the key skills to master:

5.1 Design Skills

Visual design skills form the foundation of web design.

Improvement Methods: Use Adobe XD/Figma, read design books such as The Non-Designer’s Design Book.

Example: In color theory, use a color wheel to combine complementary or analogous colors for harmony.

5.2 Technical Skills

Basic development knowledge is also necessary.

Practice Idea: Build a simple website (e.g., personal portfolio) to learn code structure and styling.

5.3 Soft Skills

Since web design often involves teamwork, soft skills are equally important.

Example: Quickly reflecting client feedback builds trust.

5.4 UX Skills

Designing a smooth user experience is critical.

Effective Practice: Create prototypes, conduct multiple user tests, and improve based on data and feedback.

5.5 SEO and Marketing Knowledge

Web design directly influences traffic and conversions.

Designs that consider SEO contribute not only to usability but also to business results and brand recognition.

5.6 Continuous Learning and Trend Awareness

The web design field evolves rapidly, requiring constant learning and adaptation.

Maintaining continuous input/output cycles prevents stagnation and ensures steady growth as a designer.

Summary

Web design fuses visual appeal and functionality, playing a vital role in meeting both user needs and business goals. By carefully following the steps from research to launch, designers can create websites with high usability and strong SEO performance.

Balancing usability, performance, responsiveness, and SEO—while sharpening design and technical skills—is the key to success as a professional web designer.

Additionally, adapting to evolving trends such as accessibility, micro-interactions, and AI integration enables contributing to the future of web design.

Use this article as a guide to solidify your web design foundations and hone practical skills.