Starting a career as a Digital Designer is an admirable goal though one that requires numerous skills. In addition to learning technical skills such as Photoshop, you’ll need a thorough understanding of design theory. For the best chance at success, you’ll also want to develop niche skills relevant to your subspecialty as well as soft skills like communication. 

Attending a digital design bootcamp or certificate is the most holistic way to acquire these skills. However, you can also participate in shorter bootcamps that offer training on just one technical skill (such as Figma). To find and compare digital design courses in your vicinity, check out Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool. 

What is a Digital Designer?

The simplest way to describe a Digital Designer is as a visual media creator who emphasizes interactivity. These designers are distinguished from other classes of designers by their focus on how people experience their designs. Rather than focusing solely on what their designs communicate visually, Digital Designers spend considerable time perfecting components like information architecture and accessibility. To improve user-friendliness even more, digital design projects often include prototyping and preparatory phases that incorporate demographic research. 

Digital Designers are best known for their digitally generated graphics, animations, and visual effects, but many Digital Designers also create full-scale websites and apps. If one type of project piques their interest more than others, a Digital Designer can specialize in a unique aspect of digital design. Some Digital Designers choose to highlight primarily digital projects, while others work exclusively on preparing interactive print designs for marketing. 

Because digital design is an umbrella term that includes many different design niches, most digital design professionals collaborate with a team. Their team may include fellow Designers, Project Managers, Product Designers, and IT professionals. 

What Skills Will I Need to Learn to Become a Digital Designer?

Digital Design Certificate: Live & Hands-on, In NYC or Online, 0% Financing, 1-on-1 Mentoring, Free Retake, Job Prep. Named a Top Bootcamp by Forbes, Fortune, & Time Out. Noble Desktop. Learn More.

Whether you can demonstrate relevant skills in job applications has a huge sway on whether you make it to the interview stage in a job search. This can feel intimidating in a field like digital design where designers are expected to wear many hats. Ultimately, however, the many skills that you acquire to become a Digital Designer are part of what gives this field a higher market demand than fields like graphic design. Taking the time to build a robust skill base is 100% worth the extra effort. If you’re working toward a digital design career, consider adopting the following skills in your preparation. 

Design Software Proficiency

As a digital art field, digital design relies primarily on software to create designs rather than physical mediums like paint or chalk. Numerous project possibilities have led to numerous software tools being used in digital design. Regardless of specialty, however, most Digital Designers regularly use prototyping tools such as Figma and Sketch. Similarly, the best Digital Designers are typically well-versed in graphic design tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. 

Other tools that are frequently used in digital design include: 

Applied Design Theory

It takes more than good technical skills to create a great design. With a sure footing in principles from design theory, you’re more likely to create a design that other people will enjoy. Knowing how and when to apply typography, contrast, white space, and line in a design will ultimately ensure that viewers comprehend your design and have a positive interactive experience. When done most effectively, people may not even recognize the hand of a designer guiding them along. 

User Experience and User Interface Design

A subset of digital design, UX/UI design is dedicated to creating interactive user experiences that are both enjoyable and functional. More specifically, this subfield focuses most on designing dynamic user interfaces such as websites and apps. In addition to creating prototypes and layouts, UX/UI design involves researching your user base to cater your design more effectively to their needs. While working on UX/UI design projects, you’ll look to information architecture to arrange content in an easy-to-understand manner. 

Niche Design Skills

As a field that encompasses many different styles and mediums, digital design includes numerous specialty skills. Not all Digital Designers learn the same specialty skills but select unique mixes to suit their projects and clientele. The top niches included in digital design are:

Design Soft Skills

Digital design is just as much about solving problems as it is about aesthetic design. After identifying a need that’s going unmet, Digital Designers step outside the box to find a creative solution. Creative problem-solving also comes into play when designers are thinking about how different strangers may react to their designs. With a little imagination, you can see how another person might bump up against an aspect of your design that you initially thought was straightforward. From there, all you have to do is—you guessed it—a little more creative problem-solving.

Next to creativity, communication, and emotional literacy are among the most important skills you can learn as a Digital Designer. Learning how to communicate effectively will help you gain clients, network with fellow professionals, and even create better designs. In-kind, emotional literacy can help you recognize how people are likely to experience a design, making it easier to create designs that work as you intend. Developing your emotional IQ will also make it easier to humbly accept and apply feedback to your designs. 

Because most digital design projects involve deadlines of some sort, time management is an incredibly helpful skill to keep on tap. Working through multiple preparatory phases means that planning and sticking to a set schedule is the only way things get done on time. By regularly completing projects on track, you can build a positive professional reputation that yields even more clients. 

What Courses Should I Enroll in to Become a Digital Designer?

Digital Design Certificate

If you’re committed to becoming a professional Digital Designer but aren’t prepared to acquire debt while attending college, Noble Desktop’s Digital Design Certificate provides expert-led vocational training both In-person and live online. With comprehensive training that includes professional experience and one-on-one mentoring, this course will set you up for success right out of the gate. Thanks to a beginner-friendly curriculum, you don’t need any prior experience to thrive in this course. Whatever your starting level, you’ll graduate with a full Digital Designer skill set and certificate of completion. 

To help you gain experience while learning new skills, this course will pair you up with classmates for a series of hands-on design projects that cover UI design and graphic design topics. Working with peers in a realistic studio setting will provide you with time to develop soft skills like communication, creative problem-solving, and time management. As you complete class projects, you’ll quickly gather portfolio material that demonstrates your aptitude with InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Figma. The course also includes a specialized portfolio unit where you can turn your creations into job magnets. 

Here to provide you with as many resources as possible, this career prep class includes numerous benefits that you can access outside of class. As an add-on to regular class meetings, you’ll also enjoy one-on-one sessions with an expert, allowing you time to ask personal career questions or get help with challenging projects. Additionally, you’ll receive access to proprietary workbooks designed to boost mastery and improve knowledge retention. 

This class is available on a variety of schedules, including part-time and full-time study. For those times when life just becomes too much, Noble Desktop also offers free class retake opportunities along with recordings of online class meetings. 

Figma Advanced

Need a no-fuss class that can help you master digital design software on a quicker timeline? Noble Desktop has many short design courses for students at a variety of skill levels. While there are many beginner-friendly courses in their catalog, you’ll need an intermediate knowledge of Figma to get the full benefit of Noble’s The Figma Advanced class. Lasting just a few hours, this course covers challenging Figma skills such as conditionals, variables, and light and dark modes. Additionally, you’ll get comfortable using semantic and primitive layers to generate an interactive design. After mastering these skills, you’ll be ready to create digital prototypes in a professional setting. 

Instead of learning by lecture alone, you’ll acquire Figma skills by trying them out in the classroom. With an expert as your guide, you’ll complete tasks designed to help you learn and explore simultaneously. The class’s guaranteed small size will mean more face-time with your instructor, more friends made, and more questions answered. If you still have questions when you’re through, however, you can always take advantage of the class’s free retake option. At the conclusion of the course, you’ll earn a certificate of completion celebrating your accomplishment. 

Illustrator in a Day

For a basic rundown of today’s preeminent graphic design software, sign up for Noble Desktop’s quick Illustrator in a Day course. In just a few hours, you’ll learn how to create vector graphics that can be used in a variety of digital design projects, from website interfaces to marketing materials. Because they rely on vector graphics, these high-quality images can later be rescaled to any size without downgrading their quality.

Taking a hands-on approach, this class will teach you how to create shapes with Illustrator’s Pen tool, layers, and tracing functions. Working with a variety of brushes and drawing tools will also give you the chance to get comfortable with the texture and style features you have at your disposal. Like all Noble Desktop classes, Illustrator in a Day provides free retakes along with meeting recordings that allow you to review classes you’ve missed. 

After Effects in a Day

If you plan to work on digital design projects involving animation or visual effects, learning how to use Adobe After Effects will serve you well. Noble Desktop’s After Effects in a Day course will teach you beginner motion graphics skills including how to produce a GIF, animate simple graphics, and work with layered multimedia files. As a bonus, you’ll also learn how to add audio and other special effects to your motion graphics. These creations can then be added to apps, websites, video games, and more. 

For the duration of this short course, you’ll work side by side with a motion graphics guru who talks you through challenging steps. When you find yourself stumped to the limit, this expert can also demonstrate skills or take a close look at your project to pinpoint potential problems. In addition to the practical skills you gain through class activities, you’ll receive a complimentary workbook that you can review at any time after graduation. While this course is welcoming to beginners, you’ll find it more enjoyable if you already know a bit about Photoshop, Illustrator, and design. 

Learn the Skills to Become a Digital Designer at Noble Desktop

Want to learn design in a supportive environment? Noble Desktop offers highly-rated design classes covering a range of digital design topics for students at all levels. In addition to shorter classes, you’ll find a variety of career certificates that provide comprehensive training, complete with one-on-one mentorship and professional experience opportunities. Start your journey now by signing up for training live online or participating in face-to-face classes at the school’s NYC campus. 

With the hands-on training you’ll get in the Digital Design Certificate, preparing for a digital design career isn’t hard. Even if you start with no experience, you can learn the UI design and graphic design skills you need to launch your career in a matter of weeks. Instead of sitting through dull lectures, this program will teach you practical skills through activities and projects. In addition to mastering tools like InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Figma, you’ll gain the expertise necessary to apply design principles for truly stunning results. 

Learn the skills to make websites and apps that are truly user-friendly in UX & UI Design Certificate. Working with a team, you’ll create your own interactive digital interfaces from start to finish, resulting in work you can proudly display in your portfolio. Rather than focusing only on aesthetics, you’ll learn how to research your target users and prototype to improve accessibility. This course also includes a job preparation segment designed to help you workshop your resume and create the perfect portfolio website. 

If websites are your jam, you can make it into a career by joining Noble Desktop’s Web Design Certificate program. Work toward an impressive portfolio with hands-on assignments that will help you learn a combination of design, coding, and software skills. Quicker than you know, you’ll acquire a versatile skill set that includes UI design theory, Figma, WordPress, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Before you’re through, you’ll also have the chance to build a high-quality portfolio website with help from your expert mentor.