Do You Have the Designer’s Eye?

It seems that freelance web design is getting more and more popular, especially among the younger generation of online earners. It’s a fun skill to develop, and once you have some practice it’s fairly easy to turn that skill into some moderate revenue. That’s how I got started in online business 7 years ago. The same is true for a number of others.

Is everyone cut out to be a web designer, however? To say that the ability to do web design is in-born sounds somewhat elitist; therefore, the idea has been cast aside by most people in the industry. It’s largely believed that with time, practice, and dedication anyone can pick up web design and make it into something profitable. After all, it’s true with other money-making avenues in the industry: SEO, affiliate marketing, domaining, etc. Why not web design?

What people seem to forget is that web design is at least somewhat of an innate skill. Some call web design “art”, but I don’t quite believe that. Sure there are some websites that have some beautiful aesthetics, but these websites are more of collaborations between web design and a form of art. For example, illustrations or photography. Incorporating art into web design is great, but I personally feel that web design itself is more of what you do with art, stock photos, and content elements.

That’s where the “designer’s eye” comes in. The concept of the designer’s eye is simple: some people just know what looks good. These are the people who have the natural ability needed to develop into the most successful designers. I’m not trying to say that only a handful of elite can succeed in the web design industry, but I will say that if someone completely lacks the designer’s eye then no matter how hard they try … they just won’t develop enough to really succeed. Keep in mind there’s a difference between inexperience and inability. Many people simply lack the technical knowledge needed to create good website designs, and it takes time for them to develop that. However, those who lack the designer’s eye just quite honestly can’t grasp the necessary concepts needed for good web design.

Ready for some examples?

Jesus-is-Savior.com
Lacks the Designer’s Eye

This is a profoundly ugly website. It’s safe to say that the designer of this site probably doesn’t have much (if any) training using actual design software; however, he shows irrefutably his lack of any inherit taste of design. One doesn’t need 5-10 years of experience using Photoshop to realize that the chaotic and confusing way this website is setup blows. Only someone with absolutely no designer’s eye could create something this horrific.

Simplebits
Has the Designer’s Eye

Ignoring the logo (which would require a bit of ability to do) everything in this design can be done by a rookie. Yet it looks great, doesn’t it? It all boils down to the designer’s eye. Knowing how to put elements together, what colors to use, how to arrange content so that it isn’t cluttered. Is this a hard concept? Not really. But some people just can’t grasp it.

So What’s the Point?

I didn’t write this post to discourage anybody. I want everyone who reads this blog to succeed with their goals and retire happy and healthy. What I don’t want is for people to waste time trying to do something that they blow at. If you take a step back and look long and hard at the websites you’ve been churning out lately … and they look like Jesus-is-Savior.com … you need to re-evaluate your career choice. Try SEM or affiliate marketing. Play to your strengths – if you’re bad at designing, try something else. So many people want to pat others on the back saying “if you keep at it, you’ll get the hang of it”. That’s not always true.

Find what you’re good at and run with it. Just because others are earning through web design doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right for you.