Whether you want to be hired by a client or an agency, it’s the same challenge—prove that you’re precisely what they need. Usually, this means you need a…
Creative portfolio
Outreach strategy
Solid pitch
Check. Check. And check. But within a sea of similarly qualified professionals, how can you make it clear with one glance at your resume that you have all the necessary web design skills and qualifications?
Enter: certifications. Add web design certifications to your arsenal and you’ll have endorsements from some of the biggest names in the industry—like Wix Studio, Google and Adobe—confirming that you’ve done the work, passed the test and possess the skills that your next job requires.
Below are the top web designer certifications that give you a well-rounded foundation and make sure you check all the boxes to create websites that succeed for your clients.
Get certified in website design and creation with Wix Studio.
5 essential web design certifications
These five professional certifications cover the essential web design services you need to help clients’ websites succeed, from market research and wireframing to site launch and optimization.
01. Wix Studio Web Designer Certification
Over a million professionals are building websites on Wix Studio, making it one of the leading platforms for web creation. “We chose to work with Wix Studio because it offers all the professional-grade capabilities we need to create fully responsive websites that help our clients stand out with high-quality, dynamic web experiences,” says David Camacho, founder of web agency yourweb. But for Camacho and his team, learning how to use the features wasn’t enough. “When working with new clients, we believe that nothing builds trust like positive feedback, reviews and testimonials from past projects. Having a Wix Studio certification on top of this reassures clients that we are experts in the platform and fully capable of delivering the high standards they expect.”
The Wix Studio Web Designer certification was developed especially for creators who build websites for clients, to mirror your real-world design tasks and challenges with a hands-on assessment. Unlike other certificates in web design, Wix Studio’s certification assesses both your understanding of core design principles and your ability to successfully build a responsive web design. The certification covers:
Key Wix Studio design and layout tools, such as grid and website animations
Reverse engineering a live website to identify its structure, behavior and components
Various responsiveness features and behaviors like scale proportionally and text wrapping
To get certified, applicants must:
Understand responsive web design
Know how to structure a website’s layout
Demonstrate your skills and good design principles to build a website
Why this certification?
You’ll complete hands-on tasks that reflect real-world web design skills
Professional web designers will review your submitted website
You’ll try additional Wix Studio design features you haven’t used yet
You can submit your existing, qualifying Wix Studio builds for the assessment
You’ll join Contra’s exclusive list of Wix Studio specialists with your Wix Studio Expert badge
You’ll earn Wix Studio Partner Program points, which can increase your revenue share earnings
Your certification from the leading website platform will win client trust
Related reading: How to make a responsive website
02. Google UX Design Certificate
Google cracked the code and created the most user-friendly search experience, before going on to design the most popular tools for all our daily business tasks. Who better to give you the stamp of approval on user experience design? Google‘s UX Design Certificate is thorough, equipping you to create simple website wireframes as well as richer flows and layouts for apps and digital platforms.
To get certified, applicants must:
Complete all seven courses in the program
Create designs in Figma
Upgrade to a paid plan on Coursera, the course host
Why this certification?
At the end, you’ll have fully finished UX projects to add to your portfolio
You’ll learn essential tools, like Figma, along the way
The included course covers the entire UX process, from planning through design
03. Digital Marketing Certification by Semrush
Don’t let the name fool you—Semrush’s certification is, in fact, a series of certifications across essential digital marketing functions. Of note are the more than two dozen certifications to develop your search engine optimization (SEO) skills. You’ll learn how to improve your Google ranking with an optimized site design and strategic keyword research. Because why launch websites for clients if the sites won’t reach the first page of Google’s results?
To get certified, applicants must:
Complete and obtain each certification individually
Why this certification?
Each certification is micro-focused and specialized
Certifications are led by real-world experts outside Semrush
The majority of certifications are under one hour
Related reading: Create content that ranks
04. Adobe Certified Professional
Adobe’s product suite is a longstanding popular product for good reason: it’s a wide range of platforms that perform specialized creative tasks. Two in particular are often a creative’s best friends for graphic design—Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop—each of which offers a certification. Just like a chef’s mise en place, your folder of visual assets should be lined up and ready to go when it’s time to start your site build. With a certification on Illustrator, Photoshop or both, you’ll get your files diced—er, designed—more quickly and efficiently. (Bear in mind that each Adobe certification is valid for only three years.)
To get certified, applicants must:
Get familiar with both general and Adobe-specific designer lingo
Answer exam questions as well as perform in-platform tasks
Pay per individual exam; course materials can also be purchased separately
Why this certification?
Adobe is widely known and highly rated
Pass both certifications and you’ll receive a Visual Design specialty credential
Both at-home and in-person certification testing are available
Related reading: The biggest web design trends
05. Google Analytics Certification
Even if Google Analytics is not your tool of choice, you should know your way around the platform. More than 80% of websites use it, so it’s likely where your next clients have been tracking their sites’ data. Plus, it’s a powerful tool—you can track data like visitors, traffic sources and sales, and also identify patterns or trends to improve your site design.
To get certified, applicants must:
Be familiar with the platform
Set up and analyze data reports
Renew the certification each year
Why this certification?
The platform is free, so it’s a great choice for budget-conscious clients
Four training courses are available before taking the certification
Data analysis concepts are universal, even if you choose a different platform
Explore the analytics and other 3rd party integrations on Wix Studio.
Web design certifications FAQ
What is a web design certification?
A web design certification is a confirmation of expertise on a topic or a product, issued by a certification provider. A certification can be broad, like responsive web design, or focused on a particular execution, like designing websites on Wix Studio.
Upon completing a certification, you typically receive a physical or digital document that includes your name and the course you completed. Some certifications also provide a badge to add to your website and more prominently display your credentials to site visitors.
Do you need a certification to be a web designer?
No, certifications are not required to practice web design professionally. However, some web design tools or platforms might require you to pass a certification before promoting that you provide solutions on their products. While this might feel like extra bureaucracy, it works to your advantage—you learn the product on an expert level, and can subsequently promote that you’re an expert.
Related reading: How to start a web design business
How should you choose a web design certification?
Camacho recommends getting certified for all your primary tools: “obtaining certifications from the suppliers of your main tools—whether you use design tools like Adobe or website platforms like Wix Studio—can sharpen your skills, enhance your credibility with potential clients and demonstrate your commitment to your craft.”
Use this checklist to choose the best online web design certificate programs for your needs.
Provider or issuer: Go for certifications from established products and brands, so that peers and potential clients will recognize the names. And choose certifications for products you actually use— because without regular practice, you’ll quickly lose whatever you’ve learned.
Price: Certifications can be free or paid (more on that below), but don’t let cost deter you. Actually, it’s good to set aside a small budget for continued learning expenses so you can invest in your development. For example, Adobe offers only paid certifications, but it’s a core platform for web designers and you’ll work better and more quickly by using the product seamlessly. Plus, it’s a name that your potential clients will likely recognize, so the investment is worth it. If you find fee-based certifications, be sure to check if it’s a one-time fee or if it needs to be renewed yearly.
Process: How you obtain the certification can vary across providers. Some certifications are issued after taking a course, whereas others require that you subsequently pass an assessment. But that’s not all. Some certifications are solely assessment-based: after using the product for some time, the company wants to see if you’ve reached a certain level of product proficiency. This is an important factor when choosing your certifications: are you trying to get started on a product or to demonstrate your applied expertise?
Concepts and curriculum: Whether you’ll be taking a course and/or an assessment, make sure that the concepts or curriculum match your expectations and needs. In particular, a balance between conceptual thinking and hands-on application gives you a well-rounded learning experience. For example, a web design certification should cover foundational concepts such as layouts and responsiveness, as well as an activity to build an interactive site.
How much does a certification cost?
In short, it varies widely. Some certifications are completely free from start to finish. Others charge a fee—ranging from $70 to $400—sometimes to study the program or to take the exam at the end.
Pay close attention to certifications with a fee—depending on its terms, you might need to pay annually to renew your certification, and this might require passing the test again each time.
Can you land jobs from web design certifications?
“Yes, absolutely,” says Camacho. “Certifications provide credibility and back up our expertise as certified partners. In our case, the Wix Studio certifications add to the trust factor, showcasing that we are not only experienced but also officially endorsed by the platform we’re using.”
Leverage certifications to boost your new business strategy by adding them to your website or LinkedIn profile. Potential clients will see that you know how to use leading platforms—such as Google Analytics or Wix Studio—to help them build successful sites and businesses.
One example of how certifications can help you win jobs is on Contra, a freelancing platform. Upon completing the Wix Studio Web Designer certification, add the Wix Studio Expert badge to your Contra profile and benefit from more visibility among the listings.
What can you do with a certification?
Growing your list of certifications can help you twofold.
Learning more platforms and skills to offer more expertise. Target the skills or products that will give you a competitive edge over other professionals. After completing certifications that are considered the status quo, look for additional certifications that can expand your service offering. For example, a web designer certified in responsive design should consider an SEO certification to help websites gain traffic.
Explore Wix Studio’s SEO tools.
Amplifying your self promotion with more credibility. Certifications on topics or products are just like degrees from schools. Don’t be shy showing off well known names of your certification issuers, like Google, Adobe or Wix Studio—the badges or certificates you receive are great to add to your agency website and to post on social channels. When looking for web designers, potential clients are reassured to see familiar and credible names in your skillset.
Over one million pros choose Wix Studio. Create an account and see why.
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