Web designers usually need to possess general design skills, such as an understanding of drawing and a knack for creating aesthetically pleasing combinations of color and form, they also need to have an understanding of Web-specific design factors—screen resolution, image compression, usability, accessibility, and website architecture.

Web designers are responsible for everything from designing a website’s “look and feel” to incorporating features such as e-commerce, online community, search engine optimization, animations, interactive applications and advertising into the site—all while ensuring that the site’s design is optimized for the specific technologies supporting it.

Most Web designers are salaried employees (sometimes at advertising, marketing, design agencies, or Web consulting firms, which build and manage websites for their client) but there’s a sizeable army of freelance Web designers out there.

A final note for people considering this field: As the Internet evolves, new technologies come into play and the needs of Internet users change, there will be a need for new skills among Web developers. So you’d better be okay with learning new skills on a fairly ongoing basis if you want to develop a career in Web design.