How To Write a Web Designer Resume
The most effective way to market yourself to hiring managers is to provide specific examples of how you have designed and constructed successful websites throughout your career. You’ll feature these examples primarily in your professional experience section and in your design portfolio. It is also important to highlight your technical skills and proficiencies in using specific software and web development languages, especially the ones specified in the job posting. This will give you the best change at landing an interview. Below you’ll find the steps to writing a strong resume section by section.
1. Write a compelling profile summarizing your qualifications
Your professional profile is the first thing hiring managers read when evaluating your job application. To make a positive first impression, you’ll need to create a compelling snapshot of your career as a web designer. In addition, you should insert three to four key specializations that align with the job posting directly into the first sentence of your paragraph. Some common specializations are user-centered design, UX writing, graphic design, and front-end web development.
Below, you’ll find two examples of strong professional profiles for web designers:
Senior-level Profile Example
A Senior Web Designer with eight years of experience specializing in user-centered design, front-end development, graphic design, and UX design. A proven track record of designing innovative websites across various industries and identifying opportunities to enhance user engagement. Adept at collaborating cross-functionally with back-end developers.
Entry-level Profile Example
A Junior Web Designer with entry-level experience specializing in UI design, WordPress, UX writing, and graphic design. Adept at collaborating with diverse teams to create innovative website designs and ensure consistency across desktop and mobile platforms.
2. Add an accomplishment-driven professional experience section
This is the most important part of your resume as it’s one of the key factors hiring managers use to determine your viability as a candidate. Make sure to create accomplishment-driven bullet points to highlight the most substantial aspects of your work experience. Quantifying the websites’ success using concrete numbers and metrics to demonstrate your expertise is one way to do this. If any of your designs led to an increase in website traffic, user satisfaction, or an increase in revenue be sure to mention it. If you don’t have specific metrics, then add numbers where appropriate to provide hiring managers with the scope of the project or your specific job duties.
Senior-level Professional Experience Example
Senior Web Designer, Avalon Web Design Inc., Philadelphia, PA
October 2016 – Present
- Interface with the art director, creative teams, and client stakeholders to develop holistic web designs and visually compelling layouts to enhance company branding and improve the user experience for 20+ websites and 15 mobile applications
- Lead the redesign of a website for a financial consulting firm, create graphics, conduct wireframing and prototyping, and improve web traffic by 250%
- Improve responsiveness of the UI design for a mobile application, collaborate with the art director to enhance visual assets, and increase user satisfaction by 35%
Entry-level Professional Experience Example
Junior Web Designer Internship, Cadence Web Design Consultants, New York, NY
May 2022 – December 2022
- Provided support to senior web designers during a six-month internship and collaborated with front-end developers to design quality websites for client businesses
- Created compelling visual assets, conducted wireframing, and defined UX design in accordance with user-centered design principles
- Performed graphic design activities to support a major overhaul of an underperforming website and collaborated effectively with back-end developers
3. Include relevant education and certifications
In addition to your bachelor’s degree in web design, you should showcase relevant certifications to further highlight your industry expertise. Certifications in UX and UI design are particularly valuable to prospective employers, so you should make a point to acquire these credentials as you progress in your career. Below, you’ll find an example to help you format your education and certifications in a clear and concise manner:
Certifications
Template: [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
Examples:
- Certified Web Professional – Web Developer, IWA, 2018
- Certified Digital Designer (CDD), ADA, 2017
Education
Template:
- [Degree Name]
- [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] [Dates Enrolled]
Example:
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Graphic Design
- TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, Philadelphia, PA September 2012 – June 2016
4. List relevant key skills and proficiencies
Most organizations utilize some form of Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to identify qualified candidates for job openings. If your resume lacks a certain number of keywords, your application may be rejected during the initial screening. To mitigate this risk and get your resume into the hiring manager’s hands, you should incorporate relevant skill sets that match the job description. Below, you’ll find a list of potential keywords and skills that you may encounter during your job search:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Adobe InDesign | Adobe Illustrator |
| Adobe Photoshop | Bootstrap |
| CSS | Front-End Development |
| Graphic Design | HTML |
| Invision | Prototyping |
| Responsive Web Design | Search Engine Optimization (SEO) |
| Sketch | User-Centered Design Principles |
| User Experience (UX) Design | User Interface (UI) Design |
| Web Design | Web Development |
| Wireframing | WordPress |
5. Showcase your web design portfolio
A hyperlink to your professional portfolio should be included at the top of your resume. This can be easily incorporated into your header or your professional profile. Although your work experience is important, hiring managers will want to see actual examples of your web design expertise by reviewing the websites you’ve developed. This will also strengthen your bullet points, as the reader can now see visuals of the end results of your projects.
How to Pick the Best Web Designer Resume Template
Choosing a resume template that is well-organized and straightforward is necessary for a web designer. Resist the temptation to emphasize your graphic design skills on your resume. If your template contains bulky graphics or distracting colors, you may draw the hiring manager’s attention away from your accomplishments. Choose a well-structured template that keeps the reader’s attention on your qualifications whenever possible. For your graphic design skills, you can provide a hyperlink to your professional portfolio in your header or profile section.
Web Designer Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
Years of Experience
- Entry-level
- Mid-career
- Senior-level
Allison Rosenberg
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn | Portfolio
New York, NY 12345
Profile
A Junior Web Designer with entry-level experience specializing in UI design, WordPress, UX writing, and graphic design. Adept at collaborating with diverse teams to create innovative website designs and ensure consistency across desktop and mobile platforms.
Key Skills
- Graphic Design
- User-Centered Design Principles
- Web Development
- Adobe Creative Suite
- WordPress
Professional Experience
Junior Web Designer Internship, Cadence Web Design Consultants, New York, NY
May 2022 – December 2022
- Provided support to senior web designers during a six-month internship and collaborated with front-end developers to design quality websites for client businesses
- Created compelling visual assets, conducted wireframing, and defined UX design in accordance with user-centered design principles
- Performed graphic design activities to support a major overhaul of an underperforming website and collaborated effectively with back-end developers
Academic Projects
Web Design Projects, Columbia University, New York, NY
September 2021 – May 2022
- Completed an academic project to build a film review website, which included developing the user interface, creating visual assets, and ensuring mobile compatibility
- Designed an innovative website to enable users to locate and filter restaurants with vegan and kosher menu items using JavaScript and HTML
Certifications
- User Experience Design Certification, General Assembly, 2022
- Certified Digital Designer (CDD), ADA, 2022
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Graphic Design
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, New York, NY September 2018 – May 2022
John Bergsen
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Philadelphia, PA 12345
Profile
A dynamic Web Designer with eight years of experience specializing in user-centered design, front-end development, graphic design, and UX design. A proven track record of designing innovative websites across various industries and identifying opportunities to enhance user engagement. Adept at collaborating cross-functionally with back-end developers.
Key Skills
- Front-End Development
- User Interface (UI) Design
- JavaScript
- Graphic Design
- Web Development
Professional Experience
Senior Web Designer, Avalon Web Design Inc., Philadelphia, PA
October 2016 – Present
- Interface with the art director, creative teams, and client stakeholders to develop holistic web designs and visually compelling layouts to enhance company branding and improve the user experience for 20+ websites and 15 mobile applications
- Lead the redesign of a website for a financial consulting firm, create graphics, conduct wireframing and prototyping, and improve web traffic by 250%
- Improve responsiveness of the UI design for a mobile application, collaborate with the art director to enhance visual assets, and increase user satisfaction by 35%
Freelance Web Designer, Self-Employed, Philadelphia, PA
June 2014 – October 2016
- Executed freelance web design projects for clients across a variety of industries, which included creating visual assets, UX designs, and web layouts
- Coordinated with client stakeholders and external web developers to ensure alignment with business requirements and brand aesthetic
Certifications
- Certified Web Professional – Web Developer, IWA, 2016
- Certified Digital Designer (CDD), ADA, 2015
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Graphic Design
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, Philadelphia, PA September 2010 – June 2014
Meera Patel
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn | Portfolio
San Francisco, CA 12345
Profile
A Senior Web Designer with 10+ years of experience specializing in UX design, front-end development, graphic design, and team management. A strong history of coordinating with cross-functional teams to define visual assets and UI design. Adept at identifying opportunities to improve website functionality and enhance the user experience.
Key Skills
- UX Design
- Web Development
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Agile Methodology
- User Interface (UI) Design
Professional Experience
Senior Web Designer, Excelsior Web Solutions, San Francisco, CA
October 2016 – Present
- Manage and build a team of 20+ graphic designers, web designers, and front-end developers to create elegant, responsive user interfaces for enterprise client accounts, generating over $5.5M in annual revenue
- Collaborate cross-functionally with external marketing teams to develop style guidelines, visual assets, and web layouts to enhance brand appeal amongst target audiences
- Conduct quality assurance reviews to ensure compatibility of design elements and user interfaces with a wide range of mobile devices and browsers
Web Designer, Bay Area Web Design Pros., San Francisco, CA
June 2011 – October 2016
- Executed front-end development projects for small and medium-sized businesses, including user interface design, UX design, wireframing, and graphic design
- Spearheaded initiatives to enhance the responsiveness of user interfaces and collaborated with UX writers to improve user engagement
Certifications
- Master Certified Web Professional – Designer (CWP), IWA, 2016
- User Experience Design Certification, General Assembly, 2013
- Certified Digital Designer (CDD), ADA, 2011
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Graphic Design
UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, San Francisco, CA September 2007 – June 2011
Frequently Asked Questions: Web Designer Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for web designer resumes?+
It’s easy to find yourself running short on action verbs during the resume-building process. Often, there’s only a limited number of verbs you can use to convey your work experience and career achievements accurately. Incorporating a mix of action verbs can enhance the impact of your bullet points and improve the reading experience. To help you keep your content fresh and compelling, we’ve compiled a list of action verbs you can use to craft your web designer resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Analyzed | Built |
| Collaborated | Conducted |
| Coordinated | Created |
| Designed | Developed |
| Drove | Enhanced |
| Evaluated | Executed |
| Generated | Identified |
| Implemented | Improved |
| Integrated | Led |
| Managed | Oversaw |
| Performed | Supported |
How do you align your resume with a job description?+
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for web designers was $79,890 in 2021. This industry is expected to grow by 23% over the next decade, resulting in over 21,800 new jobs each year. Despite this promising outlook, you’ll face no shortage of competition when applying for the most lucrative positions. To maximize your chances of landing the interview, you’ll want to align your resume with the job description carefully.
For example, if an organization is seeking a web designer who excels in UX design, you should highlight your knowledge of user-centered design principles. If a company is looking for a candidate with a strong background in graphic design, you may want to call out that aspect of your experience more prominently in your profile and work history.
What is the best web designer resume format?+
The best resume format for web designers is reverse chronological. This allows you to place your most recent career achievements and experience at the top of your document. While you could incorporate a key accomplishments section below your profile, this approach has some downsides. Although your most compelling achievements will be closer to the top, it makes it difficult for the hiring manager to understand the context. For this reason, placing your career achievements directly with the job they correspond to is the more effective approach in most instances.
Expert Advice: Include a cover letter with your resume
Crafting a strong cover letter helps your chances of landing an interview during a job search. The key to creating a compelling cover letter is to customize your document for the organization you’re applying to. Read our web designer cover letter guide to learn how. For other related cover letter examples, see our graphic designer and web developer cover letter guides.