Can you become a web designer without learning how to code?
By: Monica Galvan
Tags: UI, Visual Design, Technology, UX, Careers

1. Hire a developer

Depending on the extent of your website project, the quickest way to design a website without having to code is to outsource it. By partnering with a web developer, you can focus solely on the strategy, planning, wireframe layout solutions, visual design elements, and mocking up the final UI for the website. Then all you’ll need to do is have a proper hand-off and a good working relationship with the developer to bring the website to life on the web.

If you decide to go this route, you may want to look for a developer you can work with on an ongoing basis. The better relationship you have with a developer, the smoother the whole process will be. If you work with a new developer each time you design a website for a new client, you’ll likely spend a lot of time communicating on processes to get each other up to speed. Whereas if you’ve already worked on projects together, you’ll finish websites faster. The more websites you can work on, the more freelance projects and money you’ll earn.

Pros of hiring a developer

It’s a “done for you” solution. You can focus solely on design because you have a partner who focuses on development.

Cons of hiring a developer

Developers are expensive. If you’re working on a large website project, maybe a complete redesign for a big company then it may make sense to hire a developer. But if you’re just getting started with freelance design, then you may not yet be charging enough to hire a developer.

If you eventually want to expand and build a full team rather than be a solo freelancer, then it’s helpful to start hiring developers. You always want to have other designers and developers on hand to contact in case you need extra help on your client projects.

2. Use WordPress and modify a theme

Another way you can create your own websites is to choose a hosting platform, purchase a template, and use WordPress as the CMS (content management system) to add and edit content.

WordPress has been around since 2003 and powers over 35% of all websites on the Internet. It’s one of the most well-known content management systems available on the web today. The WordPress platform itself is free to use, just sign up for an account and you can start using it today. However, you need to purchase hosting and a domain in order to turn in into a working website.

Here’s an example of what the WordPress CMS dashboard looks like when you’re logged in. From the backend, you can create new webpages, new blog posts, add photos and media, and more.

Example of WordPress CMS dashboard (source: Hostinger)

WordPress offers some free templates but there are plenty available on third-party marketplaces to buy. You never want to use a template right out of the box, unless you don’t mind your website looking like everyone else’s. Instead, you’ll want to modify the design to match your client’s company branding and messaging.

Elegant Themes is an example of a company that sells WordPress themes. Divi is their flagship theme and visual page builder. It’s a website building framework that makes it easy to create a website without touching a single line of code or installing several plugins.

Pros of using a WordPress theme

Aside from hosting, it’s a low-cost solution to creating a website fast. Hosting is pretty cheap these days so if cost is your main concern, then you may want to take the time to really master the WordPress platform.

The CMS is easy to use if you want to add or update information quickly. This makes for a smooth transition for clients if they want to keep website maintenance in-house.

Cons of using a WordPress theme

Using WordPress was once considered taboo due to the fact that it’s opensource, websites were prone to hacking and easily broke when a new version of WordPress came out. In recent years, this is less of a concern but remember if something happens to your site, you’ll need to become your own IT department or hire a WordPress developer to help.

A major con to using WordPress and modifying a theme is it tends to create bloated code on the backend which could make your website run slower, create errors, or crash completely.

WordPress started as a blogging platform. But more often than not, you may want to design eCommerce sites for clients. While there are plugins like WooCommerce that allow you to turn a WordPress website into an eCommerce platform, it can be tricky to customize and use, especially without a developer.

Probably the most important con of WordPress is the lack of flexibility when it comes to design. If you truly want to design a custom website, you just can’t do that on WordPress without learning how to code. You can modify a theme all you want, but there are still limitations.

3. Use a WYSIWYG editor

WYSIWYG stands for “what you see is what you get”. With a WYSIWYG editor, you can edit the content of your website and see how it appears in real-time. Also known as website builders, they are a user-friendly way for anyone to get started with building a website on their own, with no prior knowledge necessary. WYSIWYGs have surged in popularity over the years as companies like Squarespace and Wix have dominated the field.

Squarespace is known for its minimal design themes and 24/7 customer service. The main difference between using a WordPress theme vs a Squarespace theme is you have a whole customer service team available to answer any questions you have as you set up your website. Since they’re a large company, they also have an engineer and design team dedicated to creating new themes and improving current ones so you know they will work responsively on any device no matter what.