The Role of Analytics in Digital Design

Another thing that makes digital design different from print design is the role of data and analytics. While it might be difficult to directly track the performance of a physical flyer or brochure, in the digital realm you have direct insight into your design’s performance through metrics such as likes, shares, downloads, and pageviews. As a digital designer, you might find yourself accountable for creating high-performing designs. This means that, beyond just creating an attractive visual, you will need to keep in mind your desired audience and how to capture their interest. In some cases, you may be asked to test several different iterations of a design to see which one performs the best

Interactivity in Design

Digital design is also different from print design because it is interactive. Not all types of digital design are interactive. In some ways, an infographic plays much the same role as a poster—it’s a static image. However, when it comes to web design, users are often dragging, dropping, and clicking on the elements you create. Interactive design is more complex than static design. Beyond being aesthetically pleasing, your design will also have to be usable—this is the focus of UX designers

Graphic Designers

While the term “graphic designer” is very general, for the purpose of this article we can think of graphic designers as digital designers working with static images. These designers might be creating an infographic, a report, or a digital illustration. Their main concerns are aesthetics, readability, and branding.

Web Designers

Web designers focus on the layout of websites, and may also design some of the interactive elements that appear on them. They should have a basic understanding of coding and the functionality of websites or apps. Web designers need to understand the prevailing trends in web aesthetics, and they also need to consider accessibility and ease of use.

UX Designers

UX designers focus specifically on usability. Among other things, they design preliminary plans for websites, apps, or products (known as “wireframes”). UX designers are often expected to collaborate with researchers and to create several different versions of their designs for testing with real users. Their designs should be primarily based on data, as well as aesthetics.

Workplace

One of the great things about working in digital fields is that the work can be done remotely. As a freelance digital designer, you will have a lot of choices when it comes to your workspace. You can work from a home office, a co-working space, a cafe, or even from abroad as a digital nomad.

Client Work

Most of a freelance digital designer’s day will be taken up by client work. This could mean working on long-term contracts (for example, collaborating with a client to design their new website) or one-off projects (like creating a single infographic).

Administrative Responsibilities

As mentioned above, being a freelance digital designer involves some administrative work. This might include:

• Creating and maintaining a portfolio website

• Reaching out to clients through job boards or cold emails

• Networking

• Creating and sending invoices

Working at a Design Agency

Design agencies, marketing agencies, and web development agencies often hire designers to work as part of a team serving outside clients.

Workplace

Design agencies may be small startups or large enterprises. Most hire full-time employees to work in-office. Increasingly, some agencies are also choosing to work with remote teams.

Responsibilities

As a digital designer at an agency, you’ll spend most of your day working on client projects.

When you’re not doing client work, you may spend time on professional development, internal design projects, or—if you’re in a senior position—managing other designers.

Positive Points and Main Challenges

Design agency positions tend to be fast-paced and offer an exciting range of challenges and responsibilities. At an agency, you will get to work with many different clients, often in a variety of industries. This makes agencies a great place to learn more about the world of design. However, because of their profit margins, agencies sometimes offer lower pay than in-house positions (of course, this doesn’t always apply—the specifics depend on your job).

In-House Digital Designers

“In-house” digital designers work directly for a company, designing their products or creating marketing materials and other assets. In-house designer roles are more likely to carry a senior-level title (like “creative director”), or a title that requires a specific technical skillset (like “UX designer” or “product designer”).

Workplace

As with agency work, in-house designers generally work full time at their company’s office, although some companies may also hire remotely.

Responsibilities

As an in-house designer, you will spend all your time working on your company’s projects. You will be responsible for helping your team execute its vision, and ultimately driving the success of your company.

Positive Points and Main Challenges

While the in-house design has a reputation for being more repetitive than agency work, of course, this isn’t always true. As an in-house designer, you’ll have the chance to explore a single type of work more deeply and can become more invested in the success of your company. An in-house position can provide a great opportunity to deepen your design knowledge in a specific field.

Average Salaries for Digital Designers

You’ve now seen that there are many different ways to build your career as a digital designer. With that said, what is the average digital designer’s salary?

Salaries can vary widely based on specialization, of course. Most freelance graphic designers charge anywhere from $15-$65 an hour (according to PayScale), while senior UX designers can make up to $137,000 per year.

That said, PayScale reports that the salary for digital designers of all kinds in the U.S. ranges from $39,000 to $79,000 per year, with an average of $53,855 per year.

FACILITIES

Students have access to high-spec computer labs and make use of the latest design and development programs. Students will test applications in our new device laboratory - a special test area integrated within one of our existing software development spaces. This arrangement allows you to test your website designs and apps on real equipment, ensuring they perform as expected on the target platforms.

Students work on high-spec computers from Alienware and Apple before testing their projects in our eye-tracking and device labs. Small group teaching allows for tailored support, helping students to shape the course to their own ambitions.

Core Modules:

Rules and CATS points:

• Research Methods (15)
  This module will initially introduce the student to core methodological approaches. It will then examine a range of specific research methods, which are essential to underpin good research, as well as exploring some of the tools which are used in the processing and analysis of datasets.

• Professional Issues and Practice (15)
  The module will look at standards of practice, not as a set of static documents but as a dynamic set of potential achievements, as for example envisaged by TickITplus and CMMI.

• Pilot Project (15)
  The Pilot Project module builds on concepts delivered across the Master's degree in technical and research areas and is designed to develop the student’s research skills by undertaking a pilot study which will then lead on to a larger scale study in the Research Project module.

• Research Project (45)
  The MSc project is the culmination of the Master's experience and draws on both the technical skills learned through the taught components of the course and the research skills developed through the Research Methods and Pilot Project modules.

• Digital Design Fundamentals (15)
  This module links the skill sets gained in user-centered design research and user experience to create design concepts and interactive prototypes to offer clearly focused design solutions.

• Digital Design Management (15)
  This module will explore the roles, contexts, and methodologies needed to manage a successful digital project.

• Web Technologies (15)
  This module gives graduates from non-computing backgrounds a thorough grounding in web development.

• Usability & UX Design (15)
  This module aims to develop an understanding of the human-digital interface and the part it plays in the design and construction of artifacts (software-based or other) that are usable, attractive, efficient, and effective.

• Digital Marketing (15)
  This module aims to provide students with the underpinning skills and knowledge necessary in planning digital marketing campaigns within an in-house corporate or client/agency framework.

• Computer Fundamentals (15)
  This module introduces students to computer fundamentals and related concepts.

English Language Requirements

Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:

• IELTS minimum 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in reading, listening, and speaking

• TOEFL IBT 92 with a minimum of 22 in writing and a minimum of 19 in reading, listening, and speaking

• Duolingo English Language Test - 110 overall with a minimum 90 in each component

• or equivalent

Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.