What Is Digital Design? Types, Careers, and How to Get Started

The importance of digital design—the process of creating content for a digital interface—continues growing as businesses in India and around the globe embrace technology. The increase in mobile internet users worldwide, particularly in India and other Asian countries, feeds into a trend where users consume more digital content than ever before. 

Statista reports that the digital media market in India reached ₹654 billion in 2023, with the digital advertising industry also on the rise, with digital media anticipated to exceed half a trillion rupees by the end of 2024 [1, 2]. This kind of growth could signal a demand for digital designers and point to an increasing need for effective user interfaces on any device or program. 

Explore digital design in more detail, including the career paths you might take and the skills you need to begin the journey. 

What is digital design?

Digital design refers to a type of visual communication that presents information to users on an electronic device, such as a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. Digital design can include web pages, mobile app interfaces, graphics for social media, video game animations, 3D models, and more. 

Digital design accounts for how users interact with the end product. Actions include optimising how a design appears on and adapts to screens of different sizes, its overall aesthetic appeal, and positioning buttons, text, images, and other digital elements.  

Digital design vs graphic design 

Graphic design and digital design are similar fields with some overlap in job descriptions, although they are distinct as well. For example, digital designers and graphic designers both use software to communicate ideas visually. Think of digital design as a broader field encompassing graphic design, UX/UI design, 3D design, and more.  

Explore additional distinctions below. 

Digital developers often work with digital designers to use code to turn visual mockups into functional websites, apps, or other interactive material.

Types of digital design 

Digital design encompasses many types of user interfaces and purposes and can figure into various personal or professional goals. For example, you may want to start a digital design career, hire a digital designer for a project, or learn specific digital design skills to enhance your business. Explore digital design possibilities below. 

Digital UX/UI design

Digital user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design both involve optimising human-computer interactions so that users can easily find information, take action, and engage meaningfully with a brand on any device. Digital designers focusing on UX and UI might create websites, landing pages, digital products, and apps. Design considerations might include the layout of on-screen elements, including text, buttons, colours, fonts, images, graphics, and more. 

Digital design for marketing 

Digital marketing design involves designing digital assets to increase brand awareness, communicate messages to a target audience, capture a brand’s look and feel, and promote products. Some of the assets that a digital designer might create 

Digital publishing design refers to creating layouts for digital documents that include infographics, email templates, banner and display ads, social media pages, graphics, and animated GIFs. 

Digital design for desktop publishing

You may also choose to become a digital designer for desktop publishing projects. Some of the projects that a designer might complete include ebooks, online newsletters, magazines, or pamphlets. Designers might optimise the visual layout of elements and the overall aesthetics so the user can interact meaningfully with the material. 

3D design 

3D design involves using 3D modelling software to create a three-dimensional representation of a physical object or space. Then, you can print the object, manufacture it in physical form, or have it appear on screen in 3D. 3D design can encompass fields such as architecture, fashion, product design, augmented reality and virtual reality (AR and VR), event design, and animation for film and gaming. Designers can create 3D models of buildings, interior spaces, characters, garments, physical products, and more.    

3D design can play an important role in the evolution and mainstream adoption of the Metaverse, as immersive virtual experiences transform work environments, gaming, and more. 

4 components of effective digital design 

The priority for every digital designer is to create with the user’s needs, interests, and experience in mind. Take a closer look at the attributes that make a digital design effective:  

• Accessible: Users can easily understand and interact with digital design elements. 

• Engaging: A design reflects the brand it represents, captures an audience’s attention, and provides an aesthetically pleasing experience.  

• Interactive: A design enables and encourages interaction, including clicking, scrolling, and inputting information.

• Adaptable: A design can adjust to different screen sizes. 

How to enter the digital design field 

With all the possibilities in digital design, it's important to carefully weigh your options. Follow the steps below to begin the process. 

1. Identify your digital design goals. 

Gain clarity on what you want to accomplish in digital design and the motivations behind your goals. That way, you can choose the path that best aligns with these goals. Some examples might include: 

• Pursue a career in digital design, either taking on freelance and contract work or finding a job as a company’s in-house designer. 

• Hire a designer to create digital assets for your business.

• Learn digital design skills to complete personal or professional projects. 

2. Explore types of digital design and examples of projects. 

Your next step is to narrow your focus to a particular area of digital design and raise your awareness of the different types of projects you can complete. Good places to get inspiration include: 

• Job listings on Glassdoor, Indeed, and other career sites, where you can discover what skills and experience employers want a digital designer to have.

• Profiles of freelance digital designers on Fiverr, Upwork, and other talent sites, where you can discover projects freelancers take on. 

3. Take a digital design course. 

A digital design course can be a great way to build foundational skills, fine-tune your goals, and discover even more of what’s possible for your future in digital design. Look for courses that introduce you to different software, techniques, and projects you can complete. 

4. Use different digital design tools. 

Along with taking a digital design course, get a feel for the different tools and software programs that digital designers use in different fields to bring ideas to life. Popular software programs used in different areas of digital design are: 

• AutoCAD for 3D design 

• Adobe Animate for animation 

• Aufait UX for UX/UI design

Sign up for free trials of software you’re interested in learning more about and begin completing projects. 

5. Create and launch your digital design plan. 

Once you know your goals, focus areas, the kinds of projects you want to complete, the skills you need, and the tools available, it’s time to take action. Action steps might include: 

• Writing a job description for the kind of digital designer you want to hire.

• Taking additional courses in a focus area to qualify for jobs you want to apply for.

• Applying for jobs in digital design. 

• Creating your first digital assets to enhance your own business. 

Learn digital design on Coursera

Digital design incorporates graphic design with more static projects, such as website and video game design. You can choose to specialise in different areas of digital design, like marketing or desktop publishing. 

Explore Coursera’s offerings in different areas of digital design to gain skills like building interactive web pages, navigating the metaverse, and delighting users with engaging digital experiences. For example, you might consider the Print and Digital Elements of Design: Branding and User Experience course offered by the University of Colorado Boulder on Coursera to begin building your skills and foundational knowledge.