How to become an e-commerce designer

How to become an E-commerce Designer

Becoming an e-commerce designer involves developing a combination of technical skills, creative expertise, and an understanding of online retail. Here’s an overview of the pathway to the career:

Formal Education (Optional but Beneficial)
While a formal degree is not always mandatory, earning one can provide a strong foundation in design principles and technical skills and help develop critical thinking, project management, and problem-solving skills that are essential for designing effective e-commerce websites.

Among the common majors selected by aspiring e-commerce designers are graphic design, web design, user experience design, computer science (with a focus on web or digital design), and digital marketing.

Online Courses and Bootcamps
Many e-commerce designers forego a formal degree program, opting for more flexible and cost-effective online courses or bootcamps that offer specialized training in a condensed timeframe.

Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, and Skillshare offer affordable courses in e-commerce design, web design (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), and UX / UI principles. General Assembly, DesignLab, and Springboard provide bootcamps focused on web design, UX / UI, and other design disciplines.

Self-Teaching and Continuous Learning
Some e-commerce designers enter the field through self-taught methods and building real-world experience. Resources include:

• Design Blogs and Tutorials – Follow design blogs like Smashing Magazine, Awwwards, and CSS-Tricks to keep up with the latest design trends, tools, and best practices.
• Online Communities – Engage with platforms like Dribbble, Behance, or GitHub to share work, get feedback, and learn from others in the design community.
• Experimenting and Building Projects – Working on personal projects or freelance jobs allows designers to apply what they’ve learned and build a portfolio.

Internships / Entry-Level Positions
Gaining hands-on experience through internships or entry-level positions with e-commerce businesses, design agencies, or startups is often the best way to learn the practical aspects of e-commerce design. Look for roles like junior web designer or UX / UI designer.

Popular job boards include LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed. Some prominent freelance platforms are Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal.

Relevant Certifications
There are several certifications that are frequently pursued by e-commerce designers, helping them enhance their skills, build credibility, and specialize in key areas of e-commerce design. These are some particularly valuable credentials:

Shopify Partner Academy

• Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms, and becoming a certified Shopify expert can help designers demonstrate their expertise in customizing Shopify stores.
• Shopify Theme Development– This certification focuses on building and customizing themes on the Shopify platform.
• Shopify Web Design and Development – This certification focuses on how to create e-commerce websites using Shopify, including designing stores and integrating apps.
• Value – Shopify is widely used by small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Google UX Design Certificate

• Offered through Coursera, this program teaches UX / UI design principles with an emphasis on creating intuitive, user-centered designs. It covers essential design thinking, wireframing, prototyping, and user testing.
• Value – UX is critical in e-commerce design, as great user experience directly impacts conversion rates.

Adobe Certified Expert (ACE)

• Adobe offers certifications for various software tools commonly used by e-commerce designers, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe XD.
• Value – Adobe tools are industry standards for web and graphic design. Becoming certified in these tools shows that you have advanced proficiency in creating compelling visuals for e-commerce sites.

HubSpot Website Design Certification

• HubSpot offers courses focused on inbound marketing and web design. Their certification program covers the fundamentals of designing websites that are optimized for conversion.
• Value – HubSpot is known for its marketing tools and inbound methodologies. Understanding how to design websites that align with inbound marketing strategies can help you create e-commerce stores that attract and retain customers.

User Experience Design Certification by Interaction Design Foundation

• The Interaction Design Foundation (IDF) offers comprehensive courses on UX design. Their certifications focus on the practical application of UX principles, wireframing, and usability testing.
• Value – As an e-commerce designer, having strong UX knowledge is essential to ensure that websites are user-friendly and convert visitors into customers.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Certification

• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a critical aspect of e-commerce design. Various platforms, such as CXL Institute, offer specialized certifications in CRO.
• Value – Learning how to design websites that maximize conversions is essential in e-commerce. CRO certifications teach you how to design with data-driven insights to improve sales and user experience.

WooCommerce Certification

• WooCommerce is a leading e-commerce plugin for WordPress. There are various training and certification programs available that focus on building and customizing WooCommerce stores.
• Value – WooCommerce powers a large portion of online stores, especially for businesses using WordPress.

Website Optimization Certification by Moz

• Offered by Moz, a leader in SEO tools, this certification program teaches website optimization strategies that help increase traffic and conversion rates.
• Value – E-commerce designers should understand the basics of SEO to ensure their websites are discoverable. Moz's certification program will help you design SEO-friendly e-commerce sites.

Digital Marketing Certifications (Google, Facebook, etc.)

• Digital marketing certifications from Google, Facebook, or other marketing platforms teach the basics of digital advertising, content marketing, and social media strategies.
• Value – As an e-commerce designer, it’s important to understand how design connects with marketing. Digital marketing certifications help you design sites that work seamlessly with marketing efforts to drive traffic and sales.

Professional Organizations
The following professional organizations cater to e-commerce designers, offering resources and opportunities for networking and career development:

• Interaction Design Association (IxDA) – IxDA is a member-supported organization dedicated to the discipline of interaction design. Since its launch in 2003, IxDA has grown into a network of more than 150,000 individuals with local groups around the globe, focusing on interaction design issues for the practitioner, no matter their level of experience.
• Awwwards – This is an online platform that recognizes and celebrates the best in web design and user experience. It features outstanding e-commerce websites and promotes designers who are innovating in the field.
• User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA) International – This association supports people who research, design, and evaluate the user experience (UX) of products and services.
• Smashing Magazine – Smashing Magazine is one of the leading online publications for web designers and developers. It offers resources, tutorials, and events focusing on web design, UX / UI, and front-end development, all of which are essential for e-commerce designers.
• DesignX (Design and Technology Community) – DesignX brings together all design disciplines at the intersection of business, design and technology. Beyond local chapter events, workshops and webinars, it also organizes a few annual conferences.
• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) – While primarily focused on computing and technology, the ACM offers access to technical papers, research, and development trends for those working in web development, design, and e-commerce, especially from a technical perspective.