--- title: Do You Need to Be an Artist to Do Web Design? description: Web design and development are necessary components of creating ... image: https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-02-19-54-9734-PM-Apr-10-2023-02-13-01-1645-PM-Apr-25-2023-04-00-30-3176-AM-May-01-2023-10-36-48-9314-PM.png --- [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) [![Website Magazine Logo](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png?width=586&height=145&name=gradient-regular@3x-1.png "Website Magazine Logo")](http://Website%20Services,%20Inc.) - [About](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about) - [FAQs](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/faq) - [Advertise](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/advertise) - [Editorial Staff](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/editorial-publishing-staff) - [Resources](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com) - [Newsletter](https://www.websitemagazine.com/newsletter-sign-up) - More - [Contact Us](https://www.websitemagazine.com/contact) [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) Search - [Latest](https://www.websitemagazine.com) - [Design](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design) - [Development](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-development) - [SEO](https://www.websitemagazine.com/seo) - [Ecommerce](https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce) - [Content](https://www.websitemagazine.com/content) - [Marketing](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing) - [Advertising](https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising) - [Email](https://www.websitemagazine.com/email) - [Infographics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/infographics) - [View All Topics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/channels) # Do You Need to Be an Artist to Do Web Design? ![Larry Alton](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Author%20Photos/Larry%20Alton.jpg) [by Larry Alton](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/author/larry-alton) 03 Feb, 2016 - - - [mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/do-you-need-to-be-an-artist-to-do-web-design](mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/do-you-need-to-be-an-artist-to-do-web-design) - Link Copied! ![Do You Need to Be an Artist to Do Web Design?](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-02-19-54-9734-PM-Apr-10-2023-02-13-01-1645-PM-Apr-25-2023-04-00-30-3176-AM-May-01-2023-10-36-48-9314-PM.png)     **Web design and development are necessary components of creating online success, and certainly aesthetic appearance plays a major role in how it all plays out.**   But is design an art? The experts say no - and, further, they argue that conflating art and design is detrimental to success.   ### Art versus Design: Drawing the Distinction The biggest distinction between art and design is that art comes from something internal, and design comes from something external. In short, art is about creative expression, while design is created in response to a functional need.   While a site should look visually pleasing, its purpose is to perform a function. The designer needs someone to use what he or she creates; it [cannot serve its purpose](https://bokardo.com/archives/five-principles-to-design-by/) if there's no one to use it. Certainly, art exists that is useful, but design creates something to be incorporated into our everyday lives.   This isn't an insult to designers. Certainly, it's possible to appreciate and respect design as you could a work of art. And, indeed, many designers are also artists. But the project of art is not to solve an everyday problem. In a nutshell, art is itself a project, while design is a product.   Kissmetrics [sums it up this way](https://blog.kissmetrics.com/graphic-designer-secrets/): Pretty doesn't count. When you look at a well-executed website design, "That looks nice" is less important than "That works well."   ### Approaching Art from a Design Perspective If anything, the art world could learn a thing or two from designers - especially online. If current successes are anything to measure by, it takes an engineer and entrepreneurial approach to make a real splash to sell art and make it accessible to a wide audience. In a [recent interview](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/nova-lorraine/parkwest-artist_b_7589026.html), Albert Scaglione, the founder and CEO of the world's largest art dealer, Park West Gallery, explains how he came to the art world.   While he studied to be an engineer and spent the first portion of his post-graduate adulthood teaching, art kept pulling him back. His technical history is certainly a contributor to his success.   ### Why the Distinction Matters It's not just about semantics; it's about attitude. Design is a business-related venture, and it needs to be treated as such. The treatment of designers as artists undermines and undervalues the work they do. While this is an unfortunate and unwarranted reflection on art itself, it's a problem for designers who produce a design - a product.   HubSpot points to one [frustrating but common request](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/designers-are-not-artists) designers receive from non-designer clients: "Could you send me a couple different versions of that?" This is like asking a nutritionist, after she recommends a nutrient-rich diet for better health, "Okay, but what else ya got?"   ### Final Thoughts: What Designers are Worth In short, while an artist can create a number of different works of art - sometimes within a very short timeframe - a designer's creation is meant to solve a problem. Asking for a different "version" of the designer's solution assumes that the designer hasn't already invested careful, thoughtful work and ideas. It's one thing if you're unhappy with how the website functions, but if you'd like to see the entire thing redone "just because," expect to pay the designer to build the design up from the ground all over again.   Larry Alton is a professional blogger, writer and researcher who contributes to a number of reputable online media outlets and news sources. In addition to journalism, technical writing and in-depth research, he's also active in his community and spends weekends volunteering with a local non-profit literacy organization and rock climbing. Follow him on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/LarryAlton3) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/larryalton).   ![Larry Alton](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Author%20Photos/Larry%20Alton.jpg) [Larry Alton](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/author/larry-alton) Larry Alton is a multi-talented professional with a diverse background in writing, sales, marketing, and account management. He has a wealth of knowledge in digital marketing and a passion for e-commerce, SEO, social media, conversion rate optimization, and creative digital design. In addition to his expertise in digital marketing, Larry also actively invests in real estate and is passionate about this field. His writing has been featured in prominent publications such as Inc.com, Entrepreneur.com, and TechCrunch, as well as Business.com and TheNextWeb.com. With a proven track record in both the digital marketing and writing industries, Larry is a valuable asset to any organization. - - #### Popular Post ### [6 Sexy Web Design Agency Websites ![6 Sexy Web Design Agency Websites](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-02-19-54-9734-PM-Apr-10-2023-01-58-57-4342-PM-Apr-25-2023-03-47-11-5390-AM-May-01-2023-10-24-02-6643-PM.png)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/6-sexy-web-design-agency-websites) ### [Six User Testing Questions to Ask While Navigating Website Redesigns ![Six User Testing Questions to Ask While Navigating Website Redesigns](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/question-mark483bf98ec5e163acbc5dff0000ff1aaa-3-1-1-1.png)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/six-user-testing-questions-to-ask-while-navigating-website-redesigns) ### [The Most Popular Fonts of 2015 ![The Most Popular Fonts of 2015](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/serifshot-3-1-1-1.jpg)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/the-most-popular-fonts) #### Subscribe to Our Newsletter! [![](https://a.impactradius-go.com/display-ad/13053-1438301)](https://semrush.sjv.io/c/3976891/1438301/13053)![](https://imp.pxf.io/i/3976891/1438301/13053) #### Latest in Web Design [![The Vertical Split Screen Design Trend](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-02-16-08-6449-PM-Apr-10-2023-02-12-54-4429-PM-Apr-25-2023-04-00-11-0245-AM-May-01-2023-10-36-44-2646-PM.png) The Vertical Split Screen Design Trend](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/slicing-dicing-the-split-stacked-screens-trend) [![Six User Testing Questions to Ask While Navigating Website Redesigns](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/question-mark483bf98ec5e163acbc5dff0000ff1aaa-3-1-1-1.png) Six User Testing Questions to Ask While Navigating Website Redesigns](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/six-user-testing-questions-to-ask-while-navigating-website-redesigns) [![Design for Conversion: Apply the Von Restorff Effect](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/unsplash-53117-Jan-23-2023-02-22-47-9807-PM-1-1-1.jpg) Design for Conversion: Apply the Von Restorff Effect](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/design-for-conversion-apply-the-von-restorff-effect) [![Why Modern Web Design Is No More: The New Era of 'Product Design'](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-02-24-25-7392-PM-Apr-10-2023-02-13-05-1129-PM-Apr-25-2023-04-00-33-0074-AM-May-01-2023-10-36-52-3196-PM.png) Why Modern Web Design Is No More: The New Era of 'Product Design'](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/why-modern-web-design-is-no-more-the-new-era-of-product-design) [![Before and After: Transforming Email Design with the 3 P's](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-02-16-08-6449-PM-Apr-10-2023-02-12-54-4429-PM-Apr-25-2023-04-00-11-0245-AM-May-01-2023-10-36-44-2646-PM.png) Before and After: Transforming Email Design with the 3 P's](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/before-and-after-transforming-email-design-with-the-3-p-s) [![5 Fab, Fresh & Free Animation Libraries](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-02-16-08-6449-PM-Apr-10-2023-02-12-54-4429-PM-Apr-25-2023-04-00-11-0245-AM-May-01-2023-10-36-44-2646-PM.png) 5 Fab, Fresh & Free Animation Libraries](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/5-fab-fresh-free-animation-libraries) [![gradient-regular@3x](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x.png?width=128&height=128&name=gradient-regular@3x.png)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/) 999 E Touhy Ave, Des Plaines, IL 60018   [info@websitemagazine.com](mailto:info@websitemagazine.com) [(888) 7WEBMAG](tel:18887932624) [(312) 313-6576](tel:13123136576) About - [Advertise](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/advertise) - [Editorial](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/editorial-publishing-staff) - [Contact Us](https://www.websitemagazine.com/contact) Resources Membership - Login - Subscribe Signup for our newsletter © 2026 Website Magazine. All Rights Reserved - [Privacy Policy](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/privacy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Larry Alton", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/author/larry-alton" }, "dateModified" : "2023-05-01T22:38:28.175Z", "datePublished" : "2016-02-03T06:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Do You Need to Be an Artist to Do Web Design?", "image" : [ "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-02-19-54-9734-PM-Apr-10-2023-02-13-01-1645-PM-Apr-25-2023-04-00-30-3176-AM-May-01-2023-10-36-48-9314-PM.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design/do-you-need-to-be-an-artist-to-do-web-design", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png" }, "name" : "Website Services, Inc." } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "NewsArticle", "author" : [ { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Larry Alton" } ], "headline" : "Do You Need to Be an Artist to Do Web Design?", "publisher" : { "name" : "Website Magazine", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/" } } ```