Yes, you can!
I myself entered the web industry at the age of 26 with no experience. At first, I had zero knowledge and was full of anxiety, but you can definitely grow by simply accumulating "what you couldn't do today, you will be able to do tomorrow.
I believe that the shortest way to become a professional from no experience is to steadily build up your skills without being in a hurry.
However, please note that if you say you have no experience, but only practical experience, and you do not know how to use software at all and want to be taught after you join the company, you will not pass the test!

First, learn the basics of "HTML and CSS" while also getting acquainted with design tools such as "Photoshop" and "Figma.
The key is to proceed with both coding and design in parallel, as they can both be done at a basic level. If you only learn one, you will quickly run into a wall in the production field, so understanding both will overwhelmingly broaden the scope of your work.
There is no need to aim for a professional level from the beginning, but at the very least, you should be able to use both at a "usable" level.

You can be self-taught, but if you want to quickly gain skills, a school may be a good option.
I started out as a self-taught person, but I think many people take courses at schools.
The advantages of attending a school are that you can learn systematically, you can easily recognize your own issues, and you can receive support for portfolio creation. However, just attending a school does not guarantee that you will be able to change jobs, so it is important to keep working on your own while learning.
If you are self-taught, it is quite difficult. When I was not competent, I joined a department that does web production for a supermarket as a contract employee, not a web production company.
I didn't have the money to go to school, but I was able to learn onsite and managed to learn up to the basics, after which I moved on to a career in a production company.

It is absolutely necessary!
If you have no experience, companies will use your portfolio to determine what skills you have and what kind of sense and mindset you possess.
Even if it is a fictitious project, prepare a portfolio with variations such as banner production, LP design, simple corporate website, etc.
Especially when you have no experience, you cannot compete with experienced people in design or coding, so competing on a different axis is key.
Bring in the direction and marketing perspectives of "having a well-defined persona" and "setting KPIs and KGIs to envision goals."
By bringing this in, you will be able to compete with designers who are competing on design alone, even if they are inexperienced.

First, aim for relatively small volume jobs such as "small-scale corporate website production" and "banner production.
As you gain practical experience, even on small projects, you will quickly develop a "sense of speed," "practical design skills," and "client response skills.
Rather than aiming for large scale projects from the beginning, we recommend that you first accumulate successful experience in delivering even small jobs without fail.

Please rest assured. Sense is not only a natural talent.
I did not have a good sense of design myself, but it was cultivated through "seeing" and "copying" many good designs.
At first, it is important to learn the basic layout and color scheme rules. In fact, design is a process of learning a "pattern" and then developing one's individuality, so don't be in a hurry and build up from the basics.
About 20 years ago, I used to read and copy MDN's design books. There was also a book called "The Principles of Web Design That You Should Not Be Ashamed of as a Professional," and I studied it both to understand the principles and to polish my designs.

As a rough guide, if you can continue to study 2 to 3 hours every day for 3 to 6 months, you will have acquired the minimum skills.
However, this is "if you really keep at it every day. For the first six months, I was also doing something with my hands almost every day, including holidays.
The important thing is not to be satisfied with input alone, but to "make something tangible with your hands. If you focus on output, you should be able to create a portfolio in six months.
It is also a good idea to study not only design but also marketing perspectives. What is required of designers at production companies today is not only the skill to create beautiful designs, but also the ability to bring positive effects to the client's site. This is strictly required.
Many people who come for interviews as designers are lacking in this area, so if you can appeal to this when you have no experience, there is a good chance that you will be accepted based on your potential, even if your designs are a little rough.

When I was self-studying, I often thought "Maybe I am not suited for this.
But when that happened, the best cure was to "accumulate small successes. For example, "I was able to make one page," "I was able to make a copy," etc. Any small accomplishment is OK.
Just be aware of "have I made one step further than I did yesterday?" without seeking perfection, and you will find it easier to stay motivated.
Also, try to create your own website in your favorite genre and do your best to make it profitable through affiliate marketing.
Creating something you like will keep you motivated, and making money as an affiliate is a good way to practice being effective for your clients.
Since you are going to make something, I recommend that you learn marketing and SEO as well as design!

Yes, you can.
In fact, I have seen many people in their late 30s and 40s become web designers.
More important than age is by far "how hard you can really work. If you have working experience, you also have strengths such as communication skills and a sense of responsibility, which are more of a weapon.
It is a waste to use age as a reason to give up!

First, complete your portfolio.
Companies will judge "what skills you have" based on your portfolio. Then, apply for jobs that welcome applicants with no experience.
It is recommended that you act with the mindset of "apply and get feedback," rather than seeking perfection from the start.
I too thought it was normal to fail at first, but I still continued to take action, and as a result, a path opened up for me.
However, it is difficult to get into a well-known production company or agency at first, so you may want to look for a place where you have a good chance of getting in even with no experience, such as a temporary placement or contract job. That's what I did.
I think you can gain experience there and step up. It's better to hurry!

First of all, be aware of a wide range of genres, such as "corporate websites that assume a real company," "fictitious service websites," and "banner production.
In addition to quality, the target audience and concept of the site will also be emphasized. If possible, include a site blueprint (wireframe) to convey a more practical power.
I also think it is important to try affiliate marketing or have experience in selling products yourself. During the interview process, it is difficult to pass if you are only concerned with the design and concept.
If you can talk about what kind of persona you have in mind when you create the site, what you are doing to increase the likelihood of sales, how you are analyzing the numbers, and how you are running the PDCA cycle, then you are likely to get through the interview. If you can talk about these things, even if you have no experience, you should be able to make people think, "Isn't that great? If you can talk about how you do it, even if you have no experience, people will think you're great.
If you are inexperienced and inexperienced in design, I recommend that you don't compete on the same field as the best designers!

At first, we recommend small production companies via temporary staffing or general companies recruiting web personnel (in-house designers).
The smaller the scale, the easier it is to gain a wide range of work experience and the faster you can grow.
I started out as an in-house designer at a supermarket with about 30 employees as a contract employee, and after three years, I moved to a production company with less than five employees as a temporary placement worker. After that, I moved to a production company with over 200 people, where I worked hard and became a department manager.
Thanks to being entrusted with a variety of projects, I was able to quickly develop my skills.

In this day and age, technology is becoming more and more difficult, so you are not required to be at a level where you can create a website completely on your own.
However, at the very least, you should be able to create basic page layouts using HTML and CSS, and be able to design simple banners and corporate websites.
In my experience, as long as you have reached the level of "having a basic understanding of the basics and being able to devise your own ideas," you have a good chance.

In the web design industry, qualifications are rarely directly advantageous for employment, since competence is judged by "ability = portfolio". I do not have any qualifications either.
However, I think that acquiring certifications such as the Web Creator Proficiency Test or the Photoshop Creator Certification Test can serve as proof of basic skills.
The first priority is to "build up one's ability in the process of learning.

Technically, it is possible, but to be honest, it is quite demanding.
We strongly recommend that you first get a job somewhere and gain practical experience. Freelancing requires not only technical skills but also sales, proposal, and self-management skills, and it is difficult to build trusting relationships with clients without practical experience.
However, it is a dream way of working, so I think it is possible to try applying to cheaper projects such as Coconara and CrowdWorks to gain practical experience.

The most important thing to keep in mind when self-studying is that you will not know what to do and how far to go. In the early days, I too tried my hand at this and that, and went a long way. I recommend that you focus on the basics (HTML, CSS, and design tool operation) and aim to be able to create one website first. If you set a goal for your study, you will be less likely to fall behind.

Yes, you can! Especially now that no-code tools (STUDIO, Webflow, etc.) are widely available, there are fewer situations where coding skills are required than before. However, you need to understand the basics of HTML and CSS to prevent gaps between design and implementation. I was not a good coder myself, so I tried to have at least a minimal awareness of "understanding how it works.

At first, we recommend "coding first. The reason is that once you understand how a website is created, the quality of your design will improve dramatically. By learning coding, I became aware of "how it will be put together" when designing, and I am now able to design without any difficulty. Even if you learn only design, if you don't know how to implement it, you will have a hard time in practice.

If you are going to learn now, you should first learn Figma, as the transition to Figma is rapidly progressing in the web industry. However, Photoshop is also still used for banner production and image processing, so it is best to be exposed to both. I often use both Figma and Photoshop depending on the project, so I recommend that you learn at least the basic operations.

It is more important to convey the "concept" and "process" than the completeness of the design. Carefully summarize the process from the background, such as target setting, designing for a specific purpose, creating wireframes, and so on. I have also experienced that my first portfolio received a high evaluation at an interview because I explained not only the finished product but also the "design intent" well.

If you have no experience, "attitude toward learning" and "willingness to grow" are more important than "skills. During the interview, I strongly emphasized my "ability to research and give shape to what I don't understand" and "tenacity to finish the job. It will lead to a good impression if you can also talk about your difficulties and innovations in the production process along with your portfolio.

Why did you decide to become a web designer?" I am often asked questions such as, "Please describe the works you have created so far. I was also often asked, "What innovations did you have in mind when designing?" I was often asked "What kind of innovations did you have in mind when designing? Before the interview, it is a good idea to look at your own portfolio and practice to put into words your intentions and points of ingenuity.

The trick is to search widely using keywords such as "no experience required" or "assistant designer wanted. Also, actively use non-agency media such as the production company's official website, Wantedly, and Green. I was able to seize opportunities by not being overly particular about my desired conditions, but by prioritizing "a place where I can gain experience" in my search.

Yes, you can! In fact, there are many people around me who started their careers as part-time or temporary workers and are now active as full-time employees or freelancers. The most important thing is to first gain "practical experience" in the field. If you continue to be involved in the field in any way, you will certainly have more opportunities.

It is important to clarify not only the design but also "who the work is intended for" and "what it is intended to accomplish. Hiring managers look not only for "beautiful designs," but also for "ideas" and "ability to make proposals. When I had no experience, I carefully described the concept and target setting in my portfolio, which was appreciated more than mere works.

It is important to "complete each piece properly. In the beginning, I tended to be satisfied with my work, but I was able to grow by working through it to completion. Also, if you add a written explanation of the purpose and target setting of the site and banner, your work will be much more persuasive. Be conscious of conveying not only the appearance of your work, but also the process by which you thought about it.

Both are important, but we recommend starting with "banner production. Through banner production, you can efficiently learn the basics of design (color scheme, layout, and eye guidance). As a result of my thorough practice in banner production, I was able to understand more quickly when I moved on to site design. Let's start with a small piece of work and build on it.

At least three to five pieces of work should be included in your portfolio. It is not enough to have a large number of projects, but "degree of completion" and "variation" are important. I combined works from different genres (corporate sites, store sites, banner ads, etc.) to show my wide-ranging versatility. Make sure to emphasize the quality of each piece.

Don't seek perfection too much. When I had no experience, I was worried that I should wait until I could do more before applying for a job, but that would have been a lifetime in the making. I strongly recommend that you put together a portfolio of the maximum you can do now and apply for jobs as soon as possible. Have an image of growth while taking action.

Your dream will become a reality from those who take action. I, too, started with no experience and moved forward step by step in a state of uncertainty. It is okay if you fail, and it is okay if you are not perfect from the beginning. If you accumulate what you can do now one by one, you will surely grow! Don't be in a hurry, believe in yourself, and move forward step by step. I will be rooting for you!