Web designers create website features that users see and interact with– what web specialists call the “front end” of a web site. If you’re a commercial artist or graphic designer ready to move from print publications to the worldwideweb, you may want to pursue a web design degree. A good web design program will train you to identify the information, style, and functionality that suit a website’s intentions and purpose, then teach you to create the website user interface, including layout, graphics, art, and multimedia, including software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, HTML/XHTML, and JavaScript. You’ll also learn the art of effective site navigation, and the how to design the functions that enable visitors to interact with the site, whether that involves purchasing products, connecting to other users, or searching for information. Website design programs are typically offered at the diploma, associate degree, and bachelor’s degree levels, at four-year colleges, community colleges, art schools, and voc/tech schools.
Web Design Careers
Almost anyone who has anything to sell has a presence on Web. E-commerce is standard practice now, and most traditional businesses have a website. Salaried, in-house web design jobs are very competitive, but many types of businesses, including marketing, advertising, publishing, and design companies need web designers on staff. Depending on your expertise, you may fulfill a number of web design roles in an in-house Creative department. Over time, once you have established a substantial portfolio and can command a steady income, you may choose the flexibility working for yourself. In fact, web design is one of those careers in which both entry-level workers and “rock stars” are independent contractors.
What’s the Job Outlook?
Career opportunities for web design specialists continue to grow. According to the site www.worldwidewebsize.com, the Indexed Web contained at least 21.24 billion pages at the start of 2010. There are well over 100 million websites in operation. If salaried corporate positions are hard to come by, you may do well by going into business for yourself.
How Much Does Web Design Pay?
The salary range for a web designer is broad because it is based on a combination of many factors. You may make more as an independent contractor, but the more experience you have, the more a high-powered marketing or advertising corporation may be willing to pay you. According to Payscale.com, web design careers can start at around $30,000 and range all the way up to nearly $70,000. If you’re a star in web design, you may command even more.
