As a web designer, I get all kinds of requests for information other than web design, and as a web designer
I'm not really suppose to be able to do things outside of the web design area. I believe there are a few misconceptions
about what exactly a web designer does. In this article I am going to nail down exactly what a web designer is and what they
should be able to do. First I'll touch of the differences between a web designer and a web developer. A web designer is
someone who creates the visual design and layout of a web page. A web developer is someone who does the behind-the-scenes
programming of a website. For example a web developer creates the code for database websites.
Web
designer's definition:
They give business/organizations a web presence by building them
a website. Web designers are professionals who organize information, create page layouts, while communicating the business's
information/opinions in a website. Web designers create another medium for the business to expand into. Creating a website
enables the business to attract new customers, showcase its services/products, and to do business across countries (as opposed
to one location).
What things do web designer's do?
That's
a really good question. It is definitely hard to nail down what every designer must do in order to call themselves a web designer.
A good web designer should be able to do both the design and the development, unfortunately for you the consumer, it doesn't
always work that way.
Your web designer must be able to perform the following:
* Understand and keep current will all new emerging technology
*Layout web pages using HTML, XHTML,
XML , and other programming languages
*Program HTML (hand code), JavaScript and CSS
*Translate your
ideas, needs and expectations into a web page
*Design navigation elements (such as navigation bars)
*Create
graphics in Photoshop or any other professional imaging software
* Effectively participate in a web development
team
* Have an understanding on how to create Flash (authoring software used to create animation programs)
*Understand and implement web standards
* Have an understanding of Search Engine Optimization
* Have
a basic understanding of typography, graphics and color theory
* Understand needs of users and of usability testing
* Have ability to analyze a target market
* Understand cross browser problems and how to fix them
A great web designer also has knowledge of coding languages such as:
*
C++
* Python
* Java
* JavaScript
* Cold fusion
* SQL
* PHP
Sometimes it might be difficult for a web designer to have all those different programming languages
under their belt. It is like knowing English, French, Chinese and German. Quite complicated. The more languages they know
the better. Well that should help you on your search for a good web designer!
Information Technology is a field that encompasses a wide range of employment possibilities. From software development and hardware integration to webmasters and beyond, the possibilities are almost limitless. What isn’t limitless, unfortunately,
are the educational opportunities related to IT training. For an industry that undergoes drastic changes on an almost yearly
basis, it’s difficult for our current educational system to keep up. Relevancy is almost always compromised by lengthy
computer science degree programs that teach fundamentals which the newest developments no longer adhere to.
This begs the question; how exactly
does one go about establishing a career in the IT field. Between communications and computer science majors, self taught gurus and others already working in the field, there doesn’t seem to be a particular academic path to
follow which can guarantee success. There are, however, more than a few ways to hedge your bets and come out on top.
The first step is to choose an area of IT that interests you and for which there is a growing need. As an example, it may
pay to be relatively familiar with UNIX if you’re planning on making a career in coding, but there’s rarely a
need for someone with more than a working knowledge. Choose an area, be it network security, coding, administration, integration,
OS management or any of the other possibilities, that hasn’t outlived its shelf life.
Once you’ve settled
on an area you wish to develop expertise in, get certified. Certification classes may not be the most impressive thing on
your resume, but they’ll impart a large amount of knowledge in the shortest possible timeframe. Better yet, they’ll
give you the entry level criteria you need to take the next step.
The next step, as it were, is to gain some experience.
Whether through internships or short term contracts with less than desirable compensation, experience in combination with
certifications can help you go from a job to a career. Not only will you learn more, the nature of working on projects forces
you to become acclimated to putting your knowledge to use in real time.
Once you have a little experience under
your belt and a few certifications behind you, you have two choices. You can either parlay what you have into a career in
your chosen field or continue to work part time while you go for a degree at either the associate’s or bachelor level.
The advantage of the latter is that it may save you from toiling at entry level wages and has the possibility to open the
door to opportunities with companies that will make your education worthwhile.
