Intelligent Web Design

By: J. Briere

One industry that is expected to expand over the coming years is the web design industry. This is because of the Internet’s profound impact on the world, how it is viewed, how we communicate, and its potential for business opportunities. Everything we see on the “net” has been programmed and built by talented and well trained web designers and programmers. This is true for any site. Employees from this field are essential for any company that is looking to capitalize on the marketing opportunities that the internet offers.

Not to be confused with…

Often times web designers are confused with graphic designers. While these professions do have some overlapping areas they are distinctly different from each other in a number of ways. Graphic designers almost always focus solely on visual design. This is geared more towards advertising and marketing designs. While web designers also work with visual designs for sites this is not the only area that they have a hand in. In addition to the visual work they are trained and educated in how to manipulate code like ASP, .NET, Java, Java Script, and others. Web designers, as their name suggests, focus on constructing actual websites and the functions that are needed such as search bars, navigation panels, and other mechanics.

Tools of the Trade

Programmers and mechanics are a lot more similar than they may care to admit. While mechanics have a chest full of tools at their disposal to use to work on cars a web designer must also have a wide array of tools in order to build or overhaul website. Just as mechanics are trained to work with hydraulic lifts and power tools so too must the web designer be trained in the programs he will be using on a daily basis. These programs range from graphic design programs like Adobe Photoshop to web developing applications like Dreamweaver. Web designers also have to have a strong understanding in programs such as web editors like HTML, word processors like Microsoft Word, video and audio editing software, and programs such as Flash.

Advantages of Web Design Training

There are many advantages to be gained from becoming a web designer. The main advantage is that as long as there is an internet there will be a market for web designers. This offers a market that is almost ever expanding and evolving. Another advantage of being a web designer is working as a freelancer. This affords a person the opportunity of working with many different clients and in some cases allows for programmers to work out of the house rather than in an office. Web designers, in conjunction with graphic designers, offer endless possibilities for marketing and advertising. They allow for companies to expand their reach from a local or national level to an international scope.

Is it for you?

Not all people may be interested in becoming a web designer but this specific career offers a stable work environment because of the demand for programmers. The average salary for junior web designers is somewhere in the range of $30,000 and $40,000 a year. Senior designers on average earn $61,000 to $67,000. As the web expands over the years so too will the demand for web designers.