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Designing an Interactive FutureA huge number of us now rely on the internet to carry out our jobs, do our homework, catch up on the news and communicate with friends. There are millions of websites out there in cyberspace, and they all had to be designed by somebody! End of Term investigates the creative career option of web design.
Web design is a dynamic industry, with plenty of opportunities for originality and creativity. If you’re imaginative and artistic with a flair for computing, then it could be a great career choice for you. The internet is always changing, and more and more people are setting up their own home pages using online community sites and blogging templates. However, the need for professionally designed, interactive websites looks set to continue for many years, no matter how much technology transforms.The role of a web designer is to see through the development of a website from an initial idea to a finished, clickable online product. This involves design skills as well as IT techniques like HTML programming. Web design is a fairly flexible career in that you can work for a specialist web design agency, you can operate as a freelancer or set up your own company, or you can work within a large organisation, such as a charity or a business, developing, maintaining and updating web content. With the right personality, skills and outlook, you could find yourself designing pages for all kinds of organisations and individuals – from government departments to local bands. CREATIVE AND TECHNICAL WIZARDRY Web designers need to have technical know-how and artistic talent. This is something that’s been described as having knowledge of the front end (how a site looks) as well as the back end (how it actually works). In order to work at the front end you’ll need creative flair, along with a working knowledge of design programmes like Illustrator, Fireworks and Photoshop, and animation packages such as Flash. When it comes to the back end, you need to be technically proficient, with up-to-date knowledge of the latest web development programmes and a good understanding of authoring software and web ‘languages’ (Javascript and XML, for instance). There is software available which allows you to develop sites without in-depth programming knowledge, but you’ll always need a bit of technical expertise in order to get a site online. And it will also help if you can use technology like scanners, digital cameras and video equipment so you can jazz up any websites you design with videos, images and music. You can gain many of the practical skills needed for a career in web design by undertaking a college course or university degree, which will also enable you to fully understand concepts such as internet accessibility. Courses are offered at institutions across Scotland, including the University of Abertay, which runs a BSc in Web Design and Development, and Glasgow Caledonian University, which provides a BA in Applied Graphics Technology. Adam Smith College in Fife runs an HND in Interactive Multimedia Creation, and Edinburgh’s Telford College offers an HNC in Multimedia Computing and Web Development. Some courses include useful modules on business studies and legal issues, such as the BA in Multimedia Arts at the SAE Institute in Glasgow. Taking a course will also give you the opportunity to create a portfolio of work (which might be viewable online or on a CD), so you can demonstrate your ideas and the different projects you’ve worked on. In addition to the hard skills you’ll require as a web designer, like using design programmes and web software, you’ll also need to be a good communicator, with the ability to translate complicated techie jargon into easy-to-understand language. As well as working alongside IT engineers and programmers, you may end up working with clients and will need to be able to develop the websites they’re looking for and get their vision – no matter how sketchy or simplistic – onto the web. REFRESHINGLY DIFFERENT Because many web design businesses are young companies and they are part of the creative sector, they often have a pretty ‘different’ outlook. The most famous example of this can be found at the Californian home of Google, known as the ‘Googleplex’. Workers here play roller hockey in the car park and enjoy access to pool tables, a gym and snack rooms, which all help to encourage creativity and a happy attitude amongst employees. Here in Scotland, employees of multimedia design company 55degrees have the option of working a four-day week – as long as they’re on top of their regular work-related tasks, staff can use the studio’s equipment every Friday for their own creative projects. It’s not every company that offers this level of flexibility, but if you work hard and have top-class talent and the right attitude, you should find yourself in a workplace where you’ll feel rewarded for your efforts. Talking of rewards, the financial incentives of web design can be pretty attractive too. According to Learn Direct Scotland, a newly qualified web designer can expect to earn between £15,000 and £18,000 per year. With experience this figure can rise to £25,000, and someone in a senior role could bring home up to £30,000 every year. So whether you’re keen to display your artistic skills to the planet by designing amazing home pages, or you want to use your technical abilities to create user-friendly interactive online spaces, training in web design could open up doors to an exciting world and a rewarding and interesting career. I LOVE THE CREATIVE SIDE Kit Allen is Creative Director at Digitl, a company based in Dumfries which offers web design, multimedia services and IT support for business. Kit’s interest in web design was sparked when he realised the internet was heading for big things and, after an HND at a local college, he completed a Media Technology degree at Paisley University, and then set himself up as a freelancer. He found the experience useful: “It’s good to find out how the industry works and freelancing also gives you the flexibility to learn in your own time, which is quite important because there’s only so far a university qualification can take you – there’s a lot of learning on the job. I would recommend freelancing to start off with.” Kit eventually set up his own web design company, which recently merged with a local competitor to form Digitl. As Creative Director, Kit is responsible for most of the design and media work carried out within the company, and really enjoys his work: “I love the creative side of it. I love building things that actually work – it’s such a high when you create something that works perfectly and looks beautiful.” However, it’s not all plain sailing: “The worst aspect of the job is the pressure to meet a really tight deadline.” Kit’s advice to budding web designers is to build up a portfolio of work by designing sites free of charge for friends: “It doesn’t hurt to email people and ask for work or send your CV around – we’re always looking for new talent.” Kit also recommends that aspiring designers keep an eye on the industry so they know what’s going on, and he warns against underselling or underestimating yourself: “It’s possible to do almost anything if you have the motivation.” TOP TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED IN WEB DESIGN • Practical experience and training are really important. Simon Tricker, Creative Director at 55degrees, says: “Hassle companies to give you a placement. Be prepared to work for no money.” • Learn how to multitask – as the internet changes and users expect more interactivity, find out about human interaction with the web, and dedicate time to learning about video production, online television and other aspects of multimedia. The web designers of the future look set to be doing much more than designing home pages. • Hang out with other people who are into the same things. 55degrees Managing Director Russell Henderson has the following advice: “The key thing I’d suggest to any school leavers is that they recognise the value of teams and they build up their own network of like-minded individuals. Whatever you’re interested in, go and find out where those people with similar interests get together – whether physically or in an online forum. You’ll make contacts that you’ll still have 15 to 20 years later.” Find out more British Interactive Media Association 01277 658 107 www.bima.co.uk Digitl 0845 838 1066 www.digitl.co.uk HTML Writers Guild www.hwg.org e-skills www.e-skills.com Pixelboost www.pixelboost.co.uk Skillset (Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries) 0207 520 5757 www.skillset.org |