What is a Web Designer?

A web designer/developer should:

• have skills in software programming and graphics
• have creativity and imagination
• be adaptable and able to pick up new techniques
• have good interpersonal and communication skills
• keep up to date with advances in computer technology and how this affects the business environment

Web Designers | Developers are employed across all industry sectors from finance and retail to public organizations. They may be employed directly by IT consultancies, software houses, web design agencies or work in an organization’s IT department. There are job opportunities throughout the World.

Most employers expect applicants to have a degree-level education, often with relevant work experience and vocational skills. A range of qualifications are available that provide a good ground in web design, interactive UI/UX design, graphic design, and internet technology. Training is done on the job and includes in-house and external training courses. As the IT industry continues to develop, it is vital for web designers/developers to keep up to date with new software and technology. Professional qualifications can be obtained from various professional bodies. The normal progression route for a web designer/developer is to become a senior or principal web designer/developer. Experienced web designers/developers can use their experience and knowledge to become self-employed. In order to design a website, a web designer/developer will:

• establish the purpose of the website based upon its target audience
• identify the type of content the site will host
• determine any functionality that the site must support, for example, whether it will handle financial transactions or enquiries.
• Give guidance on layout, colors and styles.

This will determine the type of technology to use and how complex the site will be. The web designer/developer will then:

• write the programming code, either from scratch or by adapting existing website software and graphics packages to meet business requirements
• test the website and identify any technical problems
• upload the site onto a server and register it with different search engines.

A web designer/developer will usually work as part of a team, which will include a web author/editor, marketing, account managers, etc.

• Develop websites using HTML, CSS frameworks, and Content Management Systems such as Joomla, WordPress, Drupal, Magento, etc.
• Assist programmers with styling for front end web applications
• Manage Social Marketing campaigns
• Manage PPC and organic SEO
• Develop quotes and contract with clients
• Manage design projects
• Graphic design of print and web media
• Provide support to web and hosting customers

• Familiarity with responsive web design
• Must be familiar with latest web standards, including HTML5, CSS3, XML
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite Products
• Experience with content management system installation & customization (Joomla, Drupal & WordPress)
• Experience with e-Commerce Platforms such as Magento, WooCommerce, ZenCart, etc.
• Experience with PHP, Javascript, and other scripting languages

It is important to be interested in:

• Creativity
• keeping up to date with advances in computer technology and how this affects the business environment
• the internet
• troubleshooting and problem solving.

A web designer/developer normally works between 37 and 40 hours a week, 9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. Additional hours may be required to meet deadlines, which could include evenings and weekends. It is possible to be self-employed and work from home. Part-time and flexible hours may be available. It is usual to work in an open-plan office environment. A limited amount of traveling may be required.

• 3+ years of design experience
• Ability to produce quality work quickly & efficiently in a self-directed environment
• Must be able to reliably achieve established milestones
• Time-management skills & attention to detail
• Good oral & written communication skills.
• Must conduct formal briefings.

After establishing the target audience for a website and identifying the type of content it will host, a web designer/developer will:

• write the programming code, either from scratch or by adapting existing website software and graphics packages to meet business requirements.
• test the website and identify any technical problems
• upload the site onto a server and register it with different search engines.