Web designers are responsible for creating the look and feel of World Wide Web pages for a client's Web site. This involves developing a graphic design that effectively communicates the ideas being promoted by the Web site. A web designer may take part in the initial planning of a Web site, meeting with the client to discuss ideas for the layout and organization of the site, the types of colors or images to use (photos, illustrations, videos, etc.), and other matters concerning overall graphic design. Sometimes a web producer has already developed a basic concept for the web page. In this case it is the web designer's task to create a design that matches the producer's ideas
The training required to be a web designer can be very basic or advanced. Some designers have 4 year college degrees, while others just have a certificate. There is one thing, however that all web designers must know. All designers must have training in computer graphics packages such as Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Paint Shop Pro as well as knowledge of Flash, XML-based web applications and programming, XHTML programming, and other web development languages and technologies. The designer should also be comfortable working with a variety of operating systems such as Windows, Macintosh, and Unix. Since computer technology changes rapidly, web designers must constantly stay abreast of new developments in graphics software packages as well as those in the World Wide Web and related technologies.
Because web designers work with a client or web producer to develop and refine ideas, they must have strong verbal and visual communications skills. Designers should be able to listen closely to the client and create pages that reflect what the client is looking for. They also need to be flexible because they may be called upon to change their designs. Since Web sites are constantly updated to remain current, a designer has to be able to work well under the pressure of tight deadlines and changing demands.
The salary for a web designer is quite good. It can range from $45,000 – $80,000. The average salary is around $56,000. Since the world wide web is constantly expanding, the field of web design is a very high demand career, and experts say that demand will last until 2015.
