Becoming a Web Designer
I would like to get work being a web designer. What entry
level job would I look for to get that experience?
First, don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the massive amount of
information there is. It amazes me too, and frankly The WDVL only shows
the tip of the iceberg.. but don't attempt to master it all. Specialise.
First make sure you understand
HTML
thoroughly - very few websites
show evidence of genuine mastery of HTML, which is the foundation of it
all. I would suggest that the basic measure of understanding is to
validate your own site, and maybe some others, and see if you can at
least understand the errors (congratulations if you have none!). Your
site doesn't have to be perfectly error-free (our isn't) but you should
find the exercise illuminating.
Don't get carried away with the technology. I'm not impressed with
sites that try to wow me with Java applets, big imagemaps, JavaScript
ticker bars, animated GIFs, etc. They often were not worth the wait, and
irritate more than help. I'm impressed by clean design that takes *my*
needs into account, and helps me in some way. Web site design is a
challenging task, demanding an understanding of your target audience,
information architecture, web technologies, graphics design, etc. See my
article on
Web Design - More than Meets the Eye.
One important area of HTML to master is
Forms - they can be used with
other technologies such as
JavaScript and
CGI to create interactive sites.
As for entry-level jobs, I can't give much practical advice there,
having come into this business from the early days - everything has
changed! We have a Jobs section in our Library, as well as a section
where you can post your resume's URL and a brief description of yourself
and what you are looking for. I would imagine that there is a good
demand for HTML, but that most employers think it's a trivial task.
you'll need to add graphics (your Photoshop knowledge will certainly
help) and some programming capability. I hope that The WDVL will be able
to help you go some way towards that.
|
