Web design and development are among the fastest and best careers today. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that web development will grow 27% through 2024 with an average wage of over $66k per year. The typical entry position only requires an associate’s degree. Many developers are self-taught and self-employed. Others are part of teams where they perform part of the tasks in a team environment. Most work full time.

Needless to say, a career in web design and development is a good idea. In this series we’ll look at what it takes to launch a successful career in web design. We’ll look at the people involved, the skills needed, and the process from start to finish.

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Let’s look at some of the tasks that are required for designers and developers. If these tasks sound good to you then you will most likely enjoy this career choice.

Some of the tasks include:

• Meeting with clients to determine the needs of the website.
• Working with team members to determine the content of the site.
• Creating a mock-up of the design based on the client’s needs.
• Creating graphics for the site.
• Creating code (usually HTML, JavaScript, PHP, CSS, or SQL) to perform desired functions.
• Choose themes and plugins.
• Modify the design as needed.

If you’re a freelancer that works alone you’ll be responsible for all of these tasks. If you work with a team (either as part of a team or as a team that you hire), and depending on your role, you could be responsible to manage the project and the team. Freelancers will have business management tasks as well, which include:

• Marketing
• Accounting
• Customer service

Designers and developers must be driven to meet client’s deadlines and they must take goals seriously. This requires:

• Concentration – they must have the ability to work on project for long periods of time.
• Detail oriented – all of the elements must be thoroughly thought through. Code is especially important as one minor error can bring down a server and affect thousands of websites (just ask Amazon).
• Creativity – using modern design trends for layouts, graphics, fonts, colors, and even going beyond the standard and creating new designs that make your work stand out (in a good way, of course).
• Soft skills – developers and designers have to communicate with clients that don’t know anything about web design. This requires patience and being thorough in asking and answering questions.

Related Careers

There are lots of related careers that designers and developers can move into. They include:

• Computer programming
• Database administrator
• Graphics designer
• Information systems Management
• Security analyst
• Software developer
• Systems analyst

Most of these careers require bachelor’s degrees. The pay ranges from around $50k to over $100k. Most are in high demand. Even if you decide that web design and development is not for you, you have similar careers to move into that use your skills.

Let’s Discuss

• What skills do you see as the most important to a web design career?
• Do you prefer to design and develop the site yourself or do you prefer to be part of a team?
• What other careers do you see as related to web design and development?

Let us know what you think in the comments. Thanks for reading. Please subscribe if you haven’t already.

Featured image by Lee Campbell