Digital Jobs

Web Developer

Web Developers are responsible for the layout, visual appearance and usability of a website.

What does the job entail?

Using a combination of graphic design skills and technical knowledge of how web pages are created, the work involves:

• Liaising closely with a customer or client to find out why the site is needed, who the target audience will be and who the leading competitors are
• Producing a design that will be attractive to the target user, has a logical navigation system and has all the features required
• Writing web pages in a combination of codes such as HTML and XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, Actionscript, ColdFusion, .Net, Flash or using code-generating programs such as Dreamweaver or Visual Studio
• Deciding on how images and other material will be digitally optimised and presented for the web
• Testing the site for functionality in different browsers and at different resolutions

Web designers will have knowledge of graphic design packages such as Fireworks or Photoshop in order to produce basic layout and manipulate images. Skills in e-commerce and server side technologies, such as PHP and .Net, and internet security are also important. As users gain faster access to the internet via broadband, web designers with skills in multimedia and interactivity are likely to be in greater demand.

Typical Career Routes

Until now, the industry has had a fairly flat structure, in which career development has been towards new skill areas rather than upwards. This appears to be changing, with more layers of management emerging as the industry develops. Opportunities exist for career development in areas such as internet, interactive television, games development, and e-learning.

Developers may remain focused on the production of multimedia or with experience, move into middle management roles, such as team leader, project manager or production manager. Project Leaders, responsible for coordinating the work carried out by the various team members and ensuring that the project is completed to deadline, require an all-round skill set encompassing business, content, design and technical competencies.

Key Skills

• Interactive design skills
• Programming skills such as authoring, engineering and quality testing
• Understanding of layout, design and graphics

Good communication skills

• Logical approach to problem-solving
• Ability to manage a complex range of tasks to meet deadlines
• Relevant software knowledge (Flash, Photoshop, Flex)
• Programming languages (C++, Java, .NET)
• Scripting languages (Actionscript 2 + 3, Javascript, Ruby, SQL, PHP, XML, CSS, XHTML)

Training and Qualifications

Although candidates do not need a particular degree to enter Human Resources, subjects such as HR Management, Social Administration or Psychology may improve your chances.