Education and Training

Earning a web design degree requires taking a number of technology and design-type courses, two fields that were once considered to be nearly opposite of each other. But, in order to be a successful web designer, you must possess the skills necessary to program and create the web site while also having the creativity to develop a site that is attractive to the end user. Therefore, in order to earn your web design degree, you will need to take courses in computer programming, computer sciences, Internet use, marketing, and design.

Employment Opportunities

After earning your web design degree, you may choose to seek employment with one company or to start your own freelance web design business. In both cases, your job duties will include analyzing the needs of your client, collecting data regarding the target audience, and developing a web site that will attract clients to the business. As the competition for creating a strong Internet presence becomes more and more fierce, the web designer must also develop methods for making the web site more attractive to search engines so the web site will earn a higher search engine ranking.

Whether working for one company or as a freelancer, the web designer is also often called upon to work with other experts, such as freelance writers that can create content for the site. Some also need to call on the expertise of search engine optimization experts to ensure the site they develop is conducive to earning high search engine rankings.

Typically, the web designer puts his or her web design degree to work in order to create several different templates for the client to select from. Once the template is chosen, the web designer sets to work creating the final site.

Job Outlook and Salary

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for individuals with a web design degree are expected to grow faster than the average occupation as businesses increasingly realize the need to create a strong Internet presence in order to be successful. Although the Bureau does not have statistics available in regard to the earning potential of someone with a web design degree, it does report that graphic artists – who often perform the similar duties to a web designer – earned an annual median salary of $38,030 in May 2004. In addition, since a web design degree is typically put to use in order to start a small business, the earning potential is really up to you and the number of hours you are willing to devote to the business.

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