Career Profile: Web Design
 As the internet has gained significant popularity within the last five years, companies have found it necessary to market their services or products to the online world. Similarly to store fronts or glossy magazine ads, web pages must be attractive to the consumer, easy to navigate, and a reflection of the company brand. Web designers are enlisted to help companies design their website so that their webpage reflects what the company represents in terms of its look, feel, product, and/or service.
Depending on the objective of the website, companies may request that web designers work on conceptions that elicit particular responses from web visitors. For instance, if a company is using the web to offer its products online and conduct e-commerce, then the website needs to accommodate that function and appeal to the consumer. On the other hand, if a company is looking to only provide general information about them and contact information, then the web design would differ greatly in comparison to a website looking to make online sales.
As a profession, web design is relatively new in comparison to other design fields. Although new, it is innovative and exciting as web design follows the progression of information technology. As new developments are made, web design must keep abreast of new technologies to ensure that their designs are up-to-date to create websites that are both relevant and aesthetically appealing.
Similar to other information technology professions, web design is a highly specialized function within the sector. While a formal college education is not always a necessity, having a strong foundation in HTML programming, JavaScript, and using such software as Microsoft FrontPage and Adobe Photoshop, just to name a few, is a must for those in web design or considering pursuing a career in the field. Since web design is such a high profile role due to the nature of the work being seen and used by upwards of thousands of people everyday, it requires significant attention to detail because the website is a representation of the company.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for occupations similar to web design is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all other occupations, or 10% through 2016. Opportunities exist for web designers in areas such as web graphic designers for entry-level professionals, web designers who design an entire website, to a multimedia web designer who works with development teams to create additions on a website using Flash or Shockwave to offer it a sophisticated, advanced feel.
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