Employment opportunities in Web Design

Researching local web design positions provides an interesting array of salaries, requirements, and job descriptions. One major point of interest most commonly found during my research was the broad experience that most organizations desired in a "web" position. I found very few specific "web design" jobs posted, but found several jobs that required in depth knowledge of web design. If I had to give any advice to someone looking into entering the field of web design it would be that they need to familiarize themselves with as much as possible and not limit themselves to learning html as it appears to be only a drop in the bucket to what will be required in this occupational field.

The salaries are a difficult subject to cover because most positions did not give any type of salary insight. However, the nationally advertised free-lance positions seem to pay quite well if the are actually legitimate and hovered around the 60k a year range. The requirements for most of the jobs I viewed involved knowledge of databases, other programming languages, and strong interpersonal skills.

I do not think that I would be interested in any of the positions that I came across in my research. These jobs required a commitment to web design and technical learning. I prefer to use any knowledge of web design that I have as a tool to assist me in being a successful photographer. Being competent with designing web design can only be beneficial as the internet becomes more and more a staple of everyday life.

What is SEO

SEO is an acronym for a couple of different terms associated with websites on the internet, SEO can stand for “Search Engine Optimization” or when referring to individuals that offer consulting skills for this process “Search Engine Optimizers”. SEO is a usability practice that makes the content of a site easier to find primarily through online search engines that are the most widely used method of locating information within a site.

Based on information found on Google’s SEO information pages, search engine optimization is mostly achieved through proper planning during the creation of a site and the inclusion of site maps and robot files that help create indexes to the desired pages. A lot of this can be achieved without any cost to the websites owner, however, many search engine optimizers will use marketing ploys that imply special costs or abilities to increase search engine ranking. A Google state that search engine rank depends on popularity, use, and how well structured the site has been created. Search engine rank cannot be bought or increased by money; therefore the site needs to be built with SEO techniques being made a priority (if search engine traffic is the desired result).

SEO is a practice, and not a specific tangible asset. Webmasters that desire high search engine traffic need to take specific steps in order to optimize their pages to be found by users linked through search engines, or even the best designed pages could become lost in the millions of websites the internet offers.

Photoshop web layout tutorials

The first tutorial I chose to use was a Photo Portfolio site. The tutorial was very detailed about how to create the background and menu using photoshop.I was able to closely duplicate the background relatively easily from the tutorials directions.

The second tutorial was a Personal Page Web Layout. I liked the simple design and dark theme to the page, but I did have some trouble re-creating some of the elements of the page. I found in the article comments that I wasn’t the only beginner that had similar issues.

The third tutorial I chose to try was the Photography Portfolio. I liked the use of color that this page demonstrated. I found the design pretty easy to make after following the detailed instructions in the post. I liked how the author included step by step detailed pictures with each step. This helps with trying to use new tools and shows what we should expect as we make each section.

Design, Usability, & Accessibility

The internet is full of poorly planned websites. I would say that I come across one every time I am searching the web, and usually when they are bad...they are bad. However, as a beginner in attempting web design I can see how easily a site could get out of hand.

Design is important and can have very a very positive or negative effect for a website no matter the content. The term design also wears many hats. Design can describe the structure of the site, the look of the site, and the feel of the site. Design preference also varies between users, so it is important to use something that appeals to everyone or at least accomplishes the desired results for the site.

Usability is another important compliment of design. A site that is visually beautiful and content rich will suffer if it is not designed to be "used" easily. Usability can apply to specific areas of the site such as the navigation and user interaction, but it also applies to the overall impression of the website. If there is no easy distinguishable purpose for the site then users may be less inclined to visit.

The Accessibility of a site is becoming more and more important as time goes on. Currently there are several things to be considered when designing a page. For example, there are many browsers available for download and a good page needs to be designed so that is works on at least all of the popular ones. Text size, font, and even language are important because the internet is worldwide and everyone needs to be accommodated. In some recently viewed Youtube videos, I saw how many sites are even creating sites that are compatible for interaction with blind people. Mobile content is also new and widely used and will most likely continue to grow.

So, we can see how much there is to consider when web design is begin considered. In order to succeed, a site will need to consider all of these topics, and probably more as this industry continues to evolve.

The site development process and what my role is in it

I think that the most interesting role in the web design process is the initial idea generation because this typically basic method is the foundation of a successful project. It’s interesting to me to see that most established designers simply begin with an idea and often times a pen and paper. A person could know how to program anything possible but without an idea and a direction to move towards, those programming skills are useless.

I am not personally gifted in the idea department, and that may be the reason I find this task to be the most interesting piece of the process. While I’m sure there are many people that would vote the creation portion to be the most exciting as they watch a project come together, I on the other hand find it more interesting that without that original idea nothing would exist.

The web design process seemingly goes: 1.) Assess the desired results. 2.) Come up with an idea 3.) Develop that idea both in design actual product 4.) Evaluate the results. This is obviously a simplified explanation, but essentially web design seems to be regarded as any business would be. The designers are expected to deliver a product that provides the desired results, and the only way to achieve that is to build upon a creative but functional idea from the beginning.

History of the Internet

The history of the internet was an interesting insight into how the many small developments made by different groups and people eventually molded into the tool we all use today. The internet truly began with the invention of routing systems, which then developed into messaging and email systems. The World Wide Web was developed in the early 90's and has now continued into what we call the internet today. Of course that is a very slimmed down recounting of what has led to the complex online environment we use everyday.

A description of how the internet works could have two different responses. One, from a technical aspect including the servers, routers, fiber, copper, and satellite networks that interconnect to create the internet from a physical and software aspect. However, I know very little about how that side works. The other response would say that the internet works by the people that connect with each other and share information with each other creating a worldwide network of people and their lives. Regardless of whether the purpose is business or personal related, the fact of the network of communication is still what makes the internet such a useful tool. As one person links to one site, and another links back to the other site, this is replicated hundreds, thousands, or even millions of times a day. The design, programming, and usability enhancements that we benefit from today are just tools developed to meet the need of the massive network of connected humans.

Web Design: Goals and Concerns

I have many more concerns about designing anything for the internet than I have clear goals. I think much of that is due to my lack of understanding about how to create the things I would like to come up with. I have spoken with my husband about this and he has tried to shed a little direction by saying that nearly anything is possible in a website and you shouldn't limit yourself by worrying about what can or cannot be done from a graphic design aspect. I have found various other blogs and articles explaining a similar argument. Not that you shouldn't consider things like time, cost, and relativity, but don't limit yourself to early during the idea phase. I think I can learn a lot by studying other sites and designer/publisher products. Their works could be what I need to be inspired and ready to figure out what I need to do in order to stand out from the crowd and be accomplished at my own designs. I don't believe that I intend to become a professional web designer, but I would like to have this skill in my arsenal later after beginning a career in photography. I think that anyone planning on a career in the near future needs to be internet savvy and have the ability to put themselves out into the social networking culture in order to be successful.

Exercise 4-My Domain

Describe your process in selecting a domain name.

In selecting my domain name was pretty easy, my husband owns a web hosting company and already owns a handful of domain names. So, selecting one was not as difficult a process as most people might encounter. I chose to use my blog site name as the sub-domain name for a domain my husband already owned.

Which initial domain names did you attempt to obtain before finding an available domain name?

I did try a domain registration site called Domain.com in order to see what was available. I tried several including: girlzfish2, willis-photography, aprilwillis.com. I am only using this domain name for this class after I graduate I would most likely go with something more professional.

What features of a web hosting plan seem most important to you?

I think that customer service is one of the most important issues to be concerned with, and since my husband has been a reseller with this hosting company for years and has had great success with their service and reliability. Also one that has a good stability and up time.

Why did you decide to go with the hosting plan you chose?

I decided to go with this plan because my husband has a vast amount of server space and bandwidth he can allocate for customers, so I decided to use whatever custom package he was able to create for me. This not only saved me money but also saved me time.