Deciding to become a Web designer
When I graduated college with a Business Management degree, I set out to find employment and began working for another college doing administrative tasks. It didn't take long to realize I was bored and needed something to challenge and interest me. One of my favorite things to do at the time was post pictures online of skateboarding or other detailed/beautiful images. Blogging quickly became a hobby and before I knew it I was manipulating code to make blog pages especially unique and enjoying myself in the process. Having that knowledge and know-how set me apart from many other similiar sites which feels quite nice.
A Typical Day as a Web Designer
I typically code at night. The nighttime quiet really helps me focus and find my most creative areas of thought. Some days, sitting in front of the screen looking at an ongoing or new project, it can be quite difficult to get in the "zone" and be able to translate a design into an actual web page. Other days, it just flows like sweet champagne at an open bar. Its tough to tell how things will go right when I sit down, but when the ball gets rolling, it rolls hard.
Advice
- Be passionate about what you do. Obviously, not all projects are going to go your way or turn out how it was first envisioned. To compensate for this, I like to work several projects at once, extend set deadlines (whenever possible) and make sure that at lease one of those projects is one that you alone are in control of. You'll find this provides a creative outlet as well as idea generator. I find myself coming up with new and better ideas for other projects that I have set aside while I work on something I love and that is just for me.
How did you get started as a Web Designer?
My first project was actually for a family member's law firm - I set them up with an iWeb created web page for which I quickly realized was beneath my ability. It didn't take long before I was researching new tags and other site's source code to learn better methods of coding to better my creation.
What is your favorite part of being a Web designer?
More than anything, I enjoy the freedom that comes with designing anything. The feeling of holding in your hands, or in the case of webdesign, seeing on the screen, your finished product ready to see the world is a great feeling of accomplishment. The computer screen is literally a blank canvas.
How many hours a week do you typically work?
Hours worked fluctuate greatly. I try to stay on a 40 hr/wk schedule.
What areas of your career would you improve?
Scripting and creating online applications is undoubtedly the way of the future for the internet. Users want more than ever for websites to be able to do something for them rather than just look at them. I'll be spending a lot of time with JavaScript here soon.
