Web and Digital Interface Designers
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Job Outlook
Overall employment of web developers and digital designers is projected to grow 16 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 19,000 openings for web developers and digital designers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Summary of What they do:
Design digital user interfaces or websites. Develop and test layouts, interfaces, functionality, and navigation menus to ensure compatibility and usability across browsers or devices. May use web framework applications as well as client-side code and processes. May evaluate web design following web and accessibility standards, and may analyze web use metrics and optimize websites for marketability and search engine ranking. May design and test interfaces that facilitate the human-computer interaction and maximize the usability of digital devices, websites, and software with a focus on aesthetics and design. May create graphics used in websites and manage website content and links.
What Web Developers and Digital Designers Do
Web developers create and maintain websites. They are also responsible for the site’s technical aspects, such as its performance and capacity, which are measures of a website’s speed and how much traffic the site can handle. In addition, web developers may create content for the site. Digital designers develop, create, and test website or interface layout, functions, and navigation for usability. They are responsible for the look and functionality of the website or interface.
Duties
Web developers and digital designers typically do the following:
- Meet with clients or management to discuss the needs, design, and functionality of a website or interface
- Create and test applications, interfaces, and navigation menus for a website
- Write code for the website, using programming languages such as HTML or XML
- Work with other team members to determine what information the site will contain
- Work with graphics and other designers to determine the website’s layout
- Integrate graphics, audio, and video into the website
- Monitor website traffic
- Create prototypes and mockups of websites or applications
- Design and develop graphics
When creating a website, developers and designers have to make their client’s vision a reality. They build particular types of websites, such as ecommerce, news, or gaming sites, to fit clients’ needs. Different types of websites require different applications. For example, a gaming site should be able to handle advanced graphics, whereas an ecommerce site would need a payment-processing application. The developer decides which applications and designs will best fit the site, and the designer focuses on the look and usability of these elements across browsers or devices.
Some developers and designers handle all aspects of a website’s construction, and others specialize in a certain aspect of it. The following are examples of types of specialized web developers or digital designers:
Back-end web developers are responsible for the overall technical construction of the website. They create the basic framework of the site and ensure that it functions as expected. Back-end web developers also establish procedures for allowing others to add new pages to the website and meet with management to discuss major changes to the site.
Front-end web developers create the technical features for a website’s look. They develop the site’s layout and integrate graphics, applications (such as a retail checkout tool), and other content. They also write webdesign programs in a variety of computer languages, such as HTML or JavaScript.
Web and digital interface designers are responsible for creating the look and feel of a website or interface with regard to photos, color, font type and size, graphics, and layout. They also are responsible for the functionality, usability, and compatibility of the website or interface.
Webmasters maintain and update websites. They ensure that websites operate correctly, and they test for errors such as broken links. Many webmasters respond to user comments as well.
Important Qualities
Communication skills. Web developers and digital designers need to communicate effectively with coworkers to coordinate work on projects.
Creativity. Web developers and digital designers often are involved in creating the appearance of a website and must make sure that it is appealing as well as functional.
Customer-service skills. Webmasters have to respond politely to user questions and requests.
Detail oriented. Web developers and digital designers must focus for long periods and write code precisely, because a minor error could cause an entire webpage to stop working.
Problem-solving skills. Web developers and digital designers must check for coding errors and fix any that they find.
Tasks On The Job
- Collaborate with management or users to develop e-commerce strategies and to integrate these strategies with Web sites.
- Collaborate with web development professionals, such as front-end or back-end developers, to complete the full scope of Web development projects.
- Communicate with network personnel or Web site hosting agencies to address hardware or software issues affecting Web sites.
- Conduct user research to determine design requirements and analyze user feedback to improve design quality.
- Confer with management or development teams to prioritize needs, resolve conflicts, develop content criteria, or choose solutions.
- Create searchable indices for Web page content.
- Create Web models or prototypes that include physical, interface, logical, or data models.
- Design, build, or maintain Web sites, using authoring or scripting languages, content creation tools, management tools, and digital media.
- Develop and document style guidelines for Web site content.
- Develop new visual design concepts and modify concepts based on stakeholder feedback.
- Develop or implement procedures for ongoing Web site revision.
- Develop system interaction or sequence diagrams.
- Develop, validate, and document test routines and schedules to ensure that test cases mimic external interfaces and address all browser and device types.
- Develop Web site maps, application models, image templates, or page templates that meet project goals, user needs, or industry standards.
- Direct and execute pre-production activities, such as creating moodboards or storyboards and establishing a project timeline.
- Document technical factors such as server load, bandwidth, database performance, and browser and device types.
- Identify or maintain links to and from other Web sites and check links to ensure proper functioning.
- Identify problems uncovered by testing or customer feedback, and correct problems or refer problems to appropriate personnel for correction.
- Incorporate technical considerations into Web site design plans, such as budgets, equipment, performance requirements, or legal issues including accessibility and privacy.
- Maintain understanding of current Web technologies or programming practices through continuing education, reading, or participation in professional conferences, workshops, or groups.
- Perform or direct Web site updates.
- Perform Web site tests according to planned schedules, or after any Web site or product revision.
- Provide clear, detailed descriptions of Web site specifications, such as product features, activities, software, communication protocols, programming languages, and operating systems software and hardware.
- Register Web sites with search engines to increase Web site traffic.
- Research and apply innovative solutions for product design, visuals, and user experience to meet the needs of individual Web development projects.
- Research, document, rate, or select alternatives for Web architecture or technologies.
- Respond to user email inquiries, or set up automated systems to send responses.
- Select programming languages, design tools, or applications.
- Write and edit technical documentation for digital interface products and designs, such as user manuals, testing protocols, and reports.
- Write supporting code for Web applications or Web sites.
Work Environment
Web and digital interface designers held about 117,900 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of web and digital interface designers were as follows:
| Computer systems design and related services | 17% |
| Self-employed workers | 13 |
| Retail trade | 7 |
| Finance and insurance | 5 |
| Advertising, public relations, and related services | 4 |
Web developers held about 98,800 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of web developers were as follows:
| Computer systems design and related services | 21% |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 7 |
| Self-employed workers | 7 |
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services | 6 |
| Software publishers | 6 |
Work Schedules
Most web developers and digital designers work full time.
Getting Started
How to Become a Web Developer or Digital Designer
Educational requirements vary for web developers and digital designers, based on work setting and other factors.
Education
Educational requirements for web developers and digital designers range from a high school diploma to a bachelor’s degree.
Some employers prefer to hire web developer candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in a specific field, such as computer science or programming.
Web developers need to have a thorough understanding of HTML programming. Many employers also want developers to understand other programming languages, such as JavaScript or SQL, and have knowledge of multimedia publishing tools, such as Flash. Throughout their career, web developers must keep up to date on new tools and computer languages.
Employers of digital designers may prefer to hire candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in a field such as web design, digital design, or graphic arts.
Web developers and digital designers may not need specific education credentials if they can demonstrate their abilities through prior work experience or projects.
Advancement
Web developers and digital designers who have a bachelor’s degree may advance to become project managers. For more information, see the profile on computer and information systems managers.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about web developers and digital designers, visit
World Organization of Webmasters
For more information about computer careers, visit
Association for Computing Machinery
Computing Research Association
For information about opportunities for women pursuing information technology careers, visit
National Center for Women & Information Technology
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of web developers and digital designers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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|
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|
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|
Computer Systems Analysts |
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|
Database Administrators and Architects |
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|
Information Security Analysts |
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|
Graphic Designers |
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|
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|
Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers |
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Bachelor's degree | $124,200 |