Website Designer

Web designers use a combination of programming and design skills to build/revamp websites.

A good web designer needs both creative and technical skills, to picture how a site will look ('front end') and understand how it will work ('back end').

They work on a wide range of projects, from interactive educational resources to online shopping sites. They might also be contracted to maintain their client's website.

Your main duties would include: meeting the client to discuss what they want their site to do and who it is aimed at; and preparing a design plan, showing the site structure and how the different parts link together.

You would also be deciding which text, colours and backgrounds to use; laying out pages, positioning buttons, links and pictures, using design software; adding multimedia features like sound, animation and video; testing and refining the design and site features until everything works as planned; and uploading the site to a server for publication online.

Salaries for new web designers are between £15,000 and £20,000 a year. Experienced designers can earn up to £30,000.

Senior designers and those with specialist skills, for example Flash programming, may earn up to £40,000. Self-employed web designers negotiate their own rates.

You do not need any formal qualifications to become a web designer. In reality, however, most designers have experience in other design fields, or have taken training in web design, either through college or by teaching themselves.

You will need a good working knowledge of HTML, and at least two of the following design packages: Dreamweaver; Photoshop; Flash and Fireworks; GoLive; FrontPage (for PCs). You can find courses covering these programs at local colleges, and you can find many online tutorials, which are often free to use.

You could take one of the following qualifications, which provide a good grounding in web design, interactivity and internet technology: BTEC Interactive use of Media levels 1 to 3; OCR Certificate for IT Users – Level 2 (CLAiT Plus) and Level 3 (CLAiT Advanced); OCR iMedia Users levels 1 to 3; City & Guilds E-Quals IT Users awards (7266) – Level 2 (Diploma) and Level 3 (Advanced Diploma).

You could also take a higher level course, for example foundation degree, BTEC HNC/HND or a degree in a design or multimedia subject. Relevant subjects include: web design and development; multimedia design; digital media development; interactive computing.

Employers will want to see evidence of your ability, so you will need a portfolio of work to demonstrate your creative and technical skills, usually in the form of a CD, DVD or 'live' websites. This could include college, paid or voluntary work.