Career Overview
Web designers develop and create the visual presentation, layout and functionality of the Web sites and related applications. They are responsible for ensuring that the Web site is easy to use, and that the information is easy to access.
There are many roles and job titles that are a part of web design, including user experience (UX) designers, user interface (UI) designers, interaction designers, writers and content strategists and user researchers.
Web designers work for computer software development firms, information technology consulting firms, information technology units throughout the private and public sectors, advertising agencies or they may be self-employed.
Duties
Web designers perform some or all of the following:
- Establish design guidelines, standards and design practices
- Maintain the appearance of Web sites by applying content standards
- Designing visual imagery for Web sites and ensuring that it is consistent with the organization image
- Integrate features and functionalities into Web sites
- Create and optimize content for the Web site using a variety of graphics, database, animation and other software
- Test and improve the design of a Web site
- May lead and co-ordinate teams to develop Web site graphics, content, capacity and interactivity
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
2,265% Employed Full Time
48%Web designers typically work in an office with computers. Those that are self-employed may have a home-based office or work remotely.
This work tends to be done within a typical 40-hour week; however, in order to meet project deadlines, web designers sometimes need to work longer hours – including evenings, weekends and holidays.
Working in this career generally means long periods using a keyboard and monitor, so web designers may be at risk of eye strain, backaches and hand and wrist problems (ranging from simple strains to longer-term problems, such as carpal tunnel syndrome).
Career Pathways
This career is exciting, challenging, and may also pay well for those with experience. There may be opportunities to work on interesting projects. Those that move up in this career are workers who are open to learning new things, that work well in a team or on their own, that have good communication skills and that are looking for ongoing long- or short-term contracts.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Job Titles
Education, Training and Skills
Web designers need:
- Completion of a bachelor's degree in computer science or graphic design, or
- Completion or a college program in computer science, graphic arts, or Web design is required.
- Experience as a graphic designer is usually required.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Design (General)
- Integrated/Multimedia
- Web Technologies
- Networking and Security
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations and the environment will affect outcomes.
Writing computer programs for various purposes.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
2,265Employment by Region
Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | 20 | 0.9% |
Kootenay | 40 | 1.8% |
Mainland/Southwest | 1,690 | 74.8% |
North Coast and Nechako | 15 | 0.7% |
Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
Thompson-Okanagan | 135 | 6.0% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 355 | 15.7% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2023-2033)
1,750Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2023-2033)
Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
Kootenay | 30 | 1.7% |
Mainland/Southwest | 1,350 | 3.8% |
North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
Northeast | Not available | Not available |
Thompson-Okanagan | 150 | 4.2% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 220 | 3.2% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
Industry | Job Openings (2023-2033) |
---|---|
Professional, Scientific And Technical Services | 1,600 |
Retail Trade | 60 |
Educational Services | 20 |
Health Care And Social Assistance | 10 |
Public Administration | 10 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.