Web and Digital Interface Designers

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.

On the job, you would:

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.

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.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Collaborate with others to develop or implement marketing strategies.

Collaborate with others to determine design specifications or details.

Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues.

Provide technical support for computer network issues.

Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.

Analyze operational data to evaluate operations, processes or products.

Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues.

Design websites or web applications.

Develop models of information or communications systems.

Design websites or web applications.

Update website content.

Develop specifications or procedures for website development or maintenance.

Document design or development procedures.

Implement design or process improvements.

Prepare graphics or other visual representations of information.

Develop specifications or procedures for website development or maintenance.

Develop diagrams or flow charts of system operation.

Prepare graphics or other visual representations of information.

Develop models of information or communications systems.

Test software performance.

Develop testing routines or procedures.

Create images or other visual displays.

Develop detailed project plans.

Supervise information technology personnel.

Document network-related activities or tasks.

Update website content.

Troubleshoot issues with computer applications or systems.

Resolve computer software problems.

Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues.

Develop specifications or procedures for website development or maintenance.

Update knowledge about emerging industry or technology trends.

Update website content.

Test software performance.

Develop specifications or procedures for website development or maintenance.

Update website content.

Conduct research to gain information about products or processes.

Create images or other visual displays.

Conduct research to gain information about products or processes.

Document design or development procedures.

Provide customer service to clients or users.

Design websites or web applications.

Write reports or evaluations.

Design websites or web applications.

Write computer programming code.

What Web Developers and Digital Designers Do

Some developers work with graphics and other designers to determine the website’s layout.

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.

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

Education:

How to Become a Web Developer or Digital Designer

Developers often have both programming and graphic design knowledge.

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.

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.

Employment

Employment of web developers and digital designers is projected to grow as e-commerce continues to expand. As retail firms keep increasing their online offerings, demand for these workers is expected to grow. In addition, the continued use of mobile devices to search the web is expected to generate demand for web developers and digital designers to create websites and interfaces that work on mobile devices with many different screen sizes.

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

IEEE Computer Society

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
Computer and Information Systems Managers	Computer and information systems managers plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization.	Bachelor's degree	$164,070
Computer Programmers	Computer programmers write, modify, and test code and scripts that allow computer software and applications to function properly.	Bachelor's degree	$97,800
Computer Support Specialists	Computer support specialists maintain computer networks and provide technical help to computer users.	See How to Become One	$59,660
Computer Systems Analysts	Computer systems analysts study an organization’s current computer systems and design ways to improve efficiency.	Bachelor's degree	$102,240
Database Administrators and Architects	Database administrators and architects create or organize systems to store and secure data.	Bachelor's degree	$112,120
Information Security Analysts	Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems.	Bachelor's degree	$112,000
Graphic Designers	Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers.	Bachelor's degree	$57,990
Special Effects Artists and Animators	Special effects artists and animators create images that appear to move and visual effects for various forms of media and entertainment.	Bachelor's degree	$98,950
Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers	Software developers design computer applications or programs. Software quality assurance analysts and testers identify problems with applications or programs and report defects.	Bachelor's degree	$124,200