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Inside the Industry: Advice and Insights from a Web Designer
Inside the Industry:
Advice and Insights from a Web Designer
 As a web designer for Spincaster Design Inc., Ryan Martinez wears many hats, from graphic designer to information architect.
After spending six years earning his Bachelor of Science degree with a double major (chemistry and computer science) at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, Ryan graduated in 2005. The 29-year-old Kelowna, B.C., resident has been working full-time in his position(s) at Spincaster since 2008.
"I love that, as a web designer, you utilize both sides of your brain because you have to be both creative and analytical," Ryan says. "Design jobs are always changing and growing, and web design is no different. I like that there is always something new to learn both graphically and technically."
Both sides of Ryan's brain definitely get a daily workout. A typical morning for him usually consists of handling email and responding to the questions and concerns of clients. He also uses this time to work on any troubleshooting issues related to existing sites. This can include learning new programming and scripting bugs, to pinpointing their solutions.
In the afternoon, Ryan switches to design for new projects, with the aim of building functional and effectively structured websites that are aesthetically pleasing, while meeting the needs of their intended audiences. This means working on the graphic design side of web development, creating logos, banners, and newsletters, as well as on the technical side, which requires scripting and programming techniques that involve the use of technologies like XHTML, CSS, Javascript, and PHP.
"I usually work on several different web design projects a day," he says. "I like it this way because then you're not staring at the same thing all day long."
Towards the end of the work day, Ryan is careful to make note of what he learned and accomplished that day. "This is my moment to reflect and absorb what you normally cannot during the fast-paced life that is web design," he says.
Ryan credits his ability to handle all aspects of web design to his education, saying the most useful skills he learned include organization, prioritization, and project management, as well as how to troubleshoot in order to solve problems quickly and effectively.
These skills allow him to efficiently handle his various duties at Spincaster, which span from web design and development to customer service. He is also responsible for meeting with clients to discover exactly what they are looking for in a website, and recommend a solution that is cost efficient and helps to ensure they get exactly what they want out of their sites.
For those interested in joining the web design field, Ryan advises exploring the technical side of the job first. "Focus on learning your XHTML/CSS skills first and growing from there, because without these you're bound to run into problems in the future," he said.
If you are interested in pursuing a career as a web designer, get a great start by browsing through this guide to available web design schools today!
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