We use the web more than ever these days, whether we're playing games, downloading
apps or buying clothes. But somewhere, someone sat down and actually created
that website. That's like Facebook, Amazon, even apps like Instagram and snapchat
all started with one person sitting at a computer. Now you don't need to be a
computer genius to know there are a lot of websites out there and people get
paid to make them. Today we've come to see Bernie from Alyka to find out
what it takes to be a web designer.
How are you? Good mate. Look I want to find out what it's like to be a web designer.
Alright, come on in.
Alright Jesse, what do you want to know? Well mate, I want to learn a bit more about your job starting with what does a
typical day look like? Typically what I do is run catch up with clients, workout what the
upcoming requirements they want their website and the first point is doing a
wireframe of how everything fits together so that i know exactly what
elements they want on their website. From there running Photoshop and to the actually design
and then yeah we go through the motions of making sure it's all been approved
back and forth until they like it and from there we build the website. And so why did you want
to be a web designer? Far out, like I started like 15 years ago man, i used to design
websites for for gaming companies,
that's my passionate and we wanted a place where all my mates can all come in
and discuss about how we kicked each other's arses in games so that's how it
started. I mean you got into it when you were 15 but if you're a bit older can you
still get into the industry? Absolutely, this industry
you don't have any expired date. One of the guys one of our colleagues is like
50 plus. He's the UX designer, user interface designer and user experience.
That's the best part.
With that age group you have better attention to detail, you've got the
experience, it's ticking all the boxes right now, so i would say any age group
it's not a problem. I mean is there much work out there for a web designer
at the moment? Every business needs a website it's the main medium to get your
message across to people these days.
Definitely a lot of careers and opportunities out there for websites.
These days we don't just do the website, we make sure it looks great for mobiles,
with tablets it becomes more interactive you do more cool stuff so it was
exciting.
So Bernard what's the hardest part of the job? Probably the hardest part is like
pleasing all clients. Some clients might want some designs a specific way
even though they hired me to design it for them? And so what's the most rewarding
part of the job like what brings you to work every day?
The fact that like every client or every new design is different you know?
You get different industries, you wouldn't get the same more boring big
industry like the painting websites for example, you're gonna get an
entertainment website based, you can get a lifestyle website based website you get
a celebrity now and then as well it's pretty fun. And so it would what piece of
advice would you give someone wanting to move into your field?
I think the best way right, to move into the web design space, is to our create
somehow the online portfolio, showcase a couple of your best work, not too much, a
couple of your best work, showcase nice little animation tricks, demonstrate a
bit of search engine optimization as well and a bit of forms, online marketing
and that's the best way that that person can get into the web designers industry and get
picked on for doing work. So what characteristics does someone need to get
into your field? Creative, right we have to have good attention to detail got to make
sure you are prone to learn new stuff all the time it's an ever-changing
industry and you have passion for change with all this man, you'll be alright.
From school to now what are the steps you took to get to where you are today?
Remarkably what I've done I have selft taught a lot of these things and you
find that online these days you can do like self teach photoshop kind of work,
self-teaching HTML, CSS and all you have to do is go online and Google up how to learn
these things and from there just create your own projects do yourself a personal website, do
some for your family and friends and from there you'll build yourself a portfolio and just
go and go and go from there.
There's no better way than look at what's out there
check out the code behind them and it's copy paste and learn and modify for
your website. And so if you could get to where you are today but I've done one
thing differently what would have been? A lot of things but the main thing i would do
differently is probably how I program stuff. I'm pretty stubborn in a lot of ways, stuff I
learnt ages ago I kept using the same principles and they're not the most
efficient, so there's certain things that you got adopt early and in
hindsight I should have done in the past. So just finding out new technologies and just
being ahead of the industry? That's right, that's right and it's back to what
I really believe in its like, be able to learn, be teachable and just make
sure you always jump on to new technologies early. Awesome, well thanks so
much for talking to us today Bernard and I reckon we have a game of foosball.
All right you ready to lose? You're on!
And that's a loose by ten goas. For more information and to get involved hit up
studentedge.com.au. We're going again, i'm winning one.