As the internet continues to develop and grow exponentially, jobs related to the industry do too, particularly those that relate to web design and development. The prediction is that by 2029, the job outlook for these two fields will grow by 8%—significantly faster than average.

What does a career in web design involve?

A career in website design can involve the design, creation, and coding of a range of website types. Other tasks will typically include liaising with clients and discussing website specifications, incorporating feedback, working on graphic design and image editing, and enabling multimedia features such as audio and video. Requiring a range of creative and technical skills, web designers may be involved in work across a range of industries, including software companies, IT consultancies, web design companies, corporate organizations, and more.

Full-stack, back-end, and front-end web development

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook tends to group web developers and digital designers into one category. However, they define them separately, stating that web developers create and maintain websites and are responsible for the technical aspects including performance and capacity. Web or digital designers, on the other hand, are responsible for the look and functionality of websites and interfaces. They develop, create, and test the layout, functions, and navigation for usability. Web developers can focus on the back-end, front-end, or full-stack development, and typically utilize a range of programming languages, libraries, and frameworks to do so.