The Internet was born from the need to be able to communicate over long distances. Vannevar Bush, Norbet Wiener and Marchall McLahan collaborated to make this need a reality. In 1969, using a special computer that was named “Interface Message Processor,” the Internet was created and went live for its very first communication. Until 1991, the Internet was primarily used as a means of communication. This is the year that Tim Berners-Lee combined Internet communication and hypertext to create the first website.
Obtaining an education in web design can be beneficial in many ways. You can choose to work for a company, or you could give working from home as a freelancer a try. Whichever you choose, the employment outlook for a web designer is excellent, and with the rate at which the Internet is growing, the demand will continue to grow, as well. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the average salary for a web designer is $50,000 to $75,000 a year.
Learning web design can be accomplished in two ways. Enrolling in college with your major as web design is the best choice. Many of the larger companies prefer a web designer to have a bachelor’s degree rather than just an associate degree. If you are planning to freelance, and you feel ambitious enough, you can teach yourself the skills needed to excel in this line of work.
Working from home as a freelance web designer requires you to have the proper tools: a good-quality desktop computer, graphics software such as Adobe Photoshop, an HTML editing program, a web host with a carefully thought out domain name, a portfolio and the ability to market yourself and your skills.
Companies looking to hire a web designer tend to prefer someone with a four-year degree. At a traditional college, four years would yield you a bachelor’s degree. At an online university, many of the programs are accelerated, so this could be accomplished in a shorter amount of time. Either way, the time you spend obtaining an education in web design is going to provide you with a rewarding career.