Certificates in Web Design

Certificates in web design are the shortest training programs for prospective web designers. They take a year or less to earn, and can help students develop basic skills that will enable them to begin working in a career that is both creative and technically oriented. 

Earning Certificates in Web Design

Certificates in web design typically take one year to complete, if done on a full-time basis. Some accelerated programs offer certificates in web designs that require only six or seven months of full-time study to earn. Coursework will concentrate on principles and theories of visual communication, as well as multimedia design and basic web development techniques. Most programs will be project based, which allows students to learn hands-on and practice their web design skills on a regular basis. 

Certificate programs are best for people who already have related degrees – such as computer science or graphic design – who are interested in breaking into the web design business and desire a specific credential or a specific type of training. Someone who has only a certificate in web design will find that career prospects are relatively limited. 

Using Certificates in Web Design

Nearly every business – both from the largest conglomeration to the smallest mom-and-pop convenience store – has a website. Very few businesses can survive without one, as it is often a person's first method of inquiry when researching something new, such as a government agency, a service, a product, or a person. Therefore, there are countless opportunities out there for experienced and creative web designers. Businesses are looking for people who can help them create a quality public image for their organization or product and who can communicate ideas effectively in the evolving online format. 

Some web designers work for a specific company. Major corporations, for example, or companies that are entirely Internet based – like Facebook – employ several full-time web designers to help them keep up the images of their company via their websites. Companies that sell things over the web need web designers to help them keep track of major traffic and to update format and content every so often. Some professionals who have certificates in web design may be hired for these careers – although it depends significantly on what their prior education and computer experience is. A person who has a bachelor's degree in web design will be far more likely to be considered for these lucrative and steady types of positions. 

Still other web designers are self employed or work as part of a team which contracts itself out on an individual basis to help create or update a website for a local organization or person. In a small community, a web designer may be hired to create and maintain websites for several local businesses, with the ability to charge one's own price and select which projects one wants to work on. These are some of the highest earning professionals in web design, and they can typically work with only a certificate.

Source

WebProfessionals.org (2011)