One of the best ways to take advantage of career opportunities in the world of design is to specialize a degree in Web design so that it accommodates a specific niche. In addition to the broad set of skills taught in the Web design program itself, a specialization will help students become experts in fields like mobile design, mobile applications, graphic design for the web, or responsive design for versatile websites viewed on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Choosing one of these specialties is never an easy process, but there are a few perks to each specialty that will likely make the choice easier for students with a specific set of professional interests or skills.
Mobile Design
Mobile platforms are exploding globally, whether it’s because of competitive smartphones or innovative tablets. While these devices can certainly present a desktop-oriented website and scale it down for a smaller screen size, that’s not the optimal way of presenting content in the current decade. Instead, websites must be designed with the mobile user in mind. Students who specialize in mobile design will learn how to translate their traditionally desktop-oriented desk skills into skills that match with screens as small as four inches diagonally. These skills will include the fundamentals of mobile typography, an introduction to responsive frameworks, and primers on cross-device compatibility.
Responsive Design
A growing field of design focuses on responsive coding, allowing websites to sense a user’s screen size and adapt design elements accordingly. Responsive designs are crucial in a world that increasingly trending toward “mobile-first” consumption of content. Specializing a design degree in this particular area will introduce students to each of the various responsive frameworks that are currently used to sense screen size, scale content, and conform to the wide array of devices in consumers’ hands. This specialization will also focus on creating websites with appropriate visual elements at any scale, from on-site advertising to comment forms and presentation of valuable content.
Mobile Applications
Websites are increasingly blended with conventional mobile apps to create a cross-platform user experience. Focusing on this area within a Web design program will allow students to learn how their web design skills can be leveraged to create a consistent, cross-platform user experiences. Mobile websites that conform to human interface guidelines across platforms like iOS, Android, and Windows Phone, are a valuable part of the tablet and smartphone experience today. Learning how to integrate Web design with more conventional programming interfaces will help Web design students adapt to the rapidly changing market for good design, cross-platform apps, and new programming languages that are well beyond the scope of a more general design degree.
Graphic Design
One of the most common concentrations within Web design is one that focuses on creating graphics for the web. This concentration blends the programming skills and visual understanding needed to create a great experience on all platforms, and it allows designers to have a highly versatile career profile in either of the two largest online design industries. Whether it’s mastering the Adobe Creative Suite or understanding the difference between PNG, JPG, and SVG image files, this concentration will help students maximize their post-graduation career potential in a dynamic way.
Related Resource: Become a Web Developer
Several Great Choices for a Web Design Specialization
Choosing a concentration within any program, especially one like Web design, allows students to focus their skills on areas of the profession that are growing rapidly or developing in new ways technologically, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Whether it’s mobile design skills or a focus on graphic design practices, the many ways to specialize a degree in Web design will certainly be beneficial as students graduate and pursue a career in this exciting area of the high-tech economy.
