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I want to become a Web Designer / Developer...
- Thread starter RoEy
- Start date
As someone who employs designers and developers (I'm also a developer) then the best advice I can give you is attention to detail.
We advertised for a role recently - junior to middleweight - and the general standard of applicants was very poor. Out of about 30 applicants we only interviewed 1.
The number of CV's we received that didn't even have a portfolio, or the portfolio site was littered with dead links, spelling mistakes, code that didn't validate, even a few that were still using tables! Web development is so easy now - everything is out there on a plate for you to learn with sites like smashing magazine amalgamating all the best content and ideas - there's no excuse to be out of date!
We're fairly small here with only 6 of us plus the odd freelancer. The split here is the web designer will work in photoshop and build the HTML/CSS key pages, then pass it over to the developers who will develop the CMS and front end functionality. jQuery development is usually done collaboratively, as it requires an eye for the design/ui elements but usually also requires development/ajax work.
We advertised for a role recently - junior to middleweight - and the general standard of applicants was very poor. Out of about 30 applicants we only interviewed 1.
The number of CV's we received that didn't even have a portfolio, or the portfolio site was littered with dead links, spelling mistakes, code that didn't validate, even a few that were still using tables! Web development is so easy now - everything is out there on a plate for you to learn with sites like smashing magazine amalgamating all the best content and ideas - there's no excuse to be out of date!
We're fairly small here with only 6 of us plus the odd freelancer. The split here is the web designer will work in photoshop and build the HTML/CSS key pages, then pass it over to the developers who will develop the CMS and front end functionality. jQuery development is usually done collaboratively, as it requires an eye for the design/ui elements but usually also requires development/ajax work.
Thanks for the insight Sagalout, can I ask what your interview proces is like? I can't imagine how you would see if someone is a good developer. Do you look at their portfolio and possibly give them some sort of technical test where they have to look at some code and spot the mistakes?
Our interview process is extremely relaxed. As long as the person is technically competent we put a lot of emphasis on their personality and how they will fit into the team.
As for judging their competency, it's important to us that the person has a passion for the job, which shows through by being up to date, reading the latest industry related blogs and using the latest techniques. We'll take a judgement from their portfolio as much as we can, and we might ask to see some samples of code, but we wont set tests or anything like that - we're just not that sort of company to be honest. If someone lies about their abilities it will be found out in the probation period, but we've never had that situation.
From our point of view, in a developer we'd look for experience with a framework, be it Codeigniter, Zend or whatever, an awareness of HTML5 and CSS3 and a decent understanding of jQuery, ideally up to the level of being able to write plugins rather than just use them, but it depends on the level we're advertising for. For a designer we'd be looking for good solid design skills, and the ability to transmit those into the build, again using the latest techniques, HTML5, CSS3, degrading down for older IE version, ability to at least use jQuery plugins etc.
Above all, we look for attention to detail. Its all the little touches that make the difference between a good site and a great site. Things like the contact form validation - does it show a robotic - 'this field is required' message or is there a bit of personality in it? Have you taken time to create a proper 404 page, a favicon, is it pixel perfect or have you been sloppy with elements of the layout? Generally someone who gets the thousands of small things right will also get the big things right, and be the sort of person we'll get on with
As for judging their competency, it's important to us that the person has a passion for the job, which shows through by being up to date, reading the latest industry related blogs and using the latest techniques. We'll take a judgement from their portfolio as much as we can, and we might ask to see some samples of code, but we wont set tests or anything like that - we're just not that sort of company to be honest. If someone lies about their abilities it will be found out in the probation period, but we've never had that situation.
From our point of view, in a developer we'd look for experience with a framework, be it Codeigniter, Zend or whatever, an awareness of HTML5 and CSS3 and a decent understanding of jQuery, ideally up to the level of being able to write plugins rather than just use them, but it depends on the level we're advertising for. For a designer we'd be looking for good solid design skills, and the ability to transmit those into the build, again using the latest techniques, HTML5, CSS3, degrading down for older IE version, ability to at least use jQuery plugins etc.
Above all, we look for attention to detail. Its all the little touches that make the difference between a good site and a great site. Things like the contact form validation - does it show a robotic - 'this field is required' message or is there a bit of personality in it? Have you taken time to create a proper 404 page, a favicon, is it pixel perfect or have you been sloppy with elements of the layout? Generally someone who gets the thousands of small things right will also get the big things right, and be the sort of person we'll get on with
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Ah, we're not recruiting now I'm afraid - just filled 2 positions, one design and one dev. This was our advert though - http://www.engageinteractive.co.uk/recruitment.php
Associate
My interviews were quite recent. Junior Web Designer for a company rather than a web design company.
Interview order
1. CV
2. Portfolio
3. Sample Site Creation From jpeg
4. Phone Interview
5. Personality Questionnaire
6. Face-to-face Interview
7. Sample work day
8. Got the job.
My interview was in two parts, cognitive interview regarding situations in work where I had to do certain things, for instance, deal with a large work load etc, a typical work interview. Other part was about HTML/CSS & Photoshop, had to talk about HTML and how I would do certain things. Then in photoshop I had to draw and recreate images they'd placed on the board (a form submit button and a star) using the whiteboard.
Hope this information helps.
Ultimately, I don't think they hired me based mainly on my ability to design, but an understanding that I knew photoshop and I can work within their brand guidelines, my HTML/CSS skill is much stronger than my photoshop. They were great in that they interviewed me not as a process like an interrogation, but to make sure I knew exactly what the job was about. Making sure that I knew the company was a good fit for me, and not just the other way around.
Interview order
1. CV
2. Portfolio
3. Sample Site Creation From jpeg
4. Phone Interview
5. Personality Questionnaire
6. Face-to-face Interview
7. Sample work day
8. Got the job.
My interview was in two parts, cognitive interview regarding situations in work where I had to do certain things, for instance, deal with a large work load etc, a typical work interview. Other part was about HTML/CSS & Photoshop, had to talk about HTML and how I would do certain things. Then in photoshop I had to draw and recreate images they'd placed on the board (a form submit button and a star) using the whiteboard.
Hope this information helps.
Ultimately, I don't think they hired me based mainly on my ability to design, but an understanding that I knew photoshop and I can work within their brand guidelines, my HTML/CSS skill is much stronger than my photoshop. They were great in that they interviewed me not as a process like an interrogation, but to make sure I knew exactly what the job was about. Making sure that I knew the company was a good fit for me, and not just the other way around.
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Wow your place sounds like Pixar! Must be awesome working there, work hard and play hard! I noticed that you don't specify any perticular skills your looking for (html, css, asp.net...), I suppose you can pick this up from the interview process and looking at portfolios.
This is exactly the kind of place I want to work for, sounds perfect. If only other companies advertised vacancies themselves rather than getting waste of time agencies that mess you about.
Associate
My new work place has some pretty awesome benefits too. I'd love an iPhone though, I got a hand-me-down blackberry that's nearly a decade old, from my Dad. 
Be pro-active and email agencies with your CV, if they aren't looking for someone at the time then you will be on the "books" as it were for when they do start looking
A lot of (successful) agencies are pretty laid back like that, it is a "creative" environment and so very different to your standard cubicle office scenario, I love working for an agency, even if I'm not a designer/dev it's just nice to be in the environment
Ha ha ha! Thanks for trying mate.
I plan to get stuck into my CSS book over Christmas and then I'm really going to 'put myself' out there. I want to build at least 10 websites (for free if I have to) in order to add to my portfolio and then I'll start looking for work.
One thing I'd like to know though, why does everyone talk about Photoshop and yet Fireworks doesn't even get mentioned. I much prefer Fireworks cs5 to Photoshop and Fireworks is now more tailored to web design too.
Some great advice being posted on here. Thank you all.
RoEy
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Yeah, ive been getting to grips with fireworks also. Really good for wireframing/planning a site layout.
Id be interested in seeing your folio site when you get one up, im working on mine currently.
Really great thread here, lots of good info and motivation
Hi elrasho,
I have the exact same book. Will start it next week. Can't wait!
Yeah, ive been getting to grips with fireworks also. Really good for wireframing/planning a site layout.
Id be interested in seeing your folio site when you get one up, im working on mine currently.
Really great thread here, lots of good info and motivation
Yes as soon as I've built a few sites I'll get it up and running. I'll post a link on here.
RoEy
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I've built sites for years and never used Fireworks - it seems to be a designer thing to list a piece of software as a skill. Photoshop is not a skill. Fireworks is not a skill. There's a list of skills you have which you apply using these bits of software - those are far more impressive when listed on a CV
I've built sites for years and never used Fireworks - it seems to be a designer thing to list a piece of software as a skill. Photoshop is not a skill. Fireworks is not a skill. There's a list of skills you have which you apply using these bits of software - those are far more impressive when listed on a CV
Yes I agree with what you are saying but most places ask for Photoshop skills. Doesn't anywhere use Fireworks? I've not come across one yet that has specifically asked for Fireworks skills.
RoEy
Hi all,
I hope you all had a great Crimbo!
Ok, well before I'm made redundant I have 3 primary school websites to build, which so far I have designed and I now want to build them so I can add them to my portfolio. I want to code them by hand and not use Dreamweaver at all.
I will be hosting them from our schools server which currently runs ColdFusion on it. I have used a bit of ColdFusion on our current school site to create the contact form and date etc... I may need to code a bit of ColdFusion to do the same for the primary websites but I intend to move onto php after. Can I create a contact form using just XHTML or will I need to implement some JavaScript, if that's possible?
The normal procedure when I'm building a website would be to use Dreamweaver and for things like the navigation and sub links I would place as a library item so I don't have to repeat them throughout the site and if I need to change a link I can quickly do it by editing the library item and the same would go for an image that is repeated, i.e. the logo.
How would I go about that without Dreamweaver, is it possible to just code library items or is that a Dreamweaver benefit?
A web developer I spoke to said I need to just concentrate solely on XHTML and CSS for a good while and create websites based on them skills, which is fine, but whenever it comes to creating things like contact forms I’m sure I’m going to have to delve into php / JavaScript.
My ultimate aim is to get a job as a Junior Front-End Web Developer where I envisage I would be responsible for implementing what you see on the page, so taking the designs and creating them and then passing on to the Back-End Developers and I'd like to eventually progress onto some design and back-end hopefully.
Hope someone can advise me,
RoEy
I hope you all had a great Crimbo!
Ok, well before I'm made redundant I have 3 primary school websites to build, which so far I have designed and I now want to build them so I can add them to my portfolio. I want to code them by hand and not use Dreamweaver at all.
I will be hosting them from our schools server which currently runs ColdFusion on it. I have used a bit of ColdFusion on our current school site to create the contact form and date etc... I may need to code a bit of ColdFusion to do the same for the primary websites but I intend to move onto php after. Can I create a contact form using just XHTML or will I need to implement some JavaScript, if that's possible?
The normal procedure when I'm building a website would be to use Dreamweaver and for things like the navigation and sub links I would place as a library item so I don't have to repeat them throughout the site and if I need to change a link I can quickly do it by editing the library item and the same would go for an image that is repeated, i.e. the logo.
How would I go about that without Dreamweaver, is it possible to just code library items or is that a Dreamweaver benefit?
A web developer I spoke to said I need to just concentrate solely on XHTML and CSS for a good while and create websites based on them skills, which is fine, but whenever it comes to creating things like contact forms I’m sure I’m going to have to delve into php / JavaScript.
My ultimate aim is to get a job as a Junior Front-End Web Developer where I envisage I would be responsible for implementing what you see on the page, so taking the designs and creating them and then passing on to the Back-End Developers and I'd like to eventually progress onto some design and back-end hopefully.
Hope someone can advise me,
RoEy
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Soldato
HTML 4.01 and not XHTML 1.0/1.1 technically but most people don't make the distinction so I wouldn't worry too much about that, just try to be aware of the differences as if you serve a webpage as XHTML IE can't show it as it prompts a download. However more onto your question, forms are incredibly simple and can be very powerful, HTML and CSS will be your main front-end code with some Javascript if you want to increase functionality, jQuery and AJAX can be used quite well with forms.
HTML 5 and Fancier Forms - Use this one at your own risk, HTML 5 is only embraced and compatible with certain browsers, but the article is a good one.
Fany Form Design Using CSS
Clean CSS Form Design
10 CSS Form Designs
Adapt some of these, mix and match and see which you like, of course your HTML/CSS will need to be different based on what fields etc your form needs to have.
HTML 5 and Fancier Forms - Use this one at your own risk, HTML 5 is only embraced and compatible with certain browsers, but the article is a good one.
Fany Form Design Using CSS
Clean CSS Form Design
10 CSS Form Designs
Adapt some of these, mix and match and see which you like, of course your HTML/CSS will need to be different based on what fields etc your form needs to have.
Associate
- Joined
- 27 Aug 2010
- Posts
- 163
Just found this thread, very interesting and some good advice how are you getting on?