Web Design Overview

Note: Depending on which courses are used from Rize and the Home Institution, this program may also be named “Interactive Design” or “User Experience Design”.

Why This Matters

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), web designers are in high demand. The Median Salary for Web Designers is $80,730. Furthermore, BLS estimates that the number of Web Designer jobs will grow 16% from 2022 - 2032, and - as per CNBC - there are over 700,000 open jobs in tech, most of which require a technically focused skillset.

Our Web Design major is intended to prepare students for a job as a Web Designer / Developer. It also provides students with skills that will be vital in a variety of technical and non-technical roles. It was designed with the specific intent of producing students with strong skills in UX and Visual design, marketing, and programming.

About

Web design has three key components: intent, design, and execution.

• Intent refers to the ideas and goals of a particular website - or of a page within a website. What do you want the visitor to do? Why do you want the visitor to do that?
• Design is the process of executing on that intent. Design is about more than just aesthetics, though - successful design drives visitors towards taking the desired action(s), minimizes confusion, remains consistent with the rest of an organization’s visual brand, industry, and goals, and, also looks aesthetically pleasing.
• Execution is the process of building a website - understanding how to use HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, and bringing a website from goals and images to finished product.

We conducted interviews with over 20 Fortune 500 employers, numerous technology professionals, and several academics to identify key problems in Web Design Education. Those problems can be summarized by one central idea: Traditional Web Design majors often overlook the fact that this is a synthetic discipline, combining elements of programming, graphic design, and marketing. These programs often produce graduates with skills that are either half-baked, or overly narrow. Our Web Design major was built to produce graduates who have all of the skills necessary to be effective Web Designers, and have demonstrated that skill through a heavy emphasis on project-based learning. Specifically, this offering seeks to produce students with the following skills and knowledge:

• An understanding of key marketing concepts, and the importance of intent in web design
• Programming skills necessary to build polished, database-backed websites
• Robust skills in visual design and aesthetics
• A comprehensive background in User Experience design, and a working understanding of how the best websites drive visitors to take desired actions
• An understanding of the product development cycle

These skills were defined as vital to either the process of web design itself or to working in technology in general by our committee of advisors, as well as our curriculum development team. To aid students in further developing their skills this major includes two optional elective tracks, one which focuses on programming skill and one which focuses on design skill.

Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee Updates

Course Design & Delivery