Studying Website Design
Point and click and the world is yours.

Point and click has become the symbol of our times - the current generation of international college students has always known the World Wide Web. From its humble beginnings back in the early days of the internet, to its first conception at a conference of technology leaders in Switzerland in the early 1980's, to the dynamic environment of today, nothing has had greater impact in the global community of learners than the 'web'. The explosion of web sites has grown into an entirely new industry, and now some of the hottest, most exciting career opportunities are in the arena of professional web site design and development. It is unlikely that the pace of such development will slow, as new and more dynamic web applications are created in the global marketplace each day.

Universities and colleges are just beginning to respond to the global demand for well-trained professionals in website design and development. There is a lot to learn, as this field is a 'hybrid' - a collection of different disciplines, knowledge and experience. It is also very new; no one knew what a website designer was a few years ago. Today, talented website designers must have a balance of computer graphics skills, communication skills, technology background, extensive software experience, and skill in the 'client services' - or dealing with customers. A strong dose of marketing and business skills are an added dimension. With the right set of skills, experience and knowledge, there is no limit to growth in this field.

As new majors and university programs develop, prospective students must be educated consumers to identify the program that matches their needs. This is an emerging field, and early entrants may have the edge over long-established technology programmers trying to transform themselves.

Faculty
Almost anyone can create a website with today's web development tools. But really good websites are designed by practitioners with experience as consultants in the field. Faculty in university website programs should be active practitioners, enabling them to bring recent, cutting edge design concepts and tools into the classroom for the students. Faculty should be up-to-date on the latest happenings in the field - again, this may not be the 'traditional' faculty member with a PhD. Rather a balance of real world experience, graphics design and technological skills make up the ideal profile for the website design faculty member.

Studios and Labs
Just as Website Design is challenging established profiles of faculty members, they are also challenging the profile of campus technology resources. This is a field that demands state-of-the-art technology in creative and technical environments, and universities are being forced to rethink what it means to have computers available for students. Again, the 'hybrid' theme may be the best. There are plenty of computer labs around colleges and universities, but how many 'web studios' will you find? A great website is a creative and technical accomplishment, and campus web studios should mimic a professional web company: fast and powerful desktops, large displays, projection systems, digital cameras, scanners, photographic lighting, and big networks with lots of data capacity. You need the tools of the trade to get the best skills and experience.

Software environment
There is so much to choose from by way of software development tools for the web - it really is a moving target. At a very basic level, students should find software environments that host a network operating system to conduct client-server transactions. There should be an array of graphic development software packages, and coursework should teach basic HTML, Java, Javascript, CGI, ActiveX, and interactive databases, among other web interaction platforms.

Learning and teaching styles
Learning about the web and becoming a web professional requires practice with the latest hardware and software tools. It may also require a different way of teaching. Coursework in a website design program should be 'hands on' from the beginning, as the only way to determine the flow of a web navigation strategy is to test it. In a world where the average web user takes about 2.5 seconds to browse and leave a web page, getting the right graphic design and information sequencing is imperative for success. Depending on the type of site you are developing, the faculty member may not always have the 'correct' solution to the problem. This is a field of prototyping and testing, and rebuilding and prototyping some more. Web design programs should have students working in 'project teams' with students from other disciplines like marketing and business. Students, in some cases, will be experts in particular software packages before arriving to campus.

Industry Relationship and Practical Experience
Solid web design programs should have strong ties to industry and great practical experiences available for students. This is a field that needs to blur the boundary between academia and the workplace. Students are perhaps the best focus group in the world for potential websites, and such opportunity should be integrated into the curriculum. Great ideas consistently come out the classroom and into the commercial sector, and web programs will only accelerate such a tradition.

Author
Stephen C Andrade
Johnson and Wales University