What strikes me as I cruise job sites is that many software developers want designers, yet I don’t as often see web developers who realize the importance of good web interface design. As the line between application and web blurs, what elements are carried across? How does usability change when we compare a piece of software and a website, and how will it play out as we develop rich internet applications? I really feel I could be an asset to developing more usable web interfaces, since I have several years background in web design and development. Part of me is humming; wanting to get in on web application design, waiting for the right combination of experience and time to jump into the deep end.
I’m considering taking some .Net courses, as recently that seems to play out in interface design and technical communication job descriptions. I took four semesters of Visual Basic, and a semester of ASP – all just before the beta of .Net came out unfortunately. It is hard to decide where to focus. I want to be able to help in many areas, yet the wider I cast that net, the shallower it may have to be. On one hand I would like to be jack of all trades, on the other, I recognize unless I focus, I will always have familiarity with many things without specialization or proficiency in a few.
Lately I have applied for several freelance jobs and also volunteered to help with one online project that could use the help of a designer. This volunteer opportunity should be a lot of fun since I’ll get the chance to play with elements of web design in my free time, around the kids’ hours, and continue to build my portfolio of experience. I can hardly wait.
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