job skills tech mobile make design web

10 Amazing Tech Careers in Design for Super CreativesHow’s your Instagram aesthetic? If you’re like me, or the thousands of otherusers who have realized the social media site’s potential for displaying yourartistic endeavors and eye for design, your profile is probably a carefully-cultivated piece of art all on its own.Now consider: you can get paid now just for having a great eye for art, andknowing how to apply that vision. Say what?## Is Tech Right For you? Take Our 3-Minute Quiz!You Will Learn: If a career in tech is right for you What tech careers fityour strengths What skills you need to reach your goalsYour perspective and careful eye for color and layout are in demand in thetech world, especially if you have experience in coding, multimedia marketing,or art. Even if you don’t, you can still find a job that will pay youhandsomely to create beautiful things.Design careers in the tech world range in skill set, type, average annualsalary, job growth, and opportunity. There are a lot to sift through for anewbie, so I’ve compiled a list of some of the most prevalent design jobs intech, as well as some that are up and coming.Below you’ll find ten job titles in tech design that you can hook into for thesake of happiness, personal growth, and financial gain. You’ll also find linksto applications for jobs that are available in each field right now.## 1. Web Developer/DesignerThe job of a web developer is to create a website that is specific to aclient’s specifications including overall look and feel, as well asfunctionality and features. Depending on the company, the actual code writingis often completed by one person (the web developer) and the actual design ofthe site is completed by another person (the web designer) using programs likePhotoshop.That isn’t always the case. Sometimes the whole process is lumped togetherunder the job title of web developer (or web designer). In this role, youwould be responsible for completing the whole site, from writing the HTML andCSS to editing graphics that complete the look of the site. Don’t fret if youcan’t speak techy — Skillcrush has a totally free 10-day coding bootcamp toget you started!A more detailed list of the differences between web development and web designcan be found here. Web developers are constantly learning on the job, andpredicted growth in employment means you’ll never be without work.According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, web developers make an averageof $65,000 annually and employment is projected to grow 27 percent by 2024.Skills and Background: HTML, CSS, Java, PHP, layout, site mapping, graphicdesign, image editingApply Now:## 2. Visual DesignerQuick! Make a list of the ten most memorable company logos you’ve ever seen.Now, consider how you would improve those logos. Would you change colors, textplacement, fonts? Change an image here, add a symbol there?Visual designers are responsible for combining their artistic perspective withtech to develop concepts for everything ranging from logos and product designsto brochures, advertisements, and even websites. Visual designers utilizetools like the Adobe Creative Suite to illustrate and develop designs thattheir clients can use for consistent branding and name recognition.According to the anonymous crowd-sourcing site Glassdoor, visual designersmake an average of $74,000 annually. Employment is currently stagnant and mostvisual designers are self-employed or freelancers, but don’t worry — visualdesign is a great launching point for any career and it also makes an awesomeside hustle for when you need a little extra cash flow. Skills and Background: Art, graphic design, marketing, sales, typography,image editing Apply Now:## 3 & 4. UI/UX DesignerIf you’ve fallen for a promoted Tweet or Facebook ad and downloaded an appthat was totally underwhelming, you are not alone. Oftentimes, hastily createdand over-promoted apps can be glitchy or downright dysfunctional, lackingintuition or any kind of aesthetic cohesiveness.An app (or website) is really only as good as its designers. User InterfaceDesigners create visual designs and craft interfaces for websites or mobileapps, focusing their attention on aesthetic appeal. They work closely withUser Experience Designers, who focus on integrating all of the feature anddesign elements of a website or mobile app to create the best possibleexperience for the user.While these positions are different, they often work in tandem with each otherand, much like web developers and designers, can sometimes see theirresponsibilities lumped under one job title. That leaves the entire userexperience up to one person, which is a lot of pressure — but you’ll staycool. Practice makes perfect.According to CNN Money, user interface and user experience designers make anaverage of $89,000 annually and employment is expected to grow 18% by 2024.Skills and Background: Layout, interfacing (including test runs),communicationApply Now:## 5. Augmented Reality DesignerUnless you’ve had your head under a rock, you’ve probably heard aboutNiantic’s new mobile app, Pokemon Go. If you’ve played it, you know that theapp takes the digital game world of Pokemon and sets it in the real world.Users can “hunt” Pokemon in their own neighborhoods, collecting supplies atreal-life locations and even snapping photos of Jigglypuffs and Eevees attheir favorite diners.Augmented reality is a rapidly growing market, its potential only partiallyrealized in Pokemon Go. As these technologies increase, job growth willincrease as well. The goal of an augmented reality designer is to seamlesslylayer the digital world with the physical one, providing an unparalleledexperience for the user. Moving beyond gaming and entertainment, thistechnology could eventually be tailored to things like education and medicine.According to a 2014 Business Insider article, an augmented reality designermakes an average of $125,000 annually. Job growth statistics are harder tocome by, giving the newness of the title and the rapidity with which theindustry is growing, but assume that if you go into augmented reality design,you won’t be out of a job any time soon!Skills and Background: Programming, interfacing, layout, graphic design,animation, photography, geography, history, digital artApply Now:## Is Tech Right For you? Take Our 3-Minute Quiz!You Will Learn: If a career in tech is right for you What tech careers fityour strengths What skills you need to reach your goals## 6. Chief Design/Creative Officer or Art DirectorRemember when we started this journey and I asked you about your Instagramaesthetic? Take your ability to frame individual photos and compile them in acohesive, representative gallery-style format that draws in followers, thentake that ability to an awesome new level. You may have the skills to be anart director already.As the chief design officer, chief creative officer, or art director at acompany, you would be responsible for for the visual style of every componentof that company. You would oversee the creation and development of thecompany’s website, social media profiles, digital content including emails andads, physical products including brochures and news bulletins, and even littlethings like company business cards and letterheads. You would work directlywith web developers, visual designers, and management to oversee the creationand execution of a visual style that helps the company turn a profit in itsgiven field.According to Glassdoor, art directors make an average of $72,000 annually.Employment growth is slow, at only 2 percent, but as technology changes andcreative officers become more involved, that prediction will likely change.Skills and Background: Art, layout, marketing and sales, typography, imageediting, social media management, communication, leadership, multimediaApply Now:## 7. Game DesignerSince their invention, video games have never gone out of style. As technologyevolves, games are accessible on a myriad of devices including traditionalgaming consoles, handheld consoles, mobile phones, desktop computers, laptopcomputers, tablets, e-readers, and more. Social media plays a huge role inspreading the word on hot new games, and for even the most casual gamer, thereseems to be a dozen new options for play released every week.As a game designer, you would be responsible for creating the core of a game.You would set a theme, create a rulebook, establish characters and plot arcswhen applicable, and cater the atmosphere for players. In some instances, youmay even get to flex your writing muscles and create the dialogue forcharacters in the game.Usually, you are not required to do any actual code writing or programming asa game designer. Instead, you would be responsible for problem solving andthinking quickly on your feet, and predicting potential actions of gameplayers and what the outcomes of those actions would look like in the game. Itwould flex all of your creative muscles in a fast-paced, challengingenvironment.According to Glassdoor, game designers make an average of $66,000 annually.Employment opportunity is predicted to grow about 6 percent in the nextdecade. Skills and Background: Problem solving, writing, multimedia art, storytellingApply Now:## 8. Multimedia Artist/AnimatorGrowing up, I saw tons of features on the Disney Channel about animatorsworking for the media giant. At the time, I thought it would be ridiculouslycool to draw cartoons and animate them. I realized very shortly that drawingpage after page of the same character doing a slightly different motion inorder to animate them later was too tedious for me. Once, we did a schoolproject where we had to create a flipbook and I relied entirely on stickfigures. It was a very choppy flipbook.But if you’re a talented artist who’s dedicated the time and attention topracticing that craft, this job is likely an awesome fit for you! You can hookinto multimedia art and animation in a variety of ways because the fieldoffers a lot of self-employment opportunity as well as positions in largercorporations.As technology has changed, so has the way multimedia artists and animatorswork. While traditional art is still very popular in the field, so is graphicart and computer animation. If you’re good at both, you’re even more likely tosucceed. Multimedia artists and animators primarily create visual effects forgames, movies, television shows, commercials, corporate videos, and more. Asaugmented reality becomes more prevalent and technology continues to expand,the market for good multimedia artists will continue to grow.According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, multimedia artists andanimators make an average of $64,000 annually. Employment opportunity in thefield is predicted to grow 6 percent by 2024, which is average for mostfields. Skills and Background: Multimedia, digital art, computer animationApply Now:## 9. Mobile DesignerRemember when we talked about user interface and user experience and how itpertains to mobile design? People in those positions work their magic after amobile designer has laid the initial groundwork for a new app.Mobile designers are responsible for creating apps that can be used onsmartphones, tablets, and other portable technology that are responsive,beautiful, and easy to use.As a mobile designer, it’s up to you to tap into what consumers need to maketheir daily lives more efficient, as so many of them use their mobile devicesfor work. Alternately, it could be up to you to make consumers’ daily livesmore fun and interesting by designing apps that keep their brains engaged andoccupied when they’re not at work. The market for mobile designers is ever-expanding as our handheld technologies get smaller and smarter, so you need tobe on your toes and ready to adapt to change at all times.According to Glassdoor, mobile designers make an average of $60,000 to $80,000annually. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth of about 20percent by 2024.Skills and Background: Familiarity with mobile operating systems, layout,interfacing, touch screen integration, streamlining content, data managementand analysisApply Now:## 10. Product/Packaging DesignerLet’s face it: if the packaging on a product is ugly, inconvenient, ortargeted at someone who isn’t you, you aren’t going to pick it up off theshelf. With online shopping as pervasive as it is today, it’s hard enough toget consumers to actually go to brick and mortar stores to make purchases in2016. But there are still people (like me) who walk into Target, getdistracted by all the cool colors and adorable packaging, and walk out havingspent $70 more than they originally planned.Product and packaging designers hone their craft into not only enticingconsumers but using their designs to get consumers to spend money. This jobrequires art skill, familiarity with assembly, and familiarity with currenttrends. You have to have an eye for color, pattern, layout, and be veryattentive to detail. If I can buy a plain salt shaker for the same price asone that will stand out as a complementary piece in my kitchen, I’m going togo with the latter. Your job as a product and packaging designer is to make mewant whatever you’re selling.Digital packaging design is also a niche in this job market — since onlineshopping is so big, both in the sense of popularity and options, how youpresent a product digitally makes a big difference in sales.According to PayScale, packaging designers make an average of $47,000annually. Employment opportunity in the field is predicted to grow only about4 percent in the next ten years, making it a highly competitive field.Skills and Background: Multimedia art, typography, marketing and sales,current trends, graphic design Apply Now:Don’t sell yourself short! An eye for aesthetics is much-coveted in the techworld and your design skills can earn you more money starting right now. Applyfor any of the jobs above or do a search on your own, but if you want to getinto tech and you like design, there’s no better time than the present.