Webmaster might be a better term to use than "Web Designer" In the early days of the web, "e-mail the Webmaster" was found at the bottom of most web pages. With the dotcom bust and subsequent rebuilding, "Webmaster" was traded in for more "marketing friendly" e-mail addresses like "report_a_problem" or "give us feedback." Although the actual term "Webmaster" has lost steam, the role of this "mysterious" person found at the footer of pages is more important than ever.
Times Have ChangedTo be honest, I never really understood what the word Webmaster really meant. I thought it was some nerdy, research-oriented, technical guy that ran websites out of his basement. It reminded me of a plumber or an electrician—the type of guy you never really think of talking to until you have a problem. The Webmaster was a technical fix-it guy. Long ago in Internet time- yeah, a whole ten years ago- most websites were one-man operations. These were research- or hobby-oriented sites that had a single person doing the writing, programming and visual design (ok, design is subjective here). When a new breed of "dotcom" websites filled with marketing hyperbola began cluttering the web, the task of Webmaster was divided into many roles. HTML was pushed to its limits with code that stretched miles. Design was no longer just an animated rainbow GIF- it was an interactive multimedia experience. Writing was no longer about copying text from Microsoft Word- it required rewriting and repositioning text to be more web-friendly. In less than five years, the role of Webmaster turned into a dozen full-time positions. We’ve Come Full CircleMany "dotcoms" quickly learned that their websites, run by a staff of 30, were only generating income capable of paying the salaries of a small portion of those staffers. While there is a need for some specialized roles, today’s economy demands efficiency and the ability to perform within tight budgets. There’s no room for the luxury of a full-time copywriter, or for that matter, a full-time designer. So what is a company to do? In my capacity as a brand engineer, I've had the opportunity to interact with more than thirty start-ups or small businesses. Over time, I've realized that most companies don’t need a huge team of people to run their website. Ninety percent of businesses in the United States are small businesses, which means the majority of companies are unable to hire tons of people with specialized skills. In fact, they might be able to hire only one person. Who do they call? Yep, a Web Designer.
|
Trends 
