Web Multimedia Design & Degree Programs
It is hard to find a field with greater creativity and growth potential than the field of multimedia & Web design. For most people, days and nights are filled with visual presentations, entertainment, advertising, and services. The GPS map you follow across town was created by a multimedia or graphic designer. The online articles you read about employment trends are delivered on a screen designed by a Web developer or illustrator.
You can earn a degree with an online education in multimedia & Web design. Complete a program on your own time, while you keep your current job, or pursue training full-time in order to graduate and start your new career sooner.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), many new jobs are being created by "the expansion of the video entertainment market, including television, movies, video, and made-for-Internet outlets." Graphic designers with Web site design and animation training should have the best job opportunities among all designers during the 2006-2016 decade.
Specializations in Multimedia & Web Design
Web designers and multimedia artists and developers are distinguished by their focus on creative or technical specialties. Online design schools offer students the initial exposure to illustrator, developer, and graphic designer disciplines, allowing you to select from the elements that best suit your professional aspirations. Specialties in the field include the following:
- Computer Scientist or Web Developer. Focus on the technical end of creating code that drives the functions of a Web site. Coordinate Web elements, including server-side databases that fill the site with data, or convert the look and text of the site for specific audiences. Training includes writing computer languages that create web behaviors.
- Multimedia or Flash Artist. Create streaming video, audio, or animated features for Web sites or entertainment media such as film and television. Build Web sites comprised entirely of Flash animations, photos, illustrations, and text. Online programs offer courses in 2D and 3D design, animation, HTML, and photo rendering software.
- Illustrator or Graphic Artist. Specialize in the look and feel of the design rather than the code that powers the Web site. Create design elements or the entire visual design for print, broadcast, or Web presentations. Career training courses discuss free-hand illustration and software programs that create vector images or manipulate photo graphics.
Jobs for Multimedia, Web, and Graphic Artists
Design school grads often work in design firms or corporate graphics departments, or as freelance consultants. About one-fourth of all graphic artists are self-employed. While you may find an internship or entry-level job with an associate's degree, a majority of your competition may hold a bachelor's degree. Work created in your courses can be packaged into an impressive portfolio to show potential employers your versatility and strengths.
Best wages in the field go to database administrators. The median annual salary for database administrators in 2008 was $69,740, while graphic designers earned a median annual wage of $42,400.
| Position | Employment (2016) |
Average Salary (2016) |
Expected Job Growth (2014-2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio-Visual and Multimedia Collections Specialists | 10,300 | $50,130 | 7.9% |
| Multimedia Artists and Animators | 29,810 | $72,200 | 6% |
If you want to be the next guru in the field, research your options for earning an online degree in multimedia & Web design.
