It seems a new profession springs up in Ukraine almost every week, and a lot of them are connected to the Internet.
Companies and organizations looking to gain a foothold on the Web, and the chance to worldwide exposure, are developing Web sites, either using their own IT staff or outsourcing to specialized Web site building companies.
One of the Web design companies servicing the Ukrainian market is Avilan, and one of the new professions it employs is that of Web designer.
“After the contract [to build a site] is signed, the Web designer works out the layout of the site according to what the client wants,” says Avilan Web designer Dmitro Zagashev.
Before a line of code is written, a detailed site plan is drawn up, charting the site’s components down to the last menu button. This is the artistic part of the Web designer’s work.
Next comes the programming, encoding the layout of site and realizing the plans of the client and designer.
“The web designer’s profession involves a strong combination of both artistic work and programming,” Zagashev said. “And mainly it depends on the person which quality matters to him more – artistry, or programming skill.”
As with many new professions, you don’t necessarily have to have formal training to become a Web designer. But solid programming skills and an eye for design are a must, those on the job say.
“If you want to become a designer, you have to teach yourself,” says Zagashev.
Zagashev is himself a self-taught newcomer to the profession. He decided to become a Web designer only a year ago, when he was looking for work.
“People in this profession are in high demand,” he says. “There are vacancies for Web designers advertised in every newspaper. So I decided to change my skill profile and study Web design.”
In the three months that Zagashe has been at Avilan, he alone has created four Web sites. His firm’s corporate clients include Radio Liberty, The Ukrainian Sports Dancing Association and the Kyiv Institute of Communications.
It takes on average three weeks to create a Web site, but the time varies according to the complexity of the site and the technology involved in its implementation.
Monthly salaries for Web designers in Ukraine start from $250, but the most talented professionals can command much higher fees.
What are the qualities needed to succeed in this profession?
“The main thing in this profession is the same as in any one,” Zagashev said. “Bring the project to an end, be persistent and don’t leave a job half-done.”
