Web development is an ever growing industry. With some ups and downs in the past, you can see the need is growing even more. With the advent of Smart phones and newer mobile operating systems such as Android, the need of responsive web development has arisen. A responsive website is one, which adjusts itself with different screen sizes properly. Every next person has a smart phone with smart OS, be it Android or iPhone. Because of such a huge leap in the mobile space, telecom operators have made it possible for every next person to have internet connection in his mobile phone.
With the growth of web and mobile and the trust in online payments, a great number of increase is seen in the Online Ventures or more specifically ecommerce ventures. From big brands to small and medium size enterprises, everyone is looking to build their presence better on web and mobile. This gives a clear indication of growth in web and mobile application development.
Difference between Web Designer and Web UI Developer:
Usually people get confused with web designer and web UI developer. A web designer is actually a graphic designer who works on some photo editing tools to create the layout and the design of the website. Whereas a web UI developer is a person who is responsible for creating HTML pages for the design that designer has created in the photo editing tools.
Responsibility of a Web UI Developer or a Front End Developer:
As a UI developer or a front end developer you will be responsible for translating the business requirements and the design concepts into a user interface. You be developing front end of the website, coding the web pages as per the design and other specifications. You will be required to maintain the usability and friendliness of the user interface.
What you need to learn to be a UI developer:
As a UI developer, you need to learn HTML (hypertext markup language), CSS (cascaded style sheets), JavaScript (Scripting Language), JavaScript libraries such as jQuery and frameworks based on JavaScript such as Backbone.
You should also learn concepts like usability, accessibility, semantics and performance of the user interface.
Some tips for UI Developers:
1. Develop something of your own (some great examples of design or some UI based games).
2. Showcase your work in a portfolio, preferably create your own website to showcase your work, skills and work experience.
3. You should maintain a Blog; teaching things you do everyday while developing user interfaces.
4. If you are not working full time yet, keep yourself busy with the work doing some freelancing. Try elance, odesk, freelancer etc.
5. Connect with like minded people in the industry through Linkedin.
6. You can also look for some startups who may offer you a salary with some equity.