Spicy Web Designer Interview with Jessica Caldwell

Jessica Caldwell is a web designer from Denver, Colorado in the United States. She first began learning about web design in 2003 and started to professionally design sites in 2005. Since then Jessica has been involved in various web and graphic projects. She credits going back to school at the Art Institute to enhance her web design skills is what really allowed her to take things to the “next level” when it came to web design. Her latest project is a web boutique called “Smile Crocodile” which she runs out of Denver but she also has her personal portfolio online as well.

1. How did you get started in web design?

I discovered web design by pure luck. I was in college and needed one more credit for the semester. I took an HTML class, even though I had no clue what it was about. As it turns out, I loved it! I was also studying Graphic Design so when I realized I could use Photoshop to make my plain web pages come to life I was hooked!

2. When did you start designing websites?

I began learning about web design in 2003 but didn’t pursue it seriously until around 2005. I took a Continuing Education course through the Art Institute which really took my skills to the next level. I was able to land a job as a Production Artist for an online retailer where I learned a lot about the corporate world. It wasn’t until I started working at an agency that I really began to understand the full scope of web design and all that goes into making a successful website.

3. What are the biggest challenges that you face in web design currently?

The market right now is tough, clients are cutting back their budgets and we’re all feeling the pinch. The biggest challenge for me recently has been transitioning from a full-time position at an agency to starting my own company. Smile Crocodile is my first endeavor on my own and that presents a lot of challenges. Designers and developers these days have to be well-rounded in their collection of skills. We have to have a keen eye for design, while still being able to code and program. Project management and client relations are new skills I’m learning as well.

I believe it’s important for a web designer to learn about other aspects of web design, from UX to programming. Even if it’s not your passion, it’s going to make you more valuable in the long run. Web design techniques and technologies are always changing so never stop learning!

4. Do you ever refer to yourself as a Front-end developer or a web designer? Do you code any of the web sites that you design currently? If so, what language(s) do you code in?

The title I give myself is Front-end developer. My love, first and foremost, is XHTML/CSS and I’m learning more JavaScript all the time. I code the front-end of all my sites, and some times I work with back-end developers to complete more advanced sites.

I like to use Dreamweaver for coding, but Aptana is a pretty cool program too. jQuery is the JavaScript framework I use most often because it has so many plug-ins that you can customize, and the community is really supportive and helpful to new programmers. I also like WordPress as a simple CMS and would like to learn more PHP so I can customize it even further.

5. Where did you go to school and has it helped you become a better web design professional?

I went to college at a small school in Durango, Colorado called Fort Lewis College. I was originally studying to be a journalist and only discovered web design at the end of my senior year. Since I didn’t have much time left in college to study Computer Science or similar programs before I graduated, I took a Continuing Education course from the Art Institute in 2005.

While I think having a degree and training was important for getting my foot in the door, the place I learned the most was from working at an agency. I was lucky enough to have really talented people around me who I could learn from and help expand my skill set. You can learn a lot from school, but until you get out there in real-world situations you’re limited to what your professor knows. A more collaborative environment working with people of all different specialties was more useful to me than the classes I took in school.

6. Since you first started how has the web design industry changed? Has it changed for the better? If so, how? If not, please explain?

When I started learning web design it was all table-based layouts, slicing up unnecessary images to make designs work with the code, and I certainly had no idea about cross-browser compatibility. Web design was very “clunky”.

These days everything is more streamlined, efficient and cutting edge. Everyone is always looking for the next cool design trend, JavaScript plug-in or new social network. I think the way people use websites in general has changed dramatically since I first entered the industry. There are so many new possibilities of how sites can function and how we communicate information to the world. It’s a really exciting time because everyone is pushing the boundaries. I’m curious to see the next evolution of web design and development in the coming years.

7. What are your favorite tools to use when designing a web project? Why are they your favorite tools?

Since I work on a PC, I stick to the Adobe Creative Suite. Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver are my programs of choice. If I owned a Mac I would love to try Coda or Espresso or to code my sites since I’ve heard great things about them. For inspiration I like to look at gallery sites including siteInspire (www.siteinspire.net), CSS Mania (www.cssmania.com), and CSSREMIX (www.cssremix.com). Looking at new sites always gets me excited to go out there and try new techniques and really push myself to take my designs to the next level.