Spicy Web Designer Interview with Michelle Holden

Michelle Holden is a web designer from Etobicoke (just outside of Toronto), Ontario in Canada. She recently graduated from Humber College from the Multimedia Design program and also studied 3D Multimedia Animation. She uses video blogging to showcase some of her skills on her website currently and even though she is a relatively new web designer she is very skilled.

1. How did you get started in web design?

I took a program at Humber College called Multimedia Design and Production Technician. My mother was the one who got me into it because since I have a 3D Animation background she thought I would be interested in web design.

2. When did you start designing websites?

When I first got into this program I knew nothing about creating websites, nor did I know how to use to program Dreamweaver.

Eventually I became just as strong as everyone else is out there. To answer your question, I started designing websites the minute I took this course.

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

I really don’t have a problem with web design, but I do have challenges in my life. For example, I’m fresh out of my program I just graduated from a 2 year program. I find it very difficult to find a job in my field because my experience isn’t as intermediate as others. So that’s a disadvantage with me. I have all this talent and it takes me much longer to get a job.

4. Do you code any of the web sites that you design currently? If so, what language(s) do you code in?

Yes, I code all my websites. Even when I interned at Rogers Publishing, I coded micro sites for them as well.

It depends on assignments I usually code HTML, CSS. Sometimes I code PHP, Java Script, and ActionScript 3.0.

5. Did you study design at school or are you self-taught?  If you went to school, how has your education helped you become a better web design professional?  What other skills has it helped you to gain and what else has it taught you about design in general?

I studied at Humber College. The education has helped me a lot because I learned new things everyday that I never knew about.

It was a lot to consume in 2 years but it was worth it.  In terms of design, I would say that was more “self-taught”, because we did learn design in my program, however nothing too advanced. But I’ve always had a love and passion for Photoshop, so I think my drive to design websites was all based around me fooling around in Photoshop. I am taking a part time course in Illustrator to strengthen my skills in that program. Like I said before, I have never used any coding programs before so that was very new to me and to learn that all in this program was definitely worth it. I can now go out there and show the world I have what it takes to design and code.

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?

I think that the web industry has changed a lot. Everything you see around us is basically web based, it’s like art, what would the world be like without art? We just have to realize that this industry changes drastically as generations go by. I think the only downside to this industry is the whole recession period…but that doesn’t change the fact that employees won’t get hired.

I love how everything is becoming so popular, social networks such as facebook have become really successful.

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

I generally design my websites starting with Photoshop. My favorite tools, hmm that’s a hard one, I like all of them!

All these tools help me design my websites that are now being aired. I can’t live without any of them.