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Can an Artist Enjoy Web Development?

Being a Creative

By 'Toto' (Aleksina Teto)Published 5 years ago 4 min read
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Photo by Matthew Henry from Burst
If you are reading this, my purpose of this article is for people like the 18-year-old me who felt lost, looking for a career in a creative field.

Being a Web Developer

What does that even mean?

When I first began to learn, I had no idea the diversity in the field. I had this assumption that a web developer had to know how to do it all. My illusion was that it was a job for tech geniuses.

A few years back, I applied to be a web developer intern. Why? Well, the job application said I would use Adobe programs. I remember, when they emailed me back, asking for an interview, I was jumping up and down, pacing saying 'please' over and over again.

At this point, I had gone to post-secondary for a whopping one year. In that, we hadn't even started web development yet. And that program? I did it because it used the Adobe programs, I felt stuck, and had no idea what I wanted to do for a living, and I needed to leave home.

At the time I got the job, I had three dollars in my account, and still had another year of school to go, rent, and food I needed to get. What a motivator to learn. Yet, somehow, I went from intern to an employee and even kept working there as I did my second year of school, where I actually learned to make a site from scratch using CSS and HTML.

Before these leaps of faith, I never saw myself ever becoming a web developer. In my mind, it was for tech geniuses. Sure, I loved computers, enjoyed math and physics, but art was my first and final love.

But still, what exactly is web development? What do you do?

The first division is front-end and back-end developers.

Front End

This is what I do. Even within it though, there are some different ways you can go.

The great thing about front end is that it can be really creative with limited technical knowledge. First off, what do I mean by front-end? Think of it like this, they make the label, where the back-end developer makes the packaging.

As a front-end developer, you could do as limited as creating the look of the website in a program like Illustrator, passing it onto someone else to make it live and interactive on the online sphere.

One step deeper, you might work with Wordpress or its kin sites. With Wordpress, you use a theme that was created by another developer and put in the design and information. It does require a little bit of CSS and possible HTML here and there, but generally, it is an interface/program you use to design a website.

A step further yet, you might make the site from HTML and CSS, adding in a bit of Javascript, and handing it off if it needs more complicated functions. Specifically, this would mean organizing the text and images using those two types of codes. What is great about HTML and CSS specifically is that they are fairly visually oriented, and programs like Dreamweaver can help you remember the little details if you need it.

Back End

This area is definitely more for the more technically inclined. And, though I have dabbled, I cannot speak for it in its entirety.

It requires a lot of technical learning. Luckily, the information is becoming more accessible. Codecademy, for instance, walks you through the use of each language, and how to use them.

For me, someone who is more visually, and artistically inclined, I am pretty slow at learning more complex code. I like to imagine it like building blocks, and writing out instructions. In my personal opinion, Javascript (not Java), is a great stepping stone to test out the waters for more back-end coding. And yes, there can be a lot of creativity to it, just more technical creativity.

Javascript, for instance, you are pretty much writing out an instruction manual for a website for if someone interacts with it. Some basic things it can do are: change the main text on the site to say good morning, good afternoon, or good evening depending on a device's clock; create an interactive form; answer simple questions. Of course, there is a lot more you can do with it, but essentially, it makes a website a bit more dynamic.

More complicated code can help with more complex problems, such as creating databases. They are used to bring interactivity with a site further.

Front End and Back End

Depending on the job, they will want different varieties of depth of knowledge. But, one of the biggest things I'm glad I learned was that you do not have to be both. There is work for someone who only does front-end development, as well as someone who only does back-end.

The Artist and Web Development

As an artist, I can say I have found enjoyment in it. Though at first glance it looks very technical, there is a lot of creativity and artistic liberty that can be put into web development. I think of it like a collage or a book. Each webpage is an opportunity to express a brand, thought, or look. And depending, you make photography, paintings, and art for those sites.

The truth though is that if you are good at it, and develop the skill, it can be a profitable field for a creative. So, if you are stuck creative, it is a great option that can allow you to be creative and use artist sensibilities. And, it can be as technical as you want it to be.

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About the Creator

'Toto' (Aleksina Teto)

A Canadian designer, writer, typographer, and artist.

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