Employers increasingly value the right combination of education and experience, which means those who wish to work in web development need to consider the various types of internships available in web design. Thanks to the diversification of devices and website types, there actually are plenty of internships available that work with entirely different schools of design, programming languages, operating systems, and best practices. Before selecting an internship, be sure to understand the various opportunities available in order to gain the right experience for post-graduation employment in the right design industry niche.
Mobile Design Internships
Mobile design has become the hottest area of web design over the past decade, with many companies devoting an entire department to this niche. Mobile design is driven largely by smartphone market saturation, led by the likes of the iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry devices. Tablets, which are also becoming increasingly popular, typically require designers who can blend mobile and desktop design best practices. Internships in this area will give students hands-on experience with designing for mobile devices, creating adaptive and responsive work, and making sure that the design scales to various devices sizes and is identical in appearance across the numerous current platforms available to consumers.
Web Application Development Internships
Another growing area of web design involves the creation of web applications that take the place of desktop software. Whether it’s a productivity suite that competes with Microsoft Office, or cloud storage that takes the place of a hard drive, these web-based applications require a great deal of thought, programming, and design. Internships will teach students how to take a basic application and give it an appearance that works perfectly on desktop computers across all operating systems, and many will even learn how to scale down their design to smartphone and tablet web browsers. In some cases, interns will learn how to turn a web application into a downloadable app for mobile or desktop use, further enhancing their actual graphic design skills alongside their HTML and CSS programming knowledge.
Blog and Interactive Site Design Internships
Creating an interactive site is quite a bit different from simply creating a business website that lists information and recent news. Interns in this capacity will gain hands-on experience with major content management systems like ExpressionEngine, WordPress, Drupal, and many others. As a result, they’ll have the experience needed to ease into roles at major online blogs, magazines, and news publications. They’ll also have the skills needed to develop comprehensive websites that leverage the power of HTML and CSS design, a CMS backend, and unique plugins that enhance which content can be shown to users and how that content is displayed within a web design.
Corporate Web Design Internships
The responsibility of maintaining a company’s website is a significant one, and larger businesses aren’t likely to hire designers without some degree of experience and success. Internships in corporate website design and maintenance give candidates the experience they need to find success in this area. They’ll get experience with corporate design tools, including custom-designed content management systems and other proprietary tools. With this experience they’ll be a natural fit for entry-level positions in corporate design departments.
The Key to Great Career Success is a Relevant Design Internship
Web design internships give web design students an opportunity to turn classroom instruction into practical, valuable experience. According to US News and World Report, the large number of internships available in web design ensure that students can focus on their key area of interest, furthering their careers in a dynamic way while they do so.
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