Developer - Interactive Media
The role of the Developer is to create an interactive media product.
Sometimes this will be according to designs created by someone else (such as a Designer1 or Information Architect2); other times the Developer may design the product as well.
The role generally overlaps with, and falls in between, those of Designer and Programmer3, although the actual amount of design work involved may vary depending on things like the type or size of the organisation the Developer is working for. Nevertheless, creative flair and some appreciation of design, interactivity and usability are required.
Developers may be employed in permanent positions within a company, or may work freelance. Amongst freelancers, there tends to be most demand for those who are either extremely good specialists in one particular area (e.g. standards-compliant HTML) or who are good all-rounders, combining design and technical abilities.
What is the job?
Developers use authoring tools, mark-up languages and scripting languages to create the product. They may, for example, create a web page using HTML and CSS; or they may develop animated content or interfaces in Flash.
In some cases, the role does not require the use of scripting languages as some authoring tools shield the Developer from this. However, scripting ability is usually desirable and good scripters – especially those who can combine technical expertise with creative flair – are usually well placed to progress into more senior roles, such as Information Architect or Producer4.
The Developer may be responsible for preparing and optimising assets for use in the product, and will usually work closely with the Designer.
He or she is usually also responsible for the technical testing of the product to ensure it works as intended, and fixing any problems that emerge.
On web projects, he or she may also be responsible, usually alongside the Web Editor or an SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) Specialist5, for ensuring the site is search-engine optimised.
The job tends to be divided into various levels of seniority, based mostly on experience. As a general rule, the greater the seniority, the more responsibility the Developer will have for the overall product, including deciding its specifications and the technologies and approaches used to implement it.
Typical career routes
The job tends to be divided into various levels of seniority, based mostly on experience. As a general rule, the greater the seniority, the more responsibility the Developer will have for the overall product, including deciding its specifications and the technologies and approaches used to implement it.
There are no typical career routes, and interactive media Developers come from a wide range of backgrounds. They tend to be people who can combine creative and technical skill sets, and who can easily pick up new skills.
They are often self-taught. Experience is usually expected, and a good portfolio of work is crucial. Experienced Developers usually progress into Information Architect or Producer roles.
Essential knowledge and skills
Depending on the type of work they are doing, Developers usually need knowledge of one or more scripting languages, such as JavaScript, ActionScript or Lingo. They may also need familiarity with development tools such as Macromedia Director or Flash.
Many web developers use authoring tools such as Macromedia Dreamweaver, but an ability to hand-code HTML and CSS is still highly desirable and often essential. Familiarity with image manipulation software and asset optimisation techniques is useful.
Awareness of web standards and accessibility guidelines, and an understanding of the principles of interactivity and human-computer interface design are important.
Developers also need to keep up to date with the latest technologies, tools, approaches and best practice, so being able to learn on the job is essential.
Key Skills include:
- good knowledge of programming principles;
- good knowledge of scripting and mark-up languages;
- ability to undertake research and self-study in a disciplined manner;
- good interpersonal & communication skills, especially when dealing with specialists in other disciplines;
- ability to manage time, prioritise tasks and work under pressure;
- knowledge of the requirements of the relevant Health and Safety legislation and procedures.
Most interactive media Developers have Bachelor’s Degrees, and some have Master’s Degrees. Although there are various interactive media courses available, many Developers’ qualifications are in more traditional – and often varied – subjects, across the arts, sciences and humanities. Most
Developers tend to learn their technical skills through self-study or short courses. Keeping skills up-to-date is often done on-the-job as and when needed, typically though reference books and web sites. There are few industry-recognised technical qualifications, so experience and demonstrable ability are valued most.
Glossary
Authoring tool: a software application used to create interactive media products, usually without the need for high-level programming skills
Markup language: a way of adding information to text, usually so that it can be processed or displayed by a computer
Scripting language: a (relatively) simple programming language
CSS: an acronym for Cascading Style Sheets; these provide instructions that tell web browser software how to display a web page
Interface: often used synonymously with ‘page’ or ‘screen’ to refer to what the user sees on-screen; it can also be used more specifically to refer to the controls via which the user interacts with the product, such as buttons, links, form fields etc.
Where to go for more informationSkillset is the Sector Skills Council for the audio visual industries. The first sources of information for all jobs in the industry are the National Occupational Standards. Browse Skillset’s website for links to our network of training partners, information about training and access to the comprehensive Skillset/BFI course database. Finally, Skillset Careers is the UK’s only specialist media careers advice service; for detailed media careers information and advice, visit www.skillset.org/careers.
Websites
British Interactive Multimedia Association: www.bima.co.uk/
New Media Knowledge: www.nmk.co.uk
A List Apart: www.alistapart.com
WebMonkey: www.webmonkey.com
Publications
New Media Age Magazine - New Media Age
Download:
1 The Designer role is about designing the overall look and feel of the product – at it’s simplest this is a case of visually ‘skinning’ a wire-frame design produced by the Information Architect; in more senior roles, or in smaller teams, the Designer is more likely to be involved with devising interactivity and information flow, hence the roles often overlap or are merged.
2 The Information Architect role is about deciding the product’s features, functionality, organisation of content, and navigational structure. These may be documented through wire-frame diagrams, site maps, and/or detailed functional specifications that together serve as a design brief and technical blueprint.
3 The Programmer role is similar to Developer but more technically focussed, usually more concerned with programming as distinct from scripting, typically developing server-side code, databases, client-side applets, or software plug-ins or extensions, using languages such as PHP, Perl, Java, C++ etc. and frameworks such as .NET and SOAP.
4 The Producer role is about ensuring the overall business vision and creative direction for the product are identified and maintained. This role may also be called Project Director, Project Leader, Creative Director etc. and is often merged with Project Manager.
5 The SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) Specialist role is about optimising web pages to make them as visible as possible to search engines. This may overlap with the Developer and Web Editor roles, since it can involve building (or tweaking) web pages and making adjustments to copy.
If your computer has the relevant software, click the document icons or document titles to view the relevant document. Right-click (PC) or hold your mouse-button down (Mac) on the document icon/title, you'll be given the option to save the file to disk. If you don't have the necessary software to view the documents, take the above links to download free reader programs.
