If you are looking for a web-based job, you may see a job as a web director.
The word “director” means “director / director / executive producer”, but what kind of work is a director in the web industry? In this article, I will explain the role and work content of the web director, how to become a web director, necessary skills, and so on.
table of contents
- 1. What is a web director?
- 2. What skills do web directors need?
- 3. Web directors are busy but rewarding jobs!
- 4. How to become a web director?
- 5. Recommended qualifications for web directors
- 6. Is there a future / demand for Web directors?
- 7. Summary
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1. What is a web director?
A web director is a person who is responsible for creating web content , mainly for websites .
At the website production site, specialized staff such as web designers, programmers, and writers work as a team to carry out practical work related to production. The web director plays a central role in the production team and directs (instructs and manages the progress) so that the work proceeds smoothly, while keeping in mind the client’s intentions .
Typical direction work includes the following work.
- Schedule management
Formulation of production schedule, progress management, schedule coordination with related parties, etc.
- Coordinating and securing project members
Selection of production staff with specialties suitable for the purpose, assignment to production team, etc.
- Content quality control
Check each quality such as functionality and design, check and improve problems after delivery, etc.
In addition to directing the production team, I may also be in charge of meetings with clients, planning, and post-production operations, so I am in charge of a wide range of tasks in website production.
1.1 There are four types of web directors
Since web content is used in various business situations, web directors exist in various industries other than the web industry. For example, even a company that is not related to the Web industry may have a Web director if there is a department that operates a website for the purpose of public relations or attracting customers.
Since the specific business content differs depending on the size and industry of the company to which you belong, it is generally divided into the following four types.
â—† Planning Web Director
After approving the project, we will also direct the production team in order to reflect the intention of the project on the website. We may also work with web production companies and system development companies to proceed with the production.
Skills required of planning web directors include marketing ability, creativity, and information gathering / searching ability to grasp market trends.
â—† Art and creative web director
Once the website design direction is decided, we will direct the production team. Since web designers have areas of expertise in design, it is also important to have the right people in the right positions on the production team.
Skills required for art and creative web directors may include design knowledge, creativity, and HTML and CSS coding knowledge.
â—† System Web Director
Skills required for system web directors include knowledge of programming languages ​​and ability to define system requirements.
â—† Sales Web Director
As a skill required of a sales web director, it is necessary to understand the position of the other party and to have the ability to sell the company’s strengths and services.
1.2 What is the difference between a web director and a web producer?
Like the TV industry, the web industry has a job as a producer.
The difference between a web director and a web producer can be ambiguous depending on the company, but in general it is often divided by whether or not the direction is directly related to the work of the production team.
To keep things organized, let’s take a quick look at the website production process.
- “business plan”
Revenue / budget / personnel planning, market research, etc.
- “Planning / design”
Content planning, website (screen) design, system design, etc.
- “Production”
Design, coding, system development, etc.
- “Operation / Maintenance”
Access analysis, content update / addition, refurbishment, etc.
Web producers are generally involved in upstream processes such as “business planning” and “planning / design”, and generally leave the practical command of “production” and below to the web director.
1.3 What is the difference between a web director and a web planner?
A web planner is a job that focuses on the “planning and design” part of the website production process. As with web producers, it is common to leave the practical command of “production” and below to the web director.
Since the web director may also be involved in “planning / design”, there are some vague points about the difference between the two, but the web planner’s main business is “planning / design”, and the web director decides on “planning / design”. Through the direction of the production team, the main business is to put it on the website.There is also a job called web designer in website creation.
The web director meets with clients, web producers, planners, or sales reps to tell the production team the direction of website design. The web designer is the production staff who receives the instructions, actually thinks about the design, and performs practical work such as coding. These days, coding is often done by coders rather than web designers.
2. What skills do web directors need?
Depending on the type of web director, the need for technical skills such as knowledge and skills will differ, but in terms of the direction of the production team, the following skills are commonly required.
2.1 Communication skills
Communication skills are essential for a web director who organizes a production team. In order to improve the quality of websites and web services, it is important to activate information sharing, exchange of opinions, progress confirmation, etc. between staff members and cooperate with each other. Therefore, Web directors need to be aware of creating an open workplace by utilizing communication tools and taking the initiative to speak out on a daily basis.
It is also the role of the web director to communicate with the client.
Without communication skills to accurately hear information and accurately convey it to the production team, the team will move in a direction different from the client’s request, causing trouble.
2.2 Leadership skills
Leadership is required for web directors who direct production teams. At the same time, it is also necessary to raise the motivation of the production team. Instead of giving instructions unilaterally, we listen to the opinions of the staff and support them when they are in trouble, creating a sense of unity toward their goals as a team .
Also, the project does not always go smoothly. When a problem arises, the qualifications of a web director are asked whether the staff can work together to solve the problem.
2.3 Knowledge of each field
Web directors often have the opportunity to talk to clients, staff, cooperating companies, and many other people involved in production. Any type of web director can have a smooth meeting and give accurate instructions to the staff by having some basic knowledge of each field .
[Example of basic knowledge]
- Basic knowledge about design such as color and layout
- Basic knowledge of coding such as HTML and CSS
- Basic knowledge of programming languages ​​and frameworks
2.4 Ability to catch trends
Trends change rapidly in the web industry, so you need to stay on top of it and know what your users are looking for right now .
If the web director’s knowledge is not updated, the website specifications and design will be out of fashion and the quality of the production will be relatively poor.
It is also important to check the trends of competitors when collecting information.
2.5 Flexibility and judgment
As the project progresses, troubles are inherent. There may be situations where you need to change your plans for progress management and staffing, such as changing client requests or team member accidents. It is important to manage the progress as planned, but it is also necessary to calmly judge the current situation and be able to respond flexibly at each time.
3. Web directors are busy but rewarding jobs!
Web directors tend to be busy because of the wide range of tasks required and the many opportunities to communicate with people. For that reason, there is a sense of fulfillment and rewarding.
3.1 A sense of accomplishment when the project is completed
Web directors are often involved in the production from the preparation stage such as planning, staffing, schedule formulation, to delivery, so they should be deeply involved in the entire production project in terms of time and workload. Will be. Although it will be busy, the attachment to the production and staff will increase, and it will be a great sense of accomplishment when the project is completed .
3.2 The effect of the site appears relatively quickly
Web content becomes numbers such as page views (PV) and conversion rates, and the results are immediate. It’s rewarding to have a visible evaluation of
our work.
Also, regardless of whether the result is good or bad, it is fun to gradually increase the number by analyzing the number and turning PDCA to improve it. Since the results of improvement are also expressed as numbers, it is a worthwhile job to work on the process from problem verification to improvement.
3.3 Engage with people in many related occupations such as designers and programmers
Web directors are involved with people in various positions, such as production staff, clients, other departments, and cooperating companies.
Not only simply bridging each person, but also thinking together and worried about the production, so you can have a wide range of experience in one project. It may be difficult, but it is a position where you can strongly feel the wonder of aiming for the success of the project together with your colleagues. Many people can share their joys and hardships, which is rewarding because I am a web director.
4. How toa web director?
No special qualifications or background is required to become a web director.
In this era of new websites being created one after another, web directors are in short supply and many companies are hiring inexperienced people.
First of all, as an assistant of a senior web director, you will learn the production process and acquire specialized knowledge such as planning and design. After that, by being entrusted with the project, you will be able to develop the direction of the production team and the skills to negotiate with related parties in practice.
5. Recommended qualifications for web directors
I don’t have the qualifications required to become a web director, but I do have the qualifications to objectively prove my abilities, so I will introduce them here.
5.1 Web Direction Test
A certification test designed to be an indicator of direction work in the Web industry.
Practical content that asks a wide range of specialized knowledge, from process management of Web production, analysis of the current situation to derive requirements, project planning, information structure design of the entire site, planning of customer attraction measures, and implementation.
| Organizer | All Japan Efficiency Federation Registration Qualification Web Certification |
|---|---|
| Exam fee | 10,000 yen (excluding tax) |
| test time | 90 minutes |
| The number of questions | 65 questions |
| Qualification validity period | 2 years |
Source:Â Web Direction | Web Test
5.2 Web literacy
A test designed to reduce communication errors due to different positions.
It collects only the most important knowledge of the three main occupations, designers, directors, and producers, who make up the work related to the Web, and asks whether they have standard knowledge in doing the work.
| Organizer | All Japan Efficiency Federation Registration Qualification Web Certification |
|---|---|
| Exam fee | 10,000 yen (excluding tax) |
| test time | 90 minutes |
| The number of questions | 85 questions |
| Qualification validity period | 2 years |
Source:Â Web Literacy | Web Certification
5.3 Web Analyst
In web marketing, a certification test for web analysts who produce results by utilizing web analysis data such as access analysis.
| Organizer | General Incorporated Association Web Analyst Association |
|---|---|
| Exam fee | 16,000 yen (tax excluded) * Other textbook fee 4,000 yen (tax excluded) |
| test time | 60 minutes |
| The number of questions | 60 questions |
| Qualification validity period | To retain the qualification, you need to pass the annual test (free) and the annual membership fee of 6,000 yen (excluding tax). |
Source:Â Practical qualification “Web analytics” selected because it is useful in practice | Web analytics association
5.4 Google Analytics Individual Certification (GAIQ)
A test that certifies the proficiency level of Google Analytics used for web analytics.
Questions about items such as planning and mechanics, implementation and data collection, settings and management, conversions and attribution, reports, metrics, and dimensions.
| Organizer | |
|---|---|
| Exam fee | free |
| test time | 60 minutes |
| The number of questions | 70 questions |
| remarks | Expiration date 18 months (can be reacquired by retaking the exam) |
Source:Â How to prepare for Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) | Google
6. Is there a future / demand for Web directors?
Source: Total number of Websites ｜ internet live stats
According to “internet live stats” that measures web-related information in real time, there are more than 1.8 billion websites in the world (as of November 2020), and the number of websites will continue to increase from the above graph. You can read to continue.
As the number of websites increases, so does the work of web directors involved in production. Demand will continue as long as the website does not disappear .
In addition, because it is a job that requires a lot of communication, it is also a job content that is difficult to replace with AI in the Web industry .
7. Summary
As the person in charge of web content production, the web director has the role of directing the production team that specializes in design and programming, and fulfilling the needs of clients. It is necessary to check carefully because the way of getting involved in planning etc. differs depending on the company and industry to which you belong.
It is a profession that requires quality of communication and management skills and a wide range of knowledge, and it is possible to change jobs from inexperienced to gain experience. It’s not an easy job, but it’s a job where you can acquire a wide range of knowledge and experience while feeling the satisfaction of creating content with your colleagues.
