Today we sat down with a professional Web Designer that has designed over 100 websites and co-founded a consulting agency Spaceray Creative.

Bryan Dugan is currently the Website manager at FANUC America Corporation. He incorporates his talents in design and computer skills/fluency into his job everyday. While getting to know Mr. Dugan I was shocked to learn about the companies he has worked with and the websites that I have been to that have been designed by Mr. Dugan himself.

Mr. Dugan has had a passion for design since he was young. In high school he found himself part of the robotics program on the web design team. He originally wanted to go into animation, and spent his time on Flash ( a multimedia website mostly for browser games) Finding out that in order to show off his designs he needed a website to put them onto.

Later when looking for jobs he discovered animation jobs in Michigan are almost nonexistent. He would have to move to Florida or California to engage with that field. Mr. Dugan wanted to stay in Michigan. He enrolled in Macomb community college while working full time. He graduated in 2012, taking 5 years to receive his associates in applied Science in Interactive Web Media and Design and Layout.

TRUMPER:

Can you tell me why you chose Macomb to study?

DUGAN:

I chose Macomb because I wanted to stay close to home and they had the best MACA ( Media and Communication Arts) Program in the state. I was able to be taught by teachers who teach at other prestige colleges but was paying a community college price. They also were able to give me expert advice and had experience in the industry.

Mr. Dugan was working the whole time he was a student at college and was able to graduate without student debt. He networked with his classmates. Making sure to talk to the 5 top-ranking students in his classes, Which helped him score his first gig right out of college.

DUGAN:

The web design field is competitive. While interviewing for jobs you’re looking at the people around you thinking. ‘they could get this job instead’. You need to stand out to enter into a job right out of college. It’s huge to make friends and connections through people in classes. My advice would be to go to the school functions and make a lot of friends.

Mr. Dugan was very positive when talking about his experience in his current job. He has worked both in office, at home, and hybrid. Now at FANUC he works in the office time.

                                                                                                                                           TRUMPER:

So you’re a manager, do you enjoy this new roll with your very own department or do you miss the design life you had when you where a free lancer?

DUGAN:

I enjoy my job at FANUC and don’t mind working for the same corporation every day. I still pick up free lance jobs in my free time, where I can earn quick money for a few hours of work. Its kind of weird I used to work from home some days of the week. where I could where jeans but now I have to drive to work and dress up.

TRUMPER:

Would you say that’s one of the pros being a web designer? You can work from home if your company allows it?

DUGAN:

That’s what’s so great about web design you don’t need anything. You just need your computer to do your job.

Mr. Dugan and his computer

while choosing a job to study for it’s important to think about the advancement of technology and how it will effect our jobs in the future. Or will they take over are job? In this next section Mr. Dugan and I talk about the future…

TRUMPER:

How has Technology affected your job?

DUGAN:

Smart phones didn’t exist firstly. AI is taking over some things on FIBER. New things are evolving out of technology everyday. College student are graduating learning different things then what I learned when I was in college.

TRUMPER:

Do you think AI will eventually take over your job?

DUGAN:

I could see it taking over certain parts of the industry work. Definitely for small business, I could see like a mom and pop’s shop using AI to make a website for their brand. But for big corporations like FANUC I don’t see AI being able to take over my job anytime soon. It’s gonna take more time for AI to advance to that level

Mr. Dugan stresses the importance that everyday he’s learning something new. That its important to always be on top of the game so you don’t fall behind. Mr. Dugan say’s that he’s not worried about not knowing all the things the newer college graduates are graduating having learned. Because the website FANUC uses has an older platform in it’s bones. So it pays off knowing the older tech software and design going into his work load.

Talking with Mr. Bryan was an honor. I thank him for taking the time to sit down with me. Approaching graduation is hard on all seniors. I hope this article gives a little direction to the students out there who has an interest in web design.