Web designers and developers experiences of information literacy: A phenomenographic study

- This phenomenographic study uncovers the variation in experiences of information literacy in the web profession.
- A relational view is adopted towards the phenomenon of information literacy.
- Information literacy is explored within a professional context.

The qualitative research reported here identifies how web designers and developers experience information literacy. Using a phenomenographic approach, this cohort's experience is presented through a map of variation, which includes four different ways of experiencing information literacy. Analysis of 23 in-depth interviews with web workers from different stages of the web design and development process suggested the four ways web workers experience information literacy: staying informed, building a successful website, solving a problem or participating in a community of practice. The study advances the existing understanding of the concept of information literacy, especially in a professional context and from a relational perspective. Additionally, using the web professionals' world as the context of the study, the research contributes to the field of website design and development by shedding light on less-researched information experiences of people involved in the web industry.