One of the biggest topics in terms of web design is whether or not designers should actually know how to code various things. This is a topic that has come up in a great many different conversations between many developers who had their own thoughts on the subject.
Should designers learn to code? Does a designer need to code? The answer is simple, at least to some people. To some, the answer is yes. To others, the answer is no.
It should also be noted that there is a major difference between the phrases “should not code” and “should not know how to code.” This also opens up yet another debate: should designers only be responsible for their own designs or should they also be responsible for coding in terms of production?
Specialization
Image source: Pawel Ludwiczak
We live in a world of specialists where HTML and semantics are dealt more by front-end devs, while others deal more with Sass and CSS. Interactions are studied by visual designers, while server technicians work hard to make it run. Furthermore, relationships are also built through client liaisons.
Web design has certainly come a long way. Thanks to roles that have become much more specialized, no one single designer has to any longer plow through anything involving full development on their own. This is all thanks to better tools and practices.
What a designer should do
Image source: Kemal Sanli
A designer is simply defined as “someone who designs,” which is a pretty simple definition. A basic dictionary, however, defines a designer as “someone who plans how something new will look and will be made.”
Someone who builds websites, however, is known as a designer-developer. On the other hand, someone who is unable to write either HTML or CSS is simply known as a designer.
User experience
User experience is now beginning to take shape in regards to how research, testing, and design thinking can ultimately be utilized to make products that are not only better and faster, but also cheaper as well.
A UX designer’s job is to validate, research, design, and test any and all ideas as efficiently as they possibly can. It is also recommended that they have some knowledge of coding work to build a website; however, this is something that is absolutely not necessary.
Coding
Image source: Alex Anistratov
Whenever the term “coding” is discussed, this is in reference to composing various languages that are web-based. These languages include such things as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS; however, there are plenty other such coding languages that can be used when talking about web design.
Designer as a one man team
Designers were finally able to realize why they needed to develop their own websites, as they were able to give all of the proper attention needed to their own interfaces.
Resources such as WordPress were awesome solutions for designers because it allowed them to have the opportunity to code their own work as well as their clients’ work without having to take the step of hiring an outside developer to do all of the work for them. The end result materialized into a website that was both pixel perfect and very cost effective.
Even better is the fact that designers are no longer limited to creating wireframes and mockups that are static in nature. Thanks to many great tools that are available nowadays, designers can now use the simple “drag and drop” method in various online tools to create awesome pieces of work. In addition, these services also allow for easy creation of HTML and CSS-based material.
Image source: macaw.co
In the end, as a designer, your designs will be created and executed in exactly the way that you want them to be. If the duties end up getting split between two people, one person could end up doing some of the other person’s work, which can lead to the design itself beginning to degrade.
However, this is, in no way, the fault of the coder. This is simply the way everything works. You just never want to go right back to the designer for something such as a Photoshop mockup every time some new section of a website needs to either be added or designed from scratch.
Knowing what some piece of code means
Image source: Roy Barber
If you are currently working as a designer, then it’s a pretty safe bet that you are already aware of how the mindset of a coder works.
Most people feel that designers should know how to code because it’s a way for them to essentially honor their designs and make sure that they are buildable by being the ones who completely build them up.
However, the big issue is not that designs need to be buildable. Rather, the issue is that developers should be able to send their designs back and be able to make some sort of compromises whenever they are needed. This is a good way for designers and developers to collaborate with one another.
Anyone can essentially slap together HTML and CSS and pretty much hope that it works across all types of platforms; however, there are some individuals who just are not able to code well enough to be doing any kind of professional-grade work.
Ending thoughts
Take a moment to consider what your overall goals are. For instance, if you’re concentrating more about working at a startup, then you will want to focus more on learning the basics of coding. If you have a side project you’re already committed to, however, focus on that instead. Regardless, always keep your goals in mind.
Source: http://ift.tt/1WMMWub
No comments:
Post a Comment