Designing outside of your text editor
They say those who can’t do, teach. Do you suppose those who can’t design, develop? Now that is a pretty harsh statement and I don’t mean to imply that designers are better than developers or that all developers can’t design. It does seem as though, those more focused on the technical side of the web tend to ignore or trivialize the aesthetic and visual side. Why does it appear that if it can’t be designed in a text editor alone using nothing but CSS at its basics, it is too complicated or unnecessary? Are we to be limited to simple background colors, straight edges and the border-property? XHTML, JavaScript and CSS are not a design tools – they are simply languages in which brings our designs to life.
Some of the best developers I’ve ever worked with were at one time designers. I’ve had many developers compliment my designs because I design as if I am building it. I try and design pixel perfect and attempt to account for and avoid any complications – I know my medium, its possibilities and limitations, and I design for that. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if all developers were designers and all designers were developers? We would all be working in perfect harmony – thinking as one, not missing a beat. In my work I’ve always touted the mentality that “if you can dream it, we can build it” – isn’t that the essence of what made “Web 2.0” so amazing?
I was asked by an art student recently how to learn web design; how to go from traditional art to designing web sites? My answer was short, simple and disappointing – “learn HTML”, I said. In my opinion you can’t design for the web if you don’t understand how the web works. How can you design a layout without understanding the structure that creates that layout? Could you be a successful print designer without understanding the print process, how the bleed works or a comprehension of CMYK? To really design is to know and understand your medium.
My point is simple! A successful web team is comprised of individuals with an understanding and appreciation for visual design as well as the languages that bring those designs to life. Just as you can’t simply own a copy of Photoshop and expect to make a website – you can’t download the latest JavaScript library and expect the same. There is life outside of the code; there is a place for Photoshop and design. Don’t be afraid to design outside of your text editor.
- December 14th, 2006
- 6comments
- I am a proud member of the 9rules network
Amen.
Absolutely, well said!
Thanks guys — appreciate the comments.
I just hate seeing design, the web for that matter, limited by a decision maker or developer’s lack of appreciation or understanding for good design (or design in general). Just because you are not specialized in something or have a lack of knowledge, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be — lets learn and leverage all of our talents together and really create something!
I have had more problems from designers while still in the early development stages, that I don’t add any color to anything until after the product works. It gets frustrating as a developer trying to make something simply work having people wanting the color scheme shifted.
while i do very little web work anymore, your thoughts here can be extended to any design medium.
i use a wide variety of tools to do my architecture design work (no, im not talking about the notion of architecture in IT, but rather real architecture) i’d best not get started on what i think of IT weenies who claim to be “architects”.. 99 of 100 have zero clue about what it takes to be a true architect of anything.
in my field, i can be pretty confident when i say that very few people do the lion’s share of design in their 3d programs and i have found that my best design ideas are created in a sketch book, very far from CAD software.
the more time i spend with a design outside of the “text editor” the better they seem to work out in the end.
thanks for this insightful article
I learned html early and use photoshop with every site layout I do. I splice, dice and split and code it all by hand. CSS is tedious work imo, and what a lot of people use CSS for, php had done years ago!
At any rate I also commonly make a sketch of my idea first then I work in photoshop to get it dead on.