On design and code

I woke the other morning and first thing I saw on twitter was this tweet about web designers and should they know how to code.

I’m shocked this argument is still going on. I’m pretty sure I read something years ago along the same lines, and you would think in this day and age that all web designers should know at least HTML and CSS.

In its simplest form my argument is that a craftsman should know their medium, in the same way that a chef knows how to cook and a carpenter knows how to turn wood.

As a designer you’re required to know principles of design; grid systems, colour theory, typography and so on. Most print and graphic designers are taught about the printing press, paper weights and sizes - their technology.

So why should a web designer not have to know how a web site is made and constructed?

HTML and CSS are not hard languages to learn, admittedly they are hard to master. But we have front-end developers, you know those guys that wield the black art of JavaScript to fill in those knowledge gaps.

When I started in this industry I first learnt the basics of HTML and CSS. This gave me an understanding of the language and semantics of the web, it allowed me to make informed design choices while working on a site. I knew the structure of the site and the quality of the mark-up and designed accordingly, but it also allowed me to think about why a certain design solution would not work within the context of the site. I knew the boundaries of HTML and CSS but also questioned them.

When we use a content first approach, being able to mark-up a sites content,e using semantic and structurally correct elements before even opening PhotoShop or FireWorks is a necessity. At the very minimum a good web designer should be able to turn their work into a functional web site or page using HTML and CSS.

Hopefully I’ve not just rehashed what Frank Chimero wrote earlier this month. I just wanted to chime in on the ongoing argument and bits of this may have appeared in .net magazine by the time you’ve read it.

Ends