Several times I’ve asked myself about the importance of knowing how to build and code my designs. Is that necessary? Even more, is that good for the final website?
Well those are difficult questions to answer, I’ve been reading and studying different opinions. Basically we have two opposite points of view.
– Coding is the jail of creativity.
– Coding is the key for a perfect web design.
Very opposite aren’t they? Ok Let’s explain both theories:
Coding, the jail of creativity
Usually web designers are always looking for innovation, they have crazy ideas and sometimes they are a real headache for programmers who are in charge of giving life to their innovative designs.
Designers are always in need of flying and creating always something different, so, the less they know about the structure and restriction of coding, the better their creations will be.
Another point is that a designer is not a programmer, they think different and they code different. Designers will never know as much as a programmer, so in the instance of building their own work (design + code), probably they will be limited with their knowledge and the result will be a basic design, they wont be able to design what they really have in mind, they will create what they can code. The final work will miss potential, creativity and the result will be a very structured and basic website.
Knowledge is freedom!
On the other side, we can affirm that “the more you know the better you work”.
If you understand about the limitations and rules of coding, the real challenge of a web designer is to make something good, innovative and creative attending to the restrictions.
If a designer knows about usability and coding, probably it will be easier for him to have not only a creative and beautiful design, but also a useful and user friendly product, the final work should be perfect in every aspect.
Another good point is that they can finish their own work, there is no dependency. Programmers look and think different from designers so probably if you deliver the front end development to a programmer many details, that contribute to the magic of the design, will be missed on the long way of coding.
Conclusion
Based on my own experience, being a designer-coder is essential. The more you know of coding the more complete your designs are.
I’ve been looking for pixel perfect programmer for years and finally I felt in the necessity of building my own designs.
Getting into coding world is fascinating. I love to give life to my websites. And so far of making structured designs I think that coding opens a big door and gives us the possibilities of working with conscience, knowing the last tools and trying to think about different solutions, innovating and making a perfect mix between design and code.
I think that programming is the key for solving problems, you need lots of creativity to solve situations you need to think different and to have another point of view, just the same a creative designer needs.
So in the end of this post I can affirm that designers and programmers think different, so a designer who can code has the creativity of making new things and the creativity of thinking outside the box.
