I know, I know…none of us creative types want anything to do with
coding past the very basic HTML/CSS we need to know to get our designs
to the developers.
Doing development is something for those programming grunts, those
code jockeys, those geeks.
Why should we enter the trenches of development when it's so nice up
here with the Photoshop brushes, afternoon tea, and MacPros?
Because
you'll be a better designer for it.
Skeptical? Read on and discover 6 reasons why designers should code…
6 Reasons Why Designers Should Code.<br /><br /> 1. Better XHTML
I know, I know…none of us creative types want anything to do with
coding past the very basic HTML/CSS we need to know to get our designs
to the developers.
Doing development is something for those programming grunts, those
code jockeys, those geeks.
Why should we enter the trenches of development when it's so nice up
here with the Photoshop brushes, afternoon tea, and MacPros?
Because
you'll be a better designer for it.
Skeptical? Read on and discover 6 reasons why designers should code…
I've worked with and known many designers who knew only the bare
minimum needed to get their designs out of Photoshop and into a web
format. Oftentimes they would make use of a software program or plugin
like SiteGrinder. While these programs keep getting better and better
at making compliant code, they still don't match the human-produced
variety.
Knowing how to write your own standards-compliant XHTML will make you
a valuable addition to any web team (emphasis on the
standards-compliant part). With all the fuss about PHP, ASP.NET, Ruby,
and many other languages, people tend to forget that everything ends
up being HTML in the end, because that's what your browser has to have
in order to render a page. The more you know about the medium you work
in, the better you work in that medium.<br /><br />
2. Better SEO
And while we're talking about standards-compliant code, we should
mention SEO. This is a big buzzword, though not quite as much as it
has been in the past. However, what this means is that SEO is becoming
a much more commonplace idea of what a website should strive for,
instead of just an added special feature for big business sites.<br
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If you can learn to write your own code, you're much closer to being
able to list "SEO Compliant Designs" on your sheet of available
services. That means you can charge more, and it's another badge on
your hat.<br /><br />
3. Better Accessibility
Better code and better SEO = better accessibility. Part of of the job
of any designer is to present information in a clear and coherent
manner, and on the web that means not solely in a visual manner. A
shoddily-coded website can be a nightmare to navigate if you're blind,
or even if you're using a mobile device.
Learning the ins and outs of developing code for accessibility not
only allows you have that knowledge as part of your production
skillset, but it will also help you to better understand the
considerations you should take when designing for accessibility.
Accessibility is a mandate for all government websites, nearly all
education sites, and businesses are starting to see the value in it as
well. The more people you can reach via your site, the more chance you
have of accomplishing your goal, whatever it may be. And that has to
be reflected in any successful design.<br /><br />
4. Better Left Side
Being a right-brained creative is great, but giving your left side a
workout can spur on creativity of a different nature. The motto at the
bottom of the WordPress website is "Code Is Poetry", and this is
because translating a written language to something that can be
visually seen is truly an art form.
Learning to write your own code opens up whole new avenues of
expression. Developing your technical and analytical abilities can
improve your information design, developing wireframes, and create a
pathway to work with interaction design. And who knows, it may even
improve your math skills!<br /><br />
5. Better Communication
It's easy to get lost in the techno-jargon used by developers, simply
because you may not have been exposed to the type of things they are
discussing. Digging in and working with code yourself will allow you
to become familiar with the terminology that is used when conversing
about the construction of a site.
Being able to speak the lingo will help when you need to communicate
with a developer or project manager about how a design should be
implemented.<br /><br />
6. Better Design
You can only do so much knowing the fundamentals of design.
Typography, color theory, composition, etc. are all fantastic and
extremely important skills to know (and know well)…but eventually if
you want to excel in your creativity, you must learn the tools of the
trade. Painters learn about canvas types, paint compositions, and
bristle qualities. Web design is no exception. Learn to code: you'll
be better for it.
This post is dedicated to elementary & intermediate CSS learners. If you're going to learn CSS from scratch, you've probably seen a lot of techniques, tricks & tutorials so far. In this post I've written my own approach to the most essential CSS skills that every web designer should learn. I really love the articles below and liked to share them with you. Hope you enjoy it!
