I said it. Look at the designers that are pushing the limits of the web medium. Jon Hicks, Douglas Bowman, Joe Clark, Dan Cederholm, Garrett Dimon, Jesse Bennett-Chamberlain, Scott Boms and Cameron Moll. They all write code. They write xhtml, HTML, CSS, Javascript and etc. They understand the boundaries of their tools and the medium, and then they push.
The medium demands that designers understand that the design is not simply graphic, not simply visual. – Andy Rutledge
What is a great web designer? Cameron Moll provides some thoughts on what separates good designers and great designers. Great design is about communicating effectively. Great graphic design can communicate visual to an average person. On the web, who is consuming your content. Are they people? Are the using a web browser? Are they mobile? Maybe RSS? It is important to realize that not everyone is consuming your content as you intended it. It’s important to understand that most experiences have very little to do with how information is presented visually. It’s about getting to know your audience. Often we translate this to the observable audience, the people and personas that we write about, we recruit and we expect. People are adaptable. We change. We conform. We behave in amusing ways and react to the world around us.
When you recognize that design is an effort at communication, and that Web standards allow for greatly increased access to that communication, the benefit of their connection is clear. – Andy Rutledge
Web designers need to adapt to the changing context of web tools. Emily Chang, Kelly Goto, Richard McManus and Chris Messina are presenting a great session at web2expo titled The New Hybrid Designer to explore the changes.
Web design may still be in its infancy compared to other design fields, but the changes have often occurred in leaps and bounds—whether it’s the adoption of a new technology or a social shift. Modern web design requires the coding savviness of a developer coupled with the aesthetics and user awareness of a designer. What does this New Creative look like? What skills has she picked up that are essential for competing in today’s changing job market, and how does she stay current on the latest trends? This panel will explore how the advent of the social and participatory Web has changed the role of the designer, and provide insight into what you need to know today to design for tomorrow’s Web.
Stop blaming developers, users, tools, standards, etc.