Design versus development
I still have some doubts about how to call myself in a professional way. For most of the people it would just be webdesigner. But since the LOI is also a offering awebdesign course it makes me wonder why I spent four years working and learning.
Yesterday I came across this post on Bokardo, where he writes about why most webdesign books are more about development than on design
Part of the problem is that HTML and CSS ain’t easy. No matter what people tell you, the CSS layout scheme is not for the faint of heart.
Which leads him to his second point in which I have to agree too. Way to much time isn’t spent on solving interface and user problems. But on fighting browser-errors in order to create some user-interface in the end.
Which still doesn’t solve to problem how to call my self, webdesigner because that is what I like to do, but is used by so many. Or something like Front-end webdeveloper which has that scary feeling of wasting way to much time on coding..
Martijn Engler said,
November 12, 2006 @ 2:46 am
According to my businesscard, I’m an “IT developer” (actually it says “Ontwikkelaar ICT” ;-)).. But hey, I don’t really do (web)design, I write code, so it makes sense for me.
Webdesigner sounds a bit like “Yeah, my son [he’s 11, but reaaalllllyyyyy good with computers! you would be amazed what he can do with it already] is a webdesigner too!”..
sjors said,
November 12, 2006 @ 6:22 pm
Yeah thats a bit my trouble too. I’m using frontend-webdevelopper now.. But developping sounds like coding, which is what i do. But its more that I have to do it because all software to create webpages is still a bit buggie.. Tho probably I’d better stay with things I do on my card, than things I would like to do. Cause there is no limit to that
Tanja said,
November 13, 2006 @ 11:03 am
For designers it’s the same issue. Webdesigner these days sounds like a skill picked up at LOI indeed, while others have an actual art/design degree, with web expertise. Every now and again am bored with job and want to look around, but I’d rather call myself a graphic designer than a webdesigner.
sjors said,
November 13, 2006 @ 7:51 pm
Yeah, I’m also thinking of something between interface designer / interaction designer / webdesigner / graphic designer.. perhaps just stay with designer than