The Employable Web Designer

http://www.andyrutledge.com/the-employable-web-designer.php

by riklomas • 18 years ago

21 4 18 years ago

I'm curious if most web designers that people here interact with do HTML and CSS.

At my last job I worked (on a small team) with a programmer who happened to have a knack for design, so after we discussed how the UI would look/function, he would do the detailed design and CSS/HTML implementation, giving me the classes/elements to use in my code.

At my current job (larger team), there is a FT designer just does mockups in Photoshop, and its up to me to implement the CSS/HTML and make sure it works in all browsers. As a developer I find that a pretty big waste of my time.

I say this, since if I am ever in a position to hire a web designers, I'd make working with the tools of the trade (HTML, CSS) a must-have requirement. It'd be OK if they don't know major browser quirks and need some help, but they should be able to do the majority of the design themselves.

Tamerlin• 18 years ago

When I was building Rails apps at RHG, we had a team of CSS folks who converted the Photoshop docs into HTML + CSS for us. That helped a great deal; I basically had to take the HTML and add data + behaviors.

That does make things much more efficient, although I'd prefer to either skip the Photoshop step or combine the Photoshop and HTML/CSS steps into the same person(s).

ajross• 18 years ago

I've always assumed that's just a HR thing. Finding graphics designers is comparatively easy. Finding ones that know the technologies well enough to be productive in them is much harder. Likewise finding web developers is easy, but ones with a design sense much harder.

Unless you're a "rock star" employer (Spolsky, 37signals, etc...) who can choose from an enormous pool of candidates, you're going to have an easier time staffing teams of unitasking employees than you are finding generalists. It's not that either side "can't" learn the techniques of the other, it's that in practice they don't, so the ones that do are hard to find.

You go to release with the team you have, not the team you want, basically.

radley• 18 years ago

With all due respect, many of the required traits listed take years to develop and are never expected from entry-level designers.

It's an interesting wish list. Almost 37Signals-ish in attitude.

Link bait?

The Employable Web Designer

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