Identity Crisis of the CSS Ninja
Just would like to rant today about some thoughts I’ve been dealing with recently. No tutorials or informative post today, sorry! If you have some time to hear me out please do!
The CSS Ninja – Designer or Developer?
While talking to a few friends in the industry and reading some debates like Web Design VS Art, it has sparked a haze of confusion on where exactly I stand in the categorization of the web industry. I feel like I’m stuck between two worlds, being the designer VS being the developer.
Compared to a “Designer” my Photoshop/Illustrator skills are no where near the level that some of the Digital Artists are on. Sometimes I feel like I just started yesterday when I see beautiful pieces and designs from the amazing talents across the world.
On the other hand I can’t claim being fully a developer since I only know very basic PHP and ASP, mostly just the comfort of working in the environment (maybe modifying something that has been written already) but not enough to write anything from scratch.
Which leads me to this frustrating question of “am I a designer or developer?” It seems the most appropriate term for people like my self is a “Front-End Developer” since my strong points are CSS/XHTML but I would like to still claim being a designer since I feel I do have good understanding of layouts, usability/accessibility, color theory, with a decent skill level of Photoshop/Illustrator.
Maybe only time will tell until my skills blossom and my passion takes me to the path I was destined to be on, but at the same time my love for design/development still pulls me back and forth on which I would like to focus on.
Am I the only who one who feels this way? Should I even care? What are your thoughts?
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My name is Soh Tanaka and I am a Los Angeles based designer/front-end developer specializing in CSS driven web design with an emphasis on usability and search engine optimization. I also run a CSS Gallery which is updated daily with the best CSS websites from around the world. Come check it out!
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+ Add Comment27 Peeps Have Spoken Their Minds...
ditto.. *sigh*
There is a simple answer. You are The Webdesigner – every developer’s wet dream and every designers black sheep.
We developers love you because it means not only will you design the page, you’ll take care of the annoying detail of implementing the design.
And real designers don’t like you because … well because you understand the web better than they do and they feel they can’t compete even though their designs are (graphically) better.
Savvy?
I’m in the exact same position. I often look at some websites and my heart sinks at my comparatively feeble design skills, and other times I’m baffled at the skills and thought processes needed to be a truly skillful developer.
I’m fairly happy being able to design and layout a web site in Photoshop, making use of grids, colours, typography etc, and then turning that into a working CSS site, complete with bits of PHP here and there. However, like you said, it’s sometimes a little disheartening to be sitting in the middle.
Well you make beautiful websites, interesting blog posts and great discussions. So in my eye, whatever the hell you categorise yourself as, you’re doing the right thing!
You’re not the only one sitting in that boat. The description you wrote of your skills could have been written about me and been accurate. I suppose you just need to put your head down keep coding and designing and in a few years look back and see where you are.
I fully agree with @Swizec.
What happened to the title: Webmaster? Can that be used? I don’t know. I guess I’m in the same boat too. I just call myself a Web Designer because its easier. Too many titles, too little description.
I’m a web guy. :)
I often tell clients I am a website creator and that involves design, coding, and implementation.
Yeah I have the same exact problem. What I’m going to do for now, is just try to strengthen both sides. If one get’s a lot stronger than the other.. you’ll notice. :)
Jack of all trades, master of none. I feel permanently pigeon-holed in small business.
I found your site searching google to see how other coders are managing clearing the float. I ended up on your Image Rotator tutorial and then here. I added you to my google reader and I really appreciate the work you are doing. I keep notes to myself in my blog, and setting them out in a reasonable/readable/understandable in six months manner is not easy.
As for the ‘what am I?’ question, I finally made up a short speech that I use to explain myself when people ask. It doesn’t mention code, it does promote the word TABLELESS :>
I feel exactly the same way. I’m paid as a ‘developer’ and do all the front-end development work, but I feel that designers (print designers especially), need that level of CSS knowledge to get the most out of web design.
Thanks all to the great responses, I guess I’m not the only black sheep out there!
I fall in the same realm…constantly struggling to find my self existence as a designer/developer. I have similar skill sets to you – I write CSS and XHTML, but I work with PHP and ASP (mostly making tweaks to stuff already written).
I would argue that a designer is more broad than most people give credit for. The issue is that the term “designer” deals more abstract ideals which makes it harder to define. It’s kind of like asking: What is art?
I do think that @Swizec’s response clears it up a little for us though.
I wouldn’t call myself a front-end developer if I didn’t have Javascript down pat. Nice blog btw :)
If you’re more effective with CSS and XHTML, then I’d say you’re probably closer to the designer side of the debate. Trick is to find a balance so that you have a well designed site that runs smoothly and also looks great (judging from this site, I’d say you’re probably there). Still trying to find that balance myself…so I’d have to say I’m with the majority of people commenting here.
So many times they’ve asked me this question when looking for a job. People don’t actually believe that one person can do both tasks equally well. As you said before, we are not as skillful in Photoshop/Illustrator, but at the same time there are some other design elements (usability) which we should be accounted for.
Designers doesn’t like us because we can actually design better and make it work at the same time. This means that we get more jobs than then.
Here in Melbourne, Australia every graphic design job requires to have skills in CSS/XHTML.
It’s a great world because we all love the aesthetics and we love to be technical and make things work. At least me.
I too am right there with you and just worked out this situation with my employer in terms of updating my title. I have skills in design, development, and marketing and work in an IT company. I do web and print- from paper selection to dealing with printers to Flash design to JavaScript/PHP/ASP editing to writing original CSS/HTML and it’s variants to email to presentations to ads to copy to infinity. I am now officially a Creative Development Director. It works on multiple levels for me, creative is what marketing collateral and messages are called today plus I design creative imagery and think in a creative way. Development for the part of me that is a web developer and for the part that creates things from start to finish no matter the medium. Director because I am in charge of the situation from conception to execution whether done alone or when utilizing the skills of others. Hope this helps!
Hola, amigos. Siento no hablar suficiente inglés como para escribirles, a pesar de que comprendo perfectamente todo cuanto se dice aquí.
Mi única intención es hacerle llegar mi sincera felicitación y ánimos a Soh, para mí un excelente e inspirador Artista Web -qué otra definición sería más justa?-.
Agradezco mucho el aporte que su trabajo representa para los que apenas comenzamos, como yo, a diseñar páginas web, y le deseo un próspero Año Nuevo.
Para ser sincero, lo que más me gusta de su sitio es el gran “refresco” para la vista que representa un fondo negro con elementos en este azul tan luminoso, que unido al cuidado minucioso en detalles gráficos y en la acertada implementación de técnicas de programación y CSS, hacen de este sitio una experiencia inolvidable.
Desde hoy soy su fan. Soy cubano, músico y sueño con llegar a elaborar sitios de esta impresionante calidad.
Mucha salud y buena suerte.
Gracias Ranto tu comentario y apoyo, me es muy alentador. No se Español asi que pedi ayuda para responderte =)
Nice post and interesting discussion is going on here. I consider myself none because I am more like a musician and a composer than a web guy. However with my web skills I am in the same boat. I know CSS/XHTML and a lil PHP and JavaScript, mostly jQuary. To answer your question, I think we are web designers. since the word designer is very broad you don’t have to be the most graphically talented person to be considered a designer. specially you can’t compare it with print design.”Web design” is a whole different ball game. if you can create a web page that looks and behave pleasant and RIGHT, you are a web designer. As a web developer is USUALLY involve in backstage doing more from scratch code. But whatever category you decided to fall, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! cheers.
I feel like I’m exactly in your shoes. My specialty is XHTML/CSS and Javascript, but I get by with some knowledge of PHP and RoR. I think that, when integrated in a web team, we’re the middle ground guys, who can speak to both the developers and the designers. I agree with an above comment that says we’re the developers wet dream and the designer’s black sheep. Whenever I work with designers I feel baffled by their lack of knowledge of the Web, and I mostly end up doing more work than I should have to. Not that I complain, I actually like it :)
In France we just have that : I’m an “intégrateur”, the link between the developer and the designer. I’ve put “front-end web developer” for my English jobtitle on my business card. As a freelance, I used to do “everything”, more or less, but in my company I’m focussing on html+js+css.
OMG did you just write this post for me!! I have been struggling with the same thing exactly of late, i am finding it hard to compete with other “web designers” who are really programmers who learn to use a bit of photoshop without understanding about colour etc. and i too can edit some php / asp but i am not able to provide the full CMS systems that these guys can offer without going to a third party. so i feel like i am stuck not fitting into any place… i dont know what the correct title is as it means different things to different clients / people .. its definately a hard one.
I think i has same situation with you, but not really same.. Maybe is bad then you. Because i has no strongly skill like you. I has work 2 year, 1st year learn about asp.net, 2nd year do lot of interface code, (html and css) so all of my skill just surface only. Anywhere i like my job ^^ ~! and i will try my best to improve my skill..
i feal the same than you people!.
¿who the hell i am?.. im not sure, but i can do the same than the other´s but more slow ( a lot hehe ).. but with a good point of view..
iam not a designer, but i love design like theFWA.com or 2advanced.com is very powerful that.. but i hate a lot flash, i dont now why..
i think javascript can do that! so… why i need flash ?
but deep inside me, i would like to learn flash is very funy .. i know illustrator, photoshop.. not a good skill but i can defend my self! hehe.
this post “– Designer or Developer?” hit me a lot of sense..
sorry for my english, i from chile..
thx SOH for your tutorials..
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