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"I'm a web developer." "So you design web sites?" "No, that's a web designer. For example, on an e-commerce site, a web designer will design what the pages lo

"I'm a web developer." "So you design web sites?" "No, that's a web designer. For example, on an e-commerce site, a web designer will design what the pages look like, including the 'Add to Cart' button. But I will write code that handles what happens when that 'Add to Cart' button is clicked. It usually involves changing various bits of data in a database." "Oh, I see. Hey, Moshe, come over here and meet Cyberdog! He's a web designer now!"

seanp2k2 9y ago
Designers do a lot more than determine what pages look like. That’s graphic design or visual design . Design in general [should] determine how the website flows from one interaction to the next and what the experience is like (another subfield called UX design). There’s also interaction design that deals with e.g. animations when e.g. pressing the button. In general though, design is how it works from the standpoint of the user; design decisions are things like “what does the user see when they first visit the site” and determining if that’s the best thing for whatever goals you have is the tough part. Design is not the paintbrush, but this is a commmon misconception, even among engineers who work with designers. If you’re making websites at a company and designers are just giving you CSS to style elements and determine colors, you’re not taking advantage of design thinking: https://www.ideou.com/pages/design-thinking https://www.ideou.com/pages/design-thinking and are very likely making design decisions without realizing it, similar to how it’s possivle to be architecting systems without realizing it and without considering the large body of work in these fields that exists. It pains me greatly that design is so misunderstood as ~”the paintbrush”, even / especially with engineers, as [a dearth of] design is almost always the cause of gripes like “it’s so stupid how {piece of software} works! Why did they make it like this?!”. If you’re an engineer and you commonly think “this software really suck”, please check out http://www.designkit.org http://www.designkit.org over the holiday break (if you get one). We desperately need more people who understand the need for and the realities of design in positions where decisions are made.
- Cyberdog 9y ago
  I do not disagree at all, but your arguments here run contrary to the idea of "briefly explain what you do to non-technical friends and family." Suppose such a person asks you what you (who, I presume, is a "web designer" of some sort or other) do for a living. How do you respond without going into the weeds of various types and concepts of design for five paragraphs?
  - windowsworkstoo 9y ago
    You don’t. Just let them think what they think, because its the least important conversation you’ll have all day
- jenscow 9y ago
  "Oh, I see. Hey, Moshe, come over here and meet seanp2k2! He thinks he's an artist now!"
dopeboy 9y ago
Ah I get this all the time. I like how you explained the difference. I might steal this from you.

seanp2k2 9y ago

Designers do a lot more than determine what pages look like. That’s graphic design or visual design . Design in general [should] determine how the website flows from one interaction to the next and what the experience is like (another subfield called UX design). There’s also interaction design that deals with e.g. animations when e.g. pressing the button. In general though, design is how it works from the standpoint of the user; design decisions are things like “what does the user see when they first visit the site” and determining if that’s the best thing for whatever goals you have is the tough part. Design is not the paintbrush, but this is a commmon misconception, even among engineers who work with designers. If you’re making websites at a company and designers are just giving you CSS to style elements and determine colors, you’re not taking advantage of design thinking: https://www.ideou.com/pages/design-thinking https://www.ideou.com/pages/design-thinking and are very likely making design decisions without realizing it, similar to how it’s possivle to be architecting systems without realizing it and without considering the large body of work in these fields that exists. It pains me greatly that design is so misunderstood as ~”the paintbrush”, even / especially with engineers, as [a dearth of] design is almost always the cause of gripes like “it’s so stupid how {piece of software} works! Why did they make it like this?!”. If you’re an engineer and you commonly think “this software really suck”, please check out http://www.designkit.org http://www.designkit.org over the holiday break (if you get one). We desperately need more people who understand the need for and the realities of design in positions where decisions are made.

Cyberdog 9y ago
I do not disagree at all, but your arguments here run contrary to the idea of "briefly explain what you do to non-technical friends and family." Suppose such a person asks you what you (who, I presume, is a "web designer" of some sort or other) do for a living. How do you respond without going into the weeds of various types and concepts of design for five paragraphs?
- windowsworkstoo 9y ago
  You don’t. Just let them think what they think, because its the least important conversation you’ll have all day
jenscow 9y ago
"Oh, I see. Hey, Moshe, come over here and meet seanp2k2! He thinks he's an artist now!"

dopeboy 9y ago

Ah I get this all the time. I like how you explained the difference. I might steal this from you.