Should (web) developers design?

April 15, 2019 — 2 min read or so

Throughout my still young career I've heard plenty of time stuff like "eww CSS" "I hate CSS" "I can't design" when talking design with developers and I...

This. This is something I don't get. Because one of the main reason why I'm in this industry is because 10 years-old-Nayed saw websites that were so awesome he knew that this is what he wanted to do when growing up. So I'm always wondering how can people want to work as a software enginer web developer without liking the design part of the job? Yo how did you end up here, don't tell me it's because younger you saw databases transactions or tree algorithms and you were in such awe that it was your call to be a web developer.

So as you can guess, this is a very opiniated post.

Should (web) developers design?

For me, it's a yes. Definitely. But when I'm talking design, I'm not saying devs should know how to use Photoshop/Sketch/Figma/[insert your favorite design app]. Or not saying they should know how to design Awwwards level. Nope. That's not even the same job. All I'm saying is devs should know basic CSS stuff, how to not make your users run away of your website because of bad design decision and you should be proud of your design.

I am not a designer but I believe the design is an important step of the website. It's how you want people to see what you have envisioned. I know this is not a simple task but I always try to have different design website to website. Not to brag (again, I'm not a designer), here are some of my latest open source toy project:

I am no expert, nor trying to revolutionize the design industry, but I can say that I'm damn proud of those design and how these website feel.

Off course at the beginning of my journey CSS was hard (and still is, let's not pretend it's an easy programming language because it is not). Here are some of my first websites when I was in school around 2011-2013 (I think):

Yeah not very attractive isn't it?

In french we have this proverb: « c'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron » which means "practice makes perfect" (the literal translation would be "it's by smithing that one becomes a blacksmith") and this is also why devs should design. How can you expect to upgrade your design skills and your design "sensibility" if you despise and avoid it?

Yes, in their own way, developers should design. Again I know this is a very opiniated view, but for me a web developer that doesn't want to design it's like a baker that doesn't want to bake. That doesn't make any sense.

Design is the best way to show your user what you have pictured. It is the part of the iceberg that people will see first. And let's be honest, it feels damn good to be proud of your own design when showing off.