What am I - web designer or web developer?
I wrote this post a while back. The content can still be relevant but the information I've linked to may not be available.
I signed up for the Future of Web Design Conference recently and the name badge registration asked whether I was a web designer or web developer. Hmmm. Tricky question. I'm not sure I fit in either of those two categories.
I think I fit somewhere in the middle
I wouldn't really class myself as a designer (you can probably tell) in the true graphic design sense but I am not a hardcore coder either. I think I fit somewhere in the middle. I work mainly with cascading style sheets (CSS) and HTML mark-up but I am also happy to dip my toes into the PHP and JavaScript waters when the occasion calls for it. I work freelance and the name of the company is 'web design' but I also build ecommerce websites using ecommerce web templates. Is that web design or web development?
I asked myself a similar question when I signed up for another meeting, the £5 App Meet in Brighton. I'm not sure I can blag it as a web developer but I'm interested in web application ideas. Given the time, I'd like to learn Ruby on Rails or something equally cool - but I also want to look at CSS showcase websites.
Back to the question. Web designer or web developer? I think I'm stuck for an answer but maybe that's not a bad thing? I quite like the freedom to move around.
Comments
19 Mar 2007 19:23:30
Well said! We should all follow your example and resist the temptation to be pigeonholed. The best things happen near the margins and where cross-fertilisation is rife.
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