Are Web Designers More Valuable Than Programers?

When it comes to software product development, are web designers actually more valuable than programers?

Yes. Programmers are becoming more of a commodity, while designers are becoming much more innovative and critical in developing state-of-the-art products. At the end of the day, it’s design that drives software needs.

Design thinking is increasingly becoming integrated in the world of business. As a result, software prototypes are being conceptualized faster than ever. Web designers constantly have a clear vision of what the software program can bring at every level of the development process.

It’s design that makes software interfaces user-friendly, and bridges the gap between the product itself and market research.

What Exactly is the Role of the Programer?

Essentially, a programer makes sense of the process of designing, writing, testing, troubleshooting and maintaining computer program source codes. The source code is then written into a language that the computer can understand.

The purpose of computer programming is to develop a computer program that produces a certain customized behaviour. The programer designs a graphical user interface so that even those without technical expertise can use the software through simple, point-and-click menu options. It’s the graphical user interface that serves as the ‘translator’ between the user and the software code.

Unfortunately, the role of the computer programer is somewhat limited. While they have the responsibility of satisfying the definition of the standards as set forth by designers, they often get this vision wrong. While programers are highly technical, designers bring a level of creativity that programers simply are not involved in.

Programers also have the responsibility of satisfying the rules of the technology platform being used in order to codify the product vision. They use the language developed by designers. Whenever a programmer makes an error, they’ll be reminded of their mistake from the development environment. Until the programer can figure out which rules were not strictly adhered to, progress is interrupted.

What Does a Graphic Designer Do?

Graphic designers develop visual concepts used to communicate ideas that inform and inspire people. They create the overall layout and design for ads, magazines, brochures, and corporate documents.

Graphic designers are essentially visual communicators who are provided with a ‘brief’ that states a problem that needs to be solved. They collect information and analyze it to determine the best solution. Their success is determined by the outcome of what has been created, an not necessarily only by how esthetically pleasing it looks.

Can Programers be Designers?

There’s no reason they can’t. It’s about taking oneself out of the technical box and allowing a certain level of creativity in. Programers and developers confuse designers as artists, which pushes their level of creativity more within the technical realm.

There may be a link between personality and the preference to solely solve technical issues versus solving problems entered around humans. There are many aspects of the design process that programers can easily participate in, such as research, analysis, product vision building, customer experience strategies, storyboarding, content design, navigation and interaction design.

By developing their design skills, programers can easily become designers.