Just call me webby

I have been thinking a lot lately about the roles of web designer and web developer. In the past, both of these labels have been attached to me. I often find myself sitting on some shaking fence with regards to where I fall. Fate, freelance and a lot of jobs in small companies has made me into a combination monster of both the evils. I often wander if I should have bitten the bullet and just gone for one or the other. Instead, as I couldn’t make up my mind and liked both, I turned into this hybrid.

In a past post I talked about all the roles I work doing everyday. Due to working in a small office this has become wide and varied. I may have the title of manager, but being the only webby in the building I end up doing a range of stuff. As a result of this I also am the only web designer and the only web developer. I do not have any choice in which hat to wear as I have to be both beasts at the same time. Aside from the hard times working as a sole webby, there are further problems and juggling of learning you have to do being both. It could be argued you end up being one of those "jack of all trades, master of none" people – I hope this isn’t the case, but others might disagree.

It is true that being all things to all people at the same time is not really possible. I find that I am constantly having some kind of balance shifting either to web designer or back to web developer. I may have to work on a large development project and as a result sit in development corner for a while, only to swing back into designer mode with a run of static pages. One of the main problems doing both is the combination of learning. I find that I have to know the latest about development along with being up to date in design. I often think that because of not making the choice I take a lot longer than some to progress with either area. I am not solely focusing on code and not solely focusing on design and at times this can be confusing and a hard learning curve.

I have been noticing a change in this segmentation of roles. A while ago there seemed this kind of mythical fence seperating designer and developer so that they couldn’t meet. It seemed you couldn’t be one and the other, just one of them plain and simple. In smaller companies and with freelance this was not so clear cut though. A product of this seems that this blurring of roles is filtering down through all areas where there are both roles. I am pleased that the days when designers and developers were seperated are fading. When it comes down to it fiscal factors are at play with most companies and you can no longer be a one role employee. Whether this is a good thing or not is open to debate.

With regards to this blog I often find myself having problems with the actual posts in having to whack web designer and developer down. I think of myself as a web designer if I am forced to choose. However, what I think a web designer is would be more what people think of as a mix of both developer and designer. Most of the development that I do is at the thin end of the code wedge in my mind. You have to remember that I come form both an art and also software engineering background – what I think of as development tends to be a very high end development. The developments that I create are varied from e-commerce through to cms and minor dynamic scripting. I also value the ability ot think with both logic and creativity to a project. There is a certain satisfaction that comes from having done everything on a website – although this is also one of the hard jobs leading to long hours. One of the main reasons I probably don’t think of myself purely in the terms of a developer is because I tend to look at those who are just developers and feel in their shade. Basically, I know what I do and I know I can do a good enough job to be paid to do it. I however, also know what I can’t do. One of the main problems I have is the " there is always someone better" dilema. I guess, this is why I also might sit on the fence with attaching any of the labels of web designer or web developer to myself.

I like the new sounding of the phrase "web professional". Aside from the reasons why it is being used, I also think it sums up a lot of people who work online currently. The web is not a place you can work in without knowing both sides of the coin. A well developed yet bad designed site is not going to make it in this hard world. This also goes for something that looks great and works like it is dead.

I find it hard to pigeon hole any of those that inspire me into either web designer or developer. I also now think of web designer as kind of combining both these roles. I seriously do not think either of these labels really describes what someone does today. If any as I have said, has to be attached then it would be designer. Design doesn’t just mean graphics – this is a kind of mantra I tend to bash around junior’s heads. Being a designer is no longer just about making pretty images, it goes beyond that. Even graphic designers (who could be heralded as the closest designers to the traditional meaning of design) have to be adept now in branding, expert in various software, IT literate, illustrators and client friendly along with many other roles. The days of when you were just one thing or just the other have long gone.

In writing this I think I’ve not come straight to any real conclusion over what to call myself. Even my current job title of multimedia manager is a rather fuzzy meaningless title. This is one thing I hate having this title personally, along with the lack of any boundaries to it. Multimedia can be defined as :

"Used essentially to define applications and technologies that manipulate text, data, images, voice and full motion video objects."

So I basically manage applications and technologies? I give up I really do. I guess, I am back to the point of what a pointless procedure attaching any label to anyone is really. There is no real conclusion to this unless the title "web professional" gets taken on as a role. I actually hope it does and look forward to the day when you no longer have to apply for both designer and developer roles. Where jobs are advertised purely asking for a skill set and not falling into any dividing camp. I am off to dream of a world where I feel good enough to be called a "web professional" and just get on with it.