Not designers. Not coders. Just builders.(blog.studiofellow.com)
blog.studiofellow.com
Not designers. Not coders. Just builders.
http://blog.studiofellow.com/2012/05/09/not-designers-not-coders-just-builders/
7 comments
All of these "coders must learn design" articles
This isn't one of those. It's a "designers should learn to code" article. Which is interesting since I generally find that there are more developers interested in design, than designers interested in code.
In fact I asked HN about this earlier today! (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3949467)
This isn't one of those. It's a "designers should learn to code" article. Which is interesting since I generally find that there are more developers interested in design, than designers interested in code.
In fact I asked HN about this earlier today! (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3949467)
That's a great point that I hadn't considered. However, backend code does affect user experience, and having an understanding of design goals will help vet features and decisions.
Coder trying to be a designer here. I've spent a lot of time reading books and experimenting, but what I am really missing are beginner tutorials on how to make the popular elements I see on websites in photoshop (or even principles of creating the different elements).
Maybe I am not looking in the right places, but I would love to be able to find an exploration of gradients (for example) in Photoshop and/or css and how different configurations create different visuals. When I open up Photoshop and try it myself, I feel overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite color and position choices I have in front of me - and every attempt comes out looking horrible.
Maybe I am not looking in the right places, but I would love to be able to find an exploration of gradients (for example) in Photoshop and/or css and how different configurations create different visuals. When I open up Photoshop and try it myself, I feel overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite color and position choices I have in front of me - and every attempt comes out looking horrible.
I think learning design can seem really difficult after a cursory glance at the design community.
Sorry to mention this, but it's the best way I know to help. I wrote an ebook about design specifically for coders and technical founders. It actually covers several of the issues you mentioned, like creating a gradient in Photoshop and how to use and pick colors. You can see a sample at http://bootstrappingdesign.com/pdf/sample.pdf
Sorry to mention this, but it's the best way I know to help. I wrote an ebook about design specifically for coders and technical founders. It actually covers several of the issues you mentioned, like creating a gradient in Photoshop and how to use and pick colors. You can see a sample at http://bootstrappingdesign.com/pdf/sample.pdf
It's interesting that in my observations of designers and developers - it's the designers who have more catching up to do... See http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3949467 for some of my ramblings on this earlier today.
I hadn't seen that thread. Interesting that our experiences are practically opposite.
I left a comment on that other thread, but I think this part is relevant here:
Maybe we're all just pointing fingers at each other. It's obviously productive for everyone to gain basic competency in the opposite discipline.
I left a comment on that other thread, but I think this part is relevant here:
Maybe we're all just pointing fingers at each other. It's obviously productive for everyone to gain basic competency in the opposite discipline.
For a lot of developers there is little career incentive to develop design skills.