You know coming from web design to developing myself as a Front End Web Developer, I have seen that there are many similarities as well as differences. Deciding to focus on front end though I wanted to know what are some ways I can incorporate both spectrums of my skills so I may enhance the developer within.I have heard it many times to "be true to yourself" as well as learning and listening to great podcasts such as learntocodewith.me by Laurence Bradford to figure out how you, and your skills , from whatever field you came from, can be used in order to bring your uniqueness to the table.I enjoy great design but I love building things from a "scientific" standpoint, for a lack of a better term, when it comes to development.This had thinking, in all the things I have done and learned how can they be relevant to what I do now.In today's post I will explore, from my perspective and experience,
Anyone who has been in this field you will know there is a huge difference between the two.In web design your solely focused on the design and how the website will look after it has been created.Web development I see is a mixture of both worlds. Not only do you build the site from the ground up, but your styling it to meet certain design criteria.Do you need to know design to be a front end developer?Not necessarily, you can design from a psd template a client supplies or company, or simply based off the requirements supplied by an employer. I think it helps when you know design though, but that's what where here to discuss.So when I designed a website with Wordpress I did not need to know the code per say, it was more or less a drag and drop feature which helped to move the process along faster.But now as a developer I get a more hands on approach and can define exactly what I want and where I want it. Along with how I want a specific element to function. For me this gives more freedom.Side note. Now I can even begin to customize Wordpress templates because I have an understanding of html and css. Pretty cool stuff. : )The question to ask now then is "how do they both relate"?
Since the two are somewhat different, how can knowing both subject matters play a role for you as a developer?I know for me, since I dabbed in both (I literally dabbed when I wrote this lol), I feel as if I have a better understanding of how I can improve a user's experience to a website. Simple put I can add more value as a front end web developer.I know there is a whole other field dedicated to UI and UX design but I'm thinking more in a general sense. An understanding of how and why.Why? because now I won't just be coding to create a specified site or copying from another developer or design I liked.Rather I will know the reasoning of why to place this button here or why a sticky navigation bar is great for users.Ultimately I would like to know the psychology of web design or web development.I believe UI and UX focus more on the flow of a website.Understanding the way a person thinks when it comes to interacting on a site , I believe, would put me in a better position as a developer. As opposed to just coding a website/web app.Think about it, if UI and UX design the flow of a site, which make me think they define how they want the person to navigate through a site, knowing how a person thinks when they come to a site helps to define how they feel when they visit.It would strike to more of an emotional area.I read this article the other day titled "What should you learn next as a web design business owner?". Even though I am not a web design business owner, but a business owner in the making, I thought it would have some valuable content. Guess what it did!!!Reading Is So Fundamental!This goes to show you, don't let your field or area your study deter you away from gaining insight from other sources that you might deem as valuable.As I read, it actually spoke to one of the areas I'm looking to get into, psychology for the web, more specifically web designers.Moreover they referenced a book titled "100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People". It seemed as if the heavens opened up and said "here you go my child."ok so it wasn't that dramatic, but I did feel as if it spoke to an area I am looking to learn and grow in– a viewers experience.I say "how can you create if you don't know what people are looking for" especially when they come to your site.You can create a great looking site but does it make sense, can they find what there looking for, does it resonate with them? I think of all these things as I'm growing as a developer. See I'm categorizing all that as a developer.Research and development is always key no matter what field your in and even the development of yourself.
Anyways, moving on.So when I saw that book I said I have to get that book and add it to my reading list. It is now my next book to read.Don't worry I will share all the goodies and insight I find within it.
Of course as all well trained developers know, knowledge not applied is useless!In order to develop these skills you need to implement, test, and try these methods. And of course measure the results.Most Importantly Just Do It!Your welcome nike, or should I say thank you nike.You can not learn a new programming language without playing around in it with the functions, the variables, and just trying to create your own project with it.My goal is to truly understand how we humans think and what draws us to come back, specifically to certain sites.Thus I will be able to replicate that within all sites I need to develop so I am able to build long lasting impactful sites that resonate with people and help companies out.I guess in a sense it's a form of marketing as well. Learning something about that too I guess.So if your developer, especially if you come from a design background, I would recommend you not to throw all the things you learned about web design away, but think of what you enjoyed about design and figure out how you can implement your techniques to be unique. Learn to add value to your sites with other skills/knowledge you may have picked up along the way.Don't let them be a waste.
