Designing websites seems to appeal to a certain niche of people. Sure, we get called geeks and nerds (and we somehow find it endearing), but that doesn’t begin to cover the wide array of personalities that make up the design community. In this post the last thing I want to do is to paint all designers with a broad brush, but I do want to get to the bottom of what makes being a web designer so appealing to so many of us.
One common denominator seems to be the design process itself, and how it tends to be the perfect blend of creativity and logic, but that only touches the surface. In this post I’ll uncover my top 5 reasons why I love being a web designer.
The Creative Process
Photo by LookatLao
I love the start of any design. It’s awesomely open and full of potential. It’s our job as designers to tap into the creative potential and to give a project direction.
The importance of sketching has been touted across the design community for a while now. Not only is it extremely helpful, but it’s also a lot of fun. I just purchased my first Moleskine sketchbook to optimize this portion of the design process. The feeling you get when an idea begins to take shape is unparalleled in almost any other profession.
Logical Thinking
Although the creative process is a blast, I sometimes just like to figure out the best way to make things work. Fortunately, in web design the next logical step… is, well logical. Making my designs look as good in a browser as they do in a mock up can be very challenging, however it’s the learning process and the road blocks that inevitably follow that help me learn and develop my skills. These challenges that always ensue definitely strike a cord in my determined personality. There is a lot of satisfaction in the ah-ha moment.
Constantly Changing Technologies
Photo by Guillermo Esteves
Chris Coyier over at CSS Tricks recently put together a fun, tongue in cheek list of of all the things a modern web designer should know. Although it was mostly a joke, it was also pretty true. The list was enormous, but for me that’s part of the intrigue of being a designer. I don’t ever want to get to point of contentment. If I did then I would lose a lot of the drive and desire that made it interesting in the first place.
A Great Community
You’ve probably heard a lot of us design bloggers boast about the so-called “Design Community”. I know I’ve raved about it before, and I’ve created a design news section to share the community with you.
I think the thing that separates this community is it’s willingness to help each other. In what other field do people in direct competition go out of their way to help one another? I also love the helpful advice I get anytime I ask a design question in Twitter or Facebook.
A Much Needed Service
In a poor economy it sure is nice to be in a position of need. I’m not suggesting it’s always easy to get a job or freelance gigs, but the opportunities are out there. We’re at a point in time where almost every business needs a website. That’s great news for those of us that make a living creating them. It’s awesome to play a role in such an important aspect of a business. It’s easy to take pride in your work when you feel you are very much needed.
That’s A Wrap
If you are into web design (and I’m assuming you are if you’re reading this) then I’m quite curious to see if you agree with these reasons, and to find out what other ones you may have. Feel free to join the discussion and drop a comment below.
If this post was helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others, it's a great way of saying thanks.
Contribute
Stanley Diaz
February 22, 2010
Great article. I really enjoyed.
I would definitely agree with you on these reasons. Especially the creative process. I almost find it relaxing and meditative. There’s just something about sitting with a pencil and sketchbook and letting the ideas flow that I really enjoy.
Other reasons I was attracted to this field was, of course, being able to play around with new software and surfing the web all day for inspiration.
Thanks for the article.
Andrew Houle
February 22, 2010
Good addition with being able to play around with new technologies. That’s definitely a huge draw for me too. I can rationalize ‘needing’ all kinds of new things that way :)
Benjamin Rama
February 22, 2010
I definetly agree with these points Andy ,more the creative process for me however recently some logical code pennies have really dropped for me.
and its true, its a much need service; I wrote about this in a recent post –
“there’s a recession which means companies need to sell more which means more advertising and therefore more graphic design work ,it should be simple”
bumped and tweeted
Andrew Houle
February 22, 2010
Sketching with pencil and paper is definitely the highlight for me. Thanks a bunch for the help on the share votes :)
Amey
February 22, 2010
I just noticed when you highlight something on this site, it is yellow. Pretty cool
Andrew Houle
February 22, 2010
Yeah, that’s a nice css 3 progressive enhancement that’s quite easy to do. For instance the css for that on MyInkBlog is:
::selection {
background: #fff300; /* Safari */
}
::-moz-selection {
background: #fff300; /* Firefox */
}
Amey
February 22, 2010
thanks, I may use that sometime soon.
Federica Sibella
February 23, 2010
I agree with your points and I would add that I enjoy the fact that every single project can be different from the previous and you can learn and experiment a lot of new things in each of them. Our big fortune is that web design world is continuosly changing and improving, thus trying something different is quite straightforward.
Firdouss
February 23, 2010
I agree with all your points on this one. Particularly the constantly changing technologies, I wake up everyday knowing that there is always something new to learn day by day.
Like just now, I just learned how to change the color of the selected text, thank to you! Keep it up!
DesignLovr
February 23, 2010
Great wrap-up!
I totally agree with every point, especially the “Constantly Changing Technologies”, there is so much to do and learn it never gets boring to be a Web Designer.
Kevin
February 23, 2010
I love the challenging aspects of web design. A lot of creativity is needed to create something fresh or to overcome a problem.
Mahmudur Rahman
February 23, 2010
Nice reasons Andrew. Some times web designing is challenging job when it come to fulfill the user requirement. Sometimes clients exception so high and that became the challenge for the web designer so they should always update about changing technology as well as follow other 4 reasons. Thanks for sharing this nice post. :)
Krishna
February 23, 2010
the main reasons I love being a web designer are because of the creativity, but then also being able to translate “that design” into something which requires technical knowledge.
I love the challenge I guess!
A good read…
:)
Tracey Grady
February 23, 2010
After recently completing a large website project which was fraught with difficulties, it’s good to reflect on the positives of the industry again. Thanks for that.
I like the balance between creativity (design, applying functionality) and structure (coding, usability, project management). Working in web design feels like I’m giving both sides of my brain a good workout.
Andrew Houle
February 23, 2010
I feel the same way. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to write this post. I wanted to remind myself all the reasons why being a web designer rocks!
Matthew Williamson
February 23, 2010
What a really pleasant read. I love the fact it in a evolving industry “Constantly Changing Technologies” means we are always learning…
Thanks for the article.
Chris Thurman
February 23, 2010
I’ve got the same love for the creative/logical mix. Great post!
Shane
February 23, 2010
Great post, I totally agree with your points! I love the creative process, and coding a website is just as rewarding.
Thanks for sharing.
Carl - Web Courses Bangkok
February 23, 2010
Great post mate, and something I would love to show to our students.
Jonathan
February 23, 2010
This post really made me think about my own reasons for why I’m in love with webdesign. Its still a fresh love since ive only been doing it for about a year but oooh what a crush I have. I would also add one reason; the opportunity to work from any place me and my computer can access, not much can beat gathering a few friends for an all-nighter design/coding-session!
Maxime
February 23, 2010
Great post ! I really enjoyed reading it. It personally made me think about actually becoming a webdesigner. Seriously.
I’m looking forward to learning a looot of things here and on other webdesigners websites.
Thanks !
Andrew Houle
February 23, 2010
Awesome, so glad to hear this. Go for it!
Jennifer
February 23, 2010
Agreed on each point! Great post, Andrew!
Jason Lyman
February 23, 2010
I think you hit the nail pretty squarely on the head. These are many of the reasons that I love the web design world.
One thing, where you say “I don’t ever want to get to point of contemptment.” Shouldn’t that be “CONTENTment?” Contempt is something completely different. Just saying…
Thanks for the post.
Andrew Houle
February 23, 2010
Whoops, thanks for catching that. That’s quite a different meaning :)
Anthony Raymond Web Design Consultancy Maidstone
February 23, 2010
Really interesting article Andrew, well done. I agree with you totally. I love being a designer, although I don’t opt for the sketch pad method myself, I prefer to pull around graphics on Photoshop, see where it leads me. Each to their own I suppose. Good pics too btw!
Damian Smith
February 24, 2010
I love everything to do with web design (except maybe some of the clients…)
I spend a lot of my weekend just browsing through websites and taking in inspiration and ideas, also looking through jQuery tutorials and PHP etc.
The design side is definitely my favourite part, just sitting down with a pen and paper and deciding which grid format I’m going to use then layout out a plan. Then when you have the idea, getting onto photoshop and drawing up a template to show the client, and hoping for that “wow” look from them.
Also the fact that there is so much new stuff to learn, although I find it very difficult to take in too much information at once, learning new things slowly over time is still great. Whether it be building my skills in photoshop or jQuery, you just want to know it all!
Ted Rex
February 24, 2010
Man, in this crappo economy, it’s nice to reflect back on why I love this business so much. Nice post.
I made this one of my three links on today’s Design Thought for the Day blog:
http://designthoughtfortheday.blogspot.com/2010/02/02-24-i-love-being-designer-save-for.html
All the best, Ted
Matt Ward
February 24, 2010
Really great article Andrew. It’s always important to reflect on the positives of what we do and consider the reasons for why we do it.
Even if many designers are already aware of these things themselves, I think that this article could be a hugely beneficial read, to help remind them (myself included) why we have one of the best jobs in the world!
Thanks Andrew :)
Danny Foo
February 24, 2010
I skip the part about logical thinking. I think more creatively than logically half the time. However, I do understand the development process.
Kyle Phelps
February 24, 2010
Great article.. Coming from a pure editorial design background and finally making the switch to web design. I love the logical thinking/problem solving part the most. (minus of course fixing sites to be IE 6 compatible)
Jeremy Gode
February 24, 2010
Nice article Andrew. I am in the process of transitioning from the corporate world (a paycheck) to the design world (a living), and man the grass can definitely be greener sometimes.
Without question the blend of creativity and logic are my favorite aspects of this profession, but a community where people don’t back stab to race up the ladder is great too.
Web Design Puerto Rico
February 25, 2010
wow all that ist true, im web designer and i love it
Kristoffer Benoit
February 25, 2010
Thank you.
I agree, designing web pages is extremely satisfying. Where else can you come up with an idea and follow it through to its conclusion with only the use of your mind and a computer?
Great post.
Dan
February 25, 2010
I could give you 5 reasons why I hate being a web designer.
Caro
February 25, 2010
Great article! Right now I’m having a love/hate relationship with a website that has been quite a challenge, and your article came as a reminder of all the good things.
Another reason is that you can work from almost any place in the world, and that is so cool.
And the joy when you get to triumph over certain “rebellious” browsers, (I don’t want to name it, but it starts with an “I” and ends with “nternet Explorer”) ;)
Junnel Animo
February 25, 2010
Thanks Andrew for this great article. It motivates me again to design more websites and get more clients.
han deul
February 25, 2010
Good Article. I’ll think about my work. I feel that web design is great work. Thanks Andrew.
Amber Sjomeling
February 25, 2010
i know it’s been said more than a few times, but i love that your brought up the combination of creativity and logic that goes into it all. whenever people ask me why i am going to school for web design i tell them it fits my personality perfectly. my mother was an arts n crafts type (sewing, leather work, calligraphy, stained glass etc) and my father could create an excel spreadsheet like nobodies’ business. i am the combination of that, and web design satisfies both (often arguing) parts of my personality. thanks for reminding me why i love design!
Laurence Lok
February 25, 2010
I love designing as well, but have you ever thought why designers (outside of the design community and the agency model) are generally under-appreciated and underpaid?
Is it because more and more people are willing to do it for less and less because it is such an enjoyable profession? Or is it because clients are generally unaware of the value of good design? Or is it that creative types generally just make poor businessmen?
John Velasco
February 25, 2010
Great Article! I agree with your points about the balance between creativity and logic. It’s a great mix that keeps me from not going crazy when I’m designing.
Also, there is no greater feeling than to opening a newly finalized website in IE6 and everything looks perfects… Priceless :-)
Thanks!
James Lonergan - LONO Creative
February 25, 2010
I love agree with you… i like being logical but being creative at the same time!
The web community is a nice place to be!
kari yang
February 25, 2010
What a nice read! I totally concur and especially love the fact that web designers have that “togetherness” quality in helping each other out and learning from each other. It totally rocks! Thank you.
Sheryll
February 25, 2010
You are right on point! I love web design because of the creativity involved and the logical aspect! Coding is a challenge but once you have it do exactly what you wanted it to do the feeling is priceless! I don’t like thinking of web design as a job…it’s my passion.
Hillary
February 25, 2010
I have to agree on all of these. There is intelligence behind making something so beautiful, yet completely functional. Creating something for a purpose that will help better not only the web community but companies and organizations.
For me, being a web designer is not only about creating the website, its helping to improve peoples business and helping to get them on their feet, for small business. I love being apart of that process.
Thank you so much for this!
Xpirt Design
February 25, 2010
Great points. Being a web designer is, in my opinion, one of the best jobs in the world
Jenna Molby
February 25, 2010
I agree with all your points. Great article Andrew!
nik
February 26, 2010
no I too love being webdev… :)
radhoo
February 26, 2010
I also love mixing technologies, like PHP, MySql and Flash… you can achieve great things.
Aidan
February 27, 2010
Nice read. Now I know why designers are proud of themselves.
Tom Ross
March 1, 2010
Great post Andrew! These are just a few of the reasons why being a web designer is one of the best jobs out there :)
Ben Sky
March 1, 2010
Reading articles like this is one thing i love about being a designer. This has reminded me how much i love doing it!! Nothing beats concept to production, thinking through objectives, the best way to execute them, executing them and then the final result… awesome. Great article dude.
James Duncombe
March 2, 2010
Awesome post. Love web design because it’s such a fusion of design and code. Beauty and logic in one! :)
ertan
March 3, 2010
very nice post Andrew.
thank you
Thomas Craig Consulting
March 4, 2010
Brilliant list Andrew, have to agree with all your points. Personally I love the creative process and logical aspect of my daily routine not to mention the constant change. Just trying to keep pace with the ever changing technology can be fulfilling.
When asked about my job, I always mention that everyday is different, so many people work for years doing the same repetitive tasks every day, which may be fine for some, but not this guy.
Jye
March 5, 2010
Creative process, logical thinking and great community would be the top 3.
Bonx
March 10, 2010
Great read, thanks for the inspiring article :)
Design Earth
April 9, 2010
Really feeling proud for being a web designer.
Taylor Frassinell | Web Design
April 16, 2010
I feel really proud right now.
I think my top five item would be that perfection is achievable
Sherry
April 26, 2010
Good article.
I am thinking why I am not a web designer.
Maybe I will be
Beauchamp Web design
May 20, 2010
Lovely positive article, definitely agree with the points you have outlined
FireRoxy
June 7, 2010
that’s why i’m a web designer although i’ve studied mechanic engineering. thanks for the great article.
Casti Moto
June 26, 2010
Great post, just making my way into designing and agree with the positive article.