Web Designer vs Web Programmer

Hi Everyone,

When I tell folks I'm a Web Programmer I often get inundated with
people wanting me to help them redesign their website. When I tell
them I'm a Web Programmer, not a Web Designer, and that I can't help
them _design_ their site, they normally have a blank stare on their
face.

For me, I enjoy coding websites, but I'm horrible at doing graphic
design and interfaces. This is why I call myself a Programmer as
opposed to a Designer. I've worked with Web Designers who know the
standards and capabilities of web graphics, and they can create a
great 'website' in Photoshop then send it to me where I convert it to
a physical web page. Many of these Designers can't code just like I
can't design. And I know there's those lucky folks who can do awesome
designs plus write awesome code, and those are who I personally call
Webmasters Me though, Web Programmer is what I generally use.

Do others run into this? Also do others look at the difference
between Web Programmer and Web Designer the same as I do? I've often
equated this to the difference between a home builder and a home
architect. You wouldn't want your architect to physically build the
house just like you wouldn't want the guys framing your house to
design it.

Anyway, just something I thought I'd throw out there --

Alex

> On 23 Mar 2007 14:25:45 -0700, Alex <sama... DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hi Everyone,
>
> > When I tell folks I'm a Web Programmer I often get inundated with
> > people wanting me to help them redesign their website. When I tell
> > them I'm a Web Programmer, not a Web Designer, and that I can't help
> > them _design_ their site, they normally have a blank stare on their
> > face.
>
> > For me, I enjoy coding websites, but I'm horrible at doing graphic
> > design and interfaces. This is why I call myself a Programmer as
> > opposed to a Designer. I've worked with Web Designers who know the
> > standards and capabilities of web graphics, and they can create a
> > great 'website' in Photoshop then send it to me where I convert it to
> > a physical web page. Many of these Designers can't code just like I
> > can't design. And I know there's those lucky folks who can do awesome
> > designs plus write awesome code, and those are who I personally call
> > Webmasters Me though, Web Programmer is what I generally use.
>
> > Do others run into this? Also do others look at the difference
> > between Web Programmer and Web Designer the same as I do? I've often
> > equated this to the difference between a home builder and a home
> > architect. You wouldn't want your architect to physically build the
> > house just like you wouldn't want the guys framing your house to
> > design it.
>
> > Anyway, just something I thought I'd throw out there --
>
> > Alex

On Mar 23, 4:36 pm, Ignoramus10399 <ignoramus10...@NOSPAM.
10399.invalid> wrote:
> I am a programmer, and a designer, but not a decorator. In general,
> you are spot on -- except that design includes both visual as well as
> logical design. I now need help of a web decorator, sort of. Like a
> house decorator who would recommend moving furniture around, etc.
>
> i
>

Hi i,

I never thought about that. For me, though I'm horrible at design,
I'm pretty good at coming up with the logical layout of the site, like
which menus need to do what and what needs to be on what page. I just
don't have any talent to present that layout in an aesthetically
pleasing fashion. I'm deaf when it comes to color combinations, and
though I use a color wheel at times and even use other sites as
examples, I can never come-up with truly great designs.

But I see where you're coming from about design vs decoration... I
guess for larger companies that have a heavy web presence, they'd have
an entire web team of folks to help them do the website. For my
projects though, it's just me and a few 'web designers' I use to do
the graphics, which generally is the color scheme, titles, general
menus, etc, and I run with the rest.

Alex