A substantial segment of the design community is divided on whether designers should code. Some prefer to seek unicorns who can accomplish both, while others claim they don’t exist or are merely a nuisance. Many designers believe that designers and developers should collaborate, but each discipline should stick to its expertise. Others are unconcerned about professionals wearing numerous hats. Many developers regard designers who code as a threat, whilst others regard them as welcome colleagues who have learned their language. The sweet spot, known as “shared understanding,” is most likely somewhere in the middle. Knowing a little code does not require a designer to become an experienced coder, but rather to grasp the developer’s point of view.
The user interface, or “presentation layer,” is a designer’s playground, but focusing just on it is analogous to merely looking at the outside of a building. Great designers recognize that understanding the technology underpinnings that provide their ideas not only makes a designer more impressive but also considerably improves their career prospects.

The Advantages of Understanding Basic HTML and CSS

Designers would benefit greatly from learning the “front end” (the presentation layer) driven by HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets, a language that describes the component styles in an HTML document), and they might be surprised at how simple it is to learn the basics.

HTML and CSS do not require any programming logic. The letter M in HTML stands for “Markup,” a term used to define the coded structure of page elements, which serve as the foundation of pages. HTML, together with CSS and JavaScript, form a trio of core Web technologies.

Understanding code and how to code is equivalent to understanding pixels.

Learning how to develop the front-end UI and evaluating it allows designers to see how things look when viewed on different devices right away. Designers who experiment with HTML and CSS will discover that everything is measured in pixels (other measurement units such as “ems” and percentages will eventually be translated to pixels).

Knowledge measurements and code structure, as well as how pages are displayed, can provide you with a better understanding of the front-end development process. As a result, designers will have to think more carefully about their designs and how to make them more efficient for that process. They will understand what is easily accomplished and what is more difficult.

Designers Can Advance Their Skills Using JavaScript Fundamentals

Although designers could stop here and have developers implement the back end (the data access layer), they can make a design more dynamic by using scripting. Enter JavaScript (a scripting language), a web-based programming language. JavaScript is capable of updating and changing HTML and CSS, as well as calculating, manipulating, and validating data. It can be used to show dynamic interactions, animate elements, and create responsive communication with the back end or server, among other things.

There is no limit to what JavaScript can accomplish in front-end development. It is a programming language with functions, objects, logic, conditionals, math, math, and more math—all of which can be difficult for some. But it’s not that difficult to understand, especially when you consider what the bulk of clients demand.

Learning to Code Will Improve Developer Collaboration

Would it be easier to have love relationships if men and women could read each other’s minds? Some people believe so. The same is true for designers and developers.

Knowing how developers operate and what they require to execute their work can make a designer an invaluable member of any multidisciplinary team. This method is excellent for internal communications as well as idea pitches because they will have a better notion of what to expect from the other team members. If designers can do this, they will be in a far better position to offer clients more strong solutions.

Should Graphic Designers Learn to Code?

Working with other teams requires adaptability and flexibility, as well as the capacity to undertake a wide range of projects and take on a wide range of tasks. Is there any designer out there who wouldn’t like to have an advantage over others when it comes to highly sought-after jobs at exciting startups or large established tech firms?

Designers have methodologies, procedures, a toolbox of design tools, and deliverables, but that is only part of the picture. Exploring and understanding how UI designs are provided utilizing various digital technologies helps propel designers to the next level and increases their ability to deliver exceptional designs. Work opportunities in the design profession are increasing including “nice-to-haves” such as basic web programming and prototype abilities in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It is up to each designer to decide how much work to take on; clearly, there is a demand.