It was the spring of 2011 when famed usability writer, speaker and educator, Jared Spool, asked the all inspiring question, Why The Valley Wants Designers That Can Code?
Jared coined the term, Super Designer, but designers who code have also been referred to as Ninjas or Unicorns. I for one feel that these terms are a bit used up and prefer something a little more substantial. I prefer, UX Engineer.
While this may have been the mind set of Silicon Valley startups in 2011, this is the current mind-set of the Seattle startup community and in the enterprise.
Ability to prototype in HTML, JavaScript, & CSS is a plus
Designers and application engineers are always looking for ways to work closer with each other. Conceptualizing ideas into tangible prototypes have proven themselves of value in the marketplace. Designing experiences in the medium from which they will be delivered to your customers clearly reduces waste and increases results.
We as designers have gone to great lengths to simulate a design in any given device. But the end result is never 100% there. There are nuances, experiences and device/environmental issues that cannot be compensated for. It is not until we get the design into the device that we really see what we will get.
Be it desktop, tablet or mobile, the faster you can get your design into the devices you are targeting, the better shot you have of communicating your design clearly without unnecessary re-iteration.
Let’s talk tools
Leading barriers to real application prototyping are confidence, assumed cost, fear of wasted effort and confusion over tool sets. From a designer’s perspective, the common development environment can be confusing and intimidating.
Let’s talk about these issues. What are the tools being used? What does it take to learn them and what is the real cost of NOT prototyping?
Let’s talk about Code Fellow’s upcoming night class and Boot Camp UX Engineering offerings.
Who should attend?
UX Design is evolving, are you interested in learning more? Can you answer YES to any of the following questions?
- Are you currently a UX Designer looking to gain new skills in front-end prototyping development?
- Have you read the tutorials on HTML/CSS/JS and are tired of copy-n-paste engineering?
- Do you get the basics are interested in learning more about how to put it all together?
- Do terms like style guide design and responsive web design really get you motivated?
