Need Some Advice - Web Designer or Developer?

[MagSafe]

Hi folks, this has been playing on my mind for a while now and I thought it would be better to get some other opinions on it.

I'm a web designer / developer and graduated from uni in June. Since then I've been doing a 3 month month contract for a company working as under the status 'Web Assistant' and have been redesigning their website by coming up with a completey new design (which they are extremely pleased with) and then integating it with their existing asp content management system. The contract ends at the end of September but there's a big chance I'll be kept on.

At uni and in my own time i've always focused on the design part of things, for example making websites as easy to use as possible, always following accessibility web standards by learning everything about xhtml and css, and using my eye for design, photoshop and a bit of flash to make them look stunning. As well as this I have learnt the basics of PHP/mySQL and so far have created a very simple content management system for a website of my own.

Using ASP with MS Access is something I've never really looked into as i've never needed to, until starting the contract. I wouldn't say i find it difficult but if I were to stay on with the company I would be asked to make a website completey using ASP, and I really doubt I could do that. I've been trying to learn it from books and so on but it just isn't happening.

I have the choice to go back and do an honours year at uni where I'd be taught ASP.NET properly, but I don't find that interesting, I would rather be a web designer rather than a developer. I don't want to learn all the in's and out's of complex web programming languages when I could be focusing on my passion: human computer interface design, accessibility and learning everything about photoshop, flash etc.

My choices are as follows:

1. Go back to uni and learn ASP.NET properly
2. Learn how to build a content management system now using ASP now, so to stay on at the company.
3. Look for a job in Web Design and continue with what I enjoy, learning as much as possible about Photoshop & Flash & Accessibity in the mean time.

Do people think I will need to learn web programming such as asp, asp.net, sql etc in order to succeed as web designer? ... i'm looking for some serious advice on this one, as I'm stumpted.

Thanks for reading

 

[punky_munky]

If you've managed to do your own CMS in PHP/MySQL then you can easily do it in ASP/Access. They are both very similar although 'classic' ASP is rapidly dying out.

I'm sure there are plenty of jobs for designers out there, go for it if you think you're talented enough.

 

[Mr^B]

There will always be cross-over between form and function when designing websites, it's pretty much unavoidable.

As a "developer" you need to be aware of the need for good visual design, HCI, W3C standards, etc etc.

As a "designer" you need to know how to implement your designs. You have a piece of HCI to implement, how are you going to do this? You can't design something that the technology won't be able to deliver, so you *have* to know enough about the technology to work out what is possible and what is not.

The bane of my life is working with 3rd party design companies who deliver truly superb pieces of design work...which have utterly no chance of ever being implemented simply because they are asking for that which web technology cannot yet deliver.

If you don't enjoy the technology side of things, you are putting yourself in a very niche market position - and may be better off working for a more generalised design/marketing firm and spread out from purely web stuff into printed materials, etc...

If you don't enjoy or want to work with technology, then I'd steer clear of web design - you have to work with something you enjoy.

Hope this helps!

 

[JustinW]

My choices are as follows:

1. Go back to uni and learn ASP.NET properly
2. Learn how to build a content management system now using ASP now, so to stay on at the company.
3. Look for a job in Web Design and continue with what I enjoy, learning as much as possible about Photoshop & Flash & Accessibity in the mean time.

Do people think I will need to learn web programming such as asp, asp.net, sql etc in order to succeed as web designer? ... i'm looking for some serious advice on this one, as I'm stumpted.

Thanks for reading

Which University/Course are you refering to where you would be taught ASP.NET properly.

Wouldn't they be better paying for you to do a Microsoft Certification?

All ASP.NET is doing is creating XHTML and CSS, but dynamicaly. The code builds a page based upon certain inputs. Its not particularly difficult and I think you should give it a chance.

There is very little point (in business) to simple static content, if you want to succeed in the web design market I think you need a good understanding of the pay web pages can be built dynamicaly. And knowing ASP.NET is no bad thing.

Justin

 

[zetec452]

My choices are as follows:

1. Go back to uni and learn ASP.NET properly
2. Learn how to build a content management system now using ASP now, so to stay on at the company.
3. Look for a job in Web Design and continue with what I enjoy, learning as much as possible about Photoshop & Flash & Accessibity in the mean time.

1: Don't go back to uni to learn asp.NET. Get a few good books, maybe take a MS course and learn that way. Uni won't teach you anything you can't learn in your own time.

2: ASP like others have said is slowly fading out. ASP.NET would be a better language to learn. Perhaps it's worth suggesting upgrading the exisiting content management system to a .NET based system?

3: This probably depends on point 2. The main thing is to keep learning new skills and tricks. Its better to have continuous employment on your cv. Good experience is worth its weight in gold.

 

[toosepin]

I'd go for number 1. Only because it means another year @ Uni as a student.

If you think you can handle working with code full time go for it - but if you passion lies with design, then I say stick with it.

You went to Uni so you would have a better chance at getting the job of your choice. I say go for what you want.

 

[Una]

I think you need to decide if your going to be a designer or a coder. Very few people have the ability to do both to a high level. Its not worth going back to uni to learn one language. Just teach your self, its not that hard. Its worth looking in ASP.NET though if your working on the m$ platform.

 

[JustinW]

I think you need to decide if your going to be a designer or a coder. Very few people have the ability to do both to a high level. Its not worth going back to uni to learn one language. Just teach your self, its not that hard. Its worth looking in ASP.NET though if your working on the m$ platform.

There is also a need for multi-disiplinary people- i.e. thoes that understand both design and code. You get to be the middleperson between the designers and the coders and this is important for a sucessful IT project.

Justin