The distinction between what a designer does and what a developer (programmer) does is typically one that is not too blurry. But it is a line that I have been straddling for years. And not until recently did I realize exactly which side of the line I really do (and want) to fall on. Cinderella once sang You don’t know what you got until it’s gone…

Up until a few weeks ago I was a one-man software shop. People came to me with their problems and I helped them design and then build the solution they needed. I’ve gone over the benefits of custom development before, so I won’t rehash that discussion. But that custom development put me in a position where I was in control of many aspects of the entire process.

I played the Business Analyst, where I met with the customer and sat with them to learn exactly what their problem was and how/where a software program could help.

I then played Designer, where I did page layout, interface design, and other visual/click aspects of a program.

Then I was the Programmer, where I used programming languages and tools to turn the design into a working product that the customer would use and love (hopefully).

I liked each step in this process and did’t mind doing one over another, nor did I particularly favor one over the other…until I was told not to do it anymore.

My priorities got totally shifted by The Powers That Be and I quickly found myself taken out of my usual office and in a cubicle working on web site tasks. (Public needs rather than internal business needs). However, in this context I was no longer part of working with the customer to find out which solution works best for them.

I was dumped into a programmer-only role and found that I’m not really too hot about programming. Figuring out and designing a solution that works best for the individual is what I do best - and what I enjoy the most. I use programming as nothing more than a way to turn my vision into reality.

Now that may sound like a “well, duh” kind of statement, but I’ve been running into more and more people and readings that are really focused on programming and only programming. That is, making the engine of a product as fine-tuned as possible - even if it doesn’t end up mattering to the customer using the product. You need those people, but until I started interacting more with those people did I realize more what I am really good at. The constrast really made a difference.

I am currently working on re-designing a publishing system that was in dire need of a face lift. In the process I made some very minor improvements to what shows up on the screen. Necessary? Not really, but it made the tools better for the customer. When I showed this to the new co-worker, he replied with “You know you made it too nice. Now they’re going to want more.”

What?! Too nice? How can something be too nice for the customer? That retort really told me where each of our passions lie in terms of making software. It also told me a little about his level of commitment to making a better end product.
You need both sides, designer and developer, to make a really good product. And now I know which side I can serve best.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 10th, 2006 at 8:39 pm and is filed under All. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.