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Hiring a designer is a premature optimization

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Re: Hiring a designer is a premature optimization

#11

Post by mootothemax »

tuhin wrote: post #4

So essentially using a similar logic, if I am a designer, I am better off using a scripting tool to make Facebook Clone than hire a developer? I know this comes off as an arrogant comment but I am drawing the logic straight from your arguments here. A developer cannot design so the best option they have is to use templates of design created with no clear audience, and goal other than probably looking good (which is n…

A developer cannot design so the best option they have is to use templates of design created with no clear audience, and goal other than probably looking good...

If that if the developer doesn't know what he's developing or for whom, they're in trouble ;)

Re: Hiring a designer is a premature optimization

#12

Post by zaidf »

All depends on what you consider a designer. In many ways, I think product guy should know design--the full circle of it. I continue to see startups that hire designers who believe design is a PSD sent to the team to be converted and brought live. That is failure barring exceptional circumstances.

Re: Hiring a designer is a premature optimization

#13

Post by jk8 »

egze wrote: post #3

I disagree. If you just focus on coding, you will miss key usability issues that a good designer wouldn't miss. In the end when you do hire a designer, you will have to rewrite a lot of your code to fix these issues.

Let's look at it this way... Someone is an indie developer working late nights and he/she wants to release a web app and see what happens. They have the money for hosting and coding skills. If the web app gains traction and makes money, then they could think about hiring an UX engineer.

Re: Hiring a designer is a premature optimization

#14

Post by tuhin »

hennypenny wrote: post #10
tuhin wrote: post #4

So essentially using a similar logic, if I am a designer, I am better off using a scripting tool to make Facebook Clone than hire a developer? I know this comes off as an arrogant comment but I am drawing the logic straight from your arguments here. A developer cannot design so the best option they have is to use templates of design created with no clear audience, and goal other than probably looking good (which is n…

If you know how to use photoshop, you can design. You can make a website that works and that you can test with. But if a designer knows nothing about code, knowing where to start and how to put the pieces together would be daunting. Coding has a very steep learning curve, whereas even amateurs can start designing right away.

If you know how to use photoshop, you can design.

Wow.

Re: Hiring a designer is a premature optimization

#15

Post by mootothemax »

endtwist wrote: post #6

Bullshit of the highest order. If your only goal is to get a "pretty website" when you hire a designer, not only will you hire the wrong person, but you lose the benefits a good designer can provide. But sure, go ahead and buy that $50 template. Find someone with familiarity in building good UIs, designing a consistent brand for your product, and making absolutely sure that your product's message comes through clear…

Find someone with familiarity in building good UIs

I'm inferring from your comment that one can't have basic knowledge of decent UI without being a designer. Surely a coder can have a good idea about how to lay out a decent interface without having the skills to actually do so? It's this missing skill that a theme gives them.

Re: Hiring a designer is a premature optimization

#16

Post by nicksergeant »

tuhin wrote: post #4

So essentially using a similar logic, if I am a designer, I am better off using a scripting tool to make Facebook Clone than hire a developer? I know this comes off as an arrogant comment but I am drawing the logic straight from your arguments here. A developer cannot design so the best option they have is to use templates of design created with no clear audience, and goal other than probably looking good (which is n…

I think it's a bit different coming from the other end, unfortunately. Craigslist has come quite far without what we would all consider "design" (though that's debatable - functionality is design). Alas, traditional aesthetic design has never found its way to Craigslist.

As a designer, you might find scripts / examples / tutorials that work, but without understanding the entire web stack it's going to be difficult to even get an "MVP" running. If I asked some designer friends to go set up a server to run Django, they probably wouldn't know where to start (though some would hunker down and truly figure it out, they would be the exception).

My opinion is that "decent design" is easier to achieve than "decent functionality". Don't get me wrong, I'm all for professional design and appreciate every minute that goes into it - every single app I've built over the past few years was started by an awesome designer (even my no-revenue side projects).

For the developer, though, things like http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap are helping us get very far into an app without asking designers for favors (or paying someone).

Re: Hiring a designer is a premature optimization

#17

Post by egze »

mootothemax wrote: post #7
egze wrote: post #3

I disagree. If you just focus on coding, you will miss key usability issues that a good designer wouldn't miss. In the end when you do hire a designer, you will have to rewrite a lot of your code to fix these issues.

I disagree. If you just focus on coding, you will miss key usability issues that a good designer wouldn't miss. And if you hire a UX expert, undoubtedly you'll gain even more insight into usability. So what? In the end when you do hire a designer, you will have to rewrite a lot of your code to fix these issues. Why? I thought separation of logic and design was a near universal practise by now?

Yes and no. By design I also mean interaction with the product, animations, etc. Animations that you've written for the first design draft might not make sense anymore with the new design. So new code required. So is for markup and JS code. If new design requires new elements on the page, this may break your JS that relies on certain structure.

Re: Hiring a designer is a premature optimization

#18

Post by [deleted] »

mootothemax wrote: post #15
endtwist wrote: post #6

Bullshit of the highest order. If your only goal is to get a "pretty website" when you hire a designer, not only will you hire the wrong person, but you lose the benefits a good designer can provide. But sure, go ahead and buy that $50 template. Find someone with familiarity in building good UIs, designing a consistent brand for your product, and making absolutely sure that your product's message comes through clear…

Find someone with familiarity in building good UIs I'm inferring from your comment that one can't have basic knowledge of decent UI without being a designer. Surely a coder can have a good idea about how to lay out a decent interface without having the skills to actually do so? It's this missing skill that a theme gives them.

[deleted]

Re: Hiring a designer is a premature optimization

#19

Post by jk8 »

endtwist wrote: post #6

Bullshit of the highest order. If your only goal is to get a "pretty website" when you hire a designer, not only will you hire the wrong person, but you lose the benefits a good designer can provide. But sure, go ahead and buy that $50 template. Find someone with familiarity in building good UIs, designing a consistent brand for your product, and making absolutely sure that your product's message comes through clear…

I assume that the author of post will switch design and work with a UX engineer when the site starts making money. When you have nothing $50.00 for a theme sounds great. Imagine, no one knows about your site so there is no point in building a site from day one which will scale to handle a million users. Launch first, iterate later.

Re: Hiring a designer is a premature optimization

#20

Post by blankenship »

mootothemax wrote: post #15
endtwist wrote: post #6

Bullshit of the highest order. If your only goal is to get a "pretty website" when you hire a designer, not only will you hire the wrong person, but you lose the benefits a good designer can provide. But sure, go ahead and buy that $50 template. Find someone with familiarity in building good UIs, designing a consistent brand for your product, and making absolutely sure that your product's message comes through clear…

Find someone with familiarity in building good UIs I'm inferring from your comment that one can't have basic knowledge of decent UI without being a designer. Surely a coder can have a good idea about how to lay out a decent interface without having the skills to actually do so? It's this missing skill that a theme gives them.

Surely a coder can have a good idea about how to lay out a decent interface

My experience says mostly no. They're different skillsets. Occasionally they overlap in an individual.

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