Web Designers do not always know it all. A lot of people who hire web designers, usually put some trust into them and sometimes even believe that they can do everything.
This topic came about because I was at WordCamp Columbus and happened to hear an attendee express their frustration over coming to some type of solution with their website. The website was a university site (I will not name) and unfortunately the person who was in the position of the web designer was telling the faculty member in charge of the project that they could not use WordPress and wanted to go back to regular static HTML. Lucky for her, she walked away knowing the solution to her problem and that she could continue using WordPress… and that her designer was not very knowledgeable with the CMS.
For me, it is frustrating to see this going on because even though it is WordPress (it could have been Joomla or Drupal or even static HTML or even a site in PHP from scratch), THERE IS ALWAYS A SOLUTION!
Webmaster Versus Web Designer Versus…
In the past, someone who was well-rounded in all aspects of the site (the design, the development, the content creation, and the marketing) was known as a webmaster. The problem is that there is a big difference between being a web designer and being the writer (content creator), the designer, the developer or even the marketer, and vice versa.
Some have strong talents in all areas, but also weaknesses. I will admit that I do not know it all. When someone says they believe I know it all or I am a genius, I thank then, but tell them that I try my best to find out a solution, but I do not know it all.
Being resourceful is a huge part of being a web designer, both in imagination, natural talent (getting the ideas from your brain to whatever medium you need it to get to), and the actual knowledge to get things done.
- Not all web designers are social media consultants.
- Not all web designers are web developers.
- Not all web designers are writers that can create content or even be well-versed in search engine optimization.
- Not all web designers are internet marketers.
To the web design client
And just in case you have a web designer who says something cannot be done without a plausible reason, they are not resourceful, knowledgeable, or imaginative enough and you should be careful about hiring such people. In some cases, this type of web designer exudes a “know it all” type of personality.
Be careful of these and make sure to have a plan B in effect in case a solution cannot come to fruition.
Yeah, that is pretty harsh to read, but it is true. Most website owners want something positive to happen as a result of web design, even if it is only to make their visitor’s time on their site a bit more pleasant of an experience. Of course, as a side note… the majority of sites I have designed for, both business and blogs, do have some type of monetization plan.
To the Web designer
Know your limitations and overcome them, even if it is to seek out a partner to help finish the job. There is always a way. While content and connecting are important, your web designer has to have an inkling on what works and what does not design-wise. In web design, there are many ways to code and design the elements of a page, and the information to do it is out there. If you need it, find it! If you cannot find it, ask – there are many web design related forums and even designers on Twitter and Facebook that are more than willing to give advice. For WordPress users, developers, and designers, you can hit the Support forums.
I am going to repeat –
THERE IS ALWAYS A SOLUTION IN WEB DESIGN!
So, while web designers do not always know it all… remember, there is always a way through any project.
No more excuses!
I am a developer and I have the opposite problem. While I can code pretty much anything, I can't design (nor do I care to). WordPress is definitely not the solution to everything, but it is robust enough that it can be incorporated with anything, even if that means that new plugins need to be created specifically for the site.
I would have to disagree. I have used WordPress for realty, wiki, fiction sites, social bookmarking sites, forums, review sites, galleries, and a lot more. It is a lot more robust than it use to be and you can do a lot more. It can be a solution for everything. If you ever have a challenge… throw it my way and I can give you the answer to it… that is how long I have developed using WordPress. I love shocking people on what it can do.
Great post Nile! Knowing when to ask for help is so important. I've shared your experience of listening to someone offering advice that's not necessarily in the best interest of their client or employer based on their knowledge or skill set (or lack thereof). When did it become an embarrassment to admit that you don't know something? We can't all wear all "hats". Thankfully, through social media, we can connect with other entrepreneurs who possess complimentary skills . I for one am not afraid to reach out.
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You are absolutely correct! I will share this with my brother and I am sure he will agree with your post.
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I think one of the main reasons why people think a Web Designer is able to do anything, is that many don't really KNOW what the job is. How it works, what has to be done, when,why…
Exactly! Even though today you must know to do more than one specialized job, you can't really do all the work professionally. Sometimes the design to a site is a lot more important than the coding, so then you should look for someone with more design skills than programming.
If you need a complex site with complex functionality and the design doesn't matter you can hire a very good coder. But if you need both at a professional level there's no other way than hire a team, or someone to make the cool design and someone else to do the complex coding.
2 in 1 solutions don't work very well in the real world. At least that's my experience so far.
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Yes, it is difficult to get a web designer that has good coding, designing, webmastering, internet marketing capabilities and having experiences with social media at the same time. Oh and I should not forget mentioning search engine optimization as well. LOL, those are pretty tough expectations on a web designer.
I enjoyed your writing Nile!
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I agree with you Nile, but the problem (the way I see it) Clients wanted to hire a ALL-IN-ONE-GUY, this happens to me alot. Clients wanted me to write content, even thought I don't write (well, I've tried). They wanted to save money and some web designers who wanted the job will lie just to get the project, which is bad 🙁
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I'm not really on to web design. Blogging is what I'm focused on. However I have observed that when a person does not care about what his web looks like, he loses a lot of traffic. Since then I have been paying others to create my websites. Well, what you have said about them not always knowing everything is true. But they are of great help.
I believe that webdesigners don’t have to know how to completely code their designs, but know what the limits of HTML and CSS are. Advanced knowledge of HTML and CSS is a very big plus while designing.
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An interesting post with some great points. I'm not sure I agree on all points. A little hard on Web Designers as a whole just because of one designers poor advice. But I definitely agree that there is a solution to every problem and this should be a designers motto. 🙂 I do think there is a big difference between good web design and good blogging.__I think that the right designer who knows what they are talking about can do a pretty brilliant job, but they can't be narrow minded and closed off and must be up to speed with all aspects of the web, incl blogging, social media, web design, SEO, SEM etc etc… Knowledge is key.
I have the greatest luck in the world to have my best friend who is a web designer! We have known each other for a very long time and he really know how I think. Therefore, every time I need something like that done, we are on the same page.
OK, I realize that not everybody have this luck, but I suggest talking a bit with your web designer before hiring him. If you don't "click" it's not going to happen.
Yes Ana you are so lucky, that you have got such a nice friend who does all the problems solve. This is great, but using wordpress makes coding task easier.
That why it is better to be both web designer and webmaster.
I found designing a website is more difficult than coding. You got any tips.
Yes no one is perfect at all, It is not necessary that web designer will always know the designing problems.
I agree with Prakash, no one is perfect. A designer must also have knowledge on SEO.