Should Designers learn to Code?

We were asked the very same question last semester when we had taken ‘Programming as a Design tool for Prototyping’ as a course where I had exclaimed that how much code used to scare me and it was a small step forward into this vast world of 0s and 1s we were yet to explore. After that, I’m proud to say that my experience has only pushed me forward to explore more.

During the classes, we understood how designs are just one part of the whole process of creating something. We were introduced to P5js and the basics of coding in the language. These examples seemed to only show how we could make shapes or make simple calculations, which made me worry about how we were going to make a working prototype by the end of the class. I was trying to figure how different functions could help make something big. In our last course, we had just created something which responded, but here we were creating something with aesthetics as well as with interactiveness.

The approach of first creating a design solution was really helpful as it actually made me realise the importance of programming and making working prototypes of your solutions which makes it a complete package and doesn’t leave you dependent on others. Even if I can’t make the complete prototype but I can at least facilitate and understand the possibilities of my designs in terms of execution. Our project tried to be a proper balance of both creativity and code. I feel we’re still just touching the surface of this ocean of programming which really limits what we can achieve as well. One of the main reasons why we don’t get enough practice could be the fact that all our other courses are design-centric which makes it difficult for us to make more deliverables using code. But each small accomplishment made us feel so happy as we were actually creating our models, that it encouraged us to continue and make more.

I’m not surprised by the fact that most of the designers are really not accepting to learn the technical aspect of design. For me, Design itself as a field is so big that I would be confused if I should explore this domain completely or dip my hand in another field as well. People tend to think that it won’t help them in their future projects. Also, programming/coding is considered to be a very technical field and takes a lot of time to learn if your brain is used to being on the designing side of things. But then again there are so many design projects which show a balance of both, and how these two fields do have a lot in common.

The Interview with David Kelly compares engineers and designers and how they’re trained in a certain way to think. Design as a field is said to be more flexible and creative whereas engineering is thought to be very methodological. He also exclaims that good designs are a result of multi-disciplinary teams, which makes me question that should we be good at everything or master of one trait. Personally, I feel these professions are very much like each other. Engineers are also designers, but with one added attribute: analysis. Like a designer, an engineer will plan out their creation before beginning implementation.

I’ve interacted with multiple people who come from engineering backgrounds but have taken up UI/UX along with it and moved to the creative side. I am confused about how they stand in front of us who are UI/UX designers who’re learning to code. Our experience and exposure might have an edge over them but is it equal in terms of there expertise in coding which takes a very long time to learn. So does this mix only helps in facilitating processes or does it become an added skill which is added to the resume?

Object-Oriented Paradigm in designing and programming is very inter-related which comes as a surprise as these two fields are considered total opposites of each other. While creating our deliverables we realised how we approached class maps with a design approach, which does put things in perspective where of how each process can be approached from both sides.

In the end, I’d like to think that it’s always good to learn new things and find ways to incorporate them into your profession, and leave the idea of pursuing it full-time later after I have enough experience to make those choices.