Why Programmers Suck at CSS Design
As a Web Developer, I rely on my (talented) designers to make my architecture look good.
These days, many web sites are database-driven CMS (eg Drupal) so content is safely separated from presentation.
In a pinch, I will apply an existing theme, tweak it a little and pray the client likes it. It usually takes a couple of tries.
Here is an article that has some good advice for anybody attempting the art of css design:
If I had a dime for every time I heard a web programmer apologize for the way his/her pages looked before revealing them, I certainly wouldn’t need to work anymore.
As with color picking, I think that programmers tend to avoid doing certain things not because they are inherently bad at it, but because they don’t know how to proceed. They find themselves in an uncharted and foggy territory, without a map, no sense of direction, and with a limited ability to know if they’re getting any closer to where they want to be.
leapfrog posted this at 05:33 — 9th November 2008.
They have: 26 posts
Joined: Nov 2008
Hm.. almost 90% programmers don't like the CSS things.
pr0gr4mm3r posted this at 14:06 — 9th November 2008.
He has: 1,502 posts
Joined: Sep 2006
Although I would admit I have no creative ability, I don't suck at CSS. Give me a graphic layout, and I can code it. It's just creating a nice graphic design from scratch is hard for me.
JeevesBond posted this at 01:37 — 11th November 2008.
He has: 3,956 posts
Joined: Jun 2002
That article is very true. However, programming and design are very similar things, in essence. They both have basic rules, fundamentals if you will, and are both used to solve specific problems. Build a design or an application on the fundamentals and you won't go wrong.
I believe it's possible to be both a good designer and a good programmer. What's nearly impossible, however, is being brilliant at both.
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