Graphic designers work on both print and web projects. Constantly learning and adapting to new technologies. As a graphic designer, is it necessary to learn to code? Here are 5 good reasons why you should!
- Master your projects from A to Z
Your designs will be coded exactly as you imagined them. If you completely separate the graphic design from the code, there will inevitably be a moment where the developer will have to do a bit of designing. It is not practical for him to go ask the designer for a Photoshop mock-up every time a new part of the website needs to be added or modified. Knowing how to code will save you time: once you’ll know how to do your designs directly in a web browser, you can say goodbye to Photoshop mock-ups that you would have had created for the developer, for the sole purpose of him to code what you had done in Photoshop.
- Stop wasting time creating designs impossible to code
By learning how to code, you will become a better graphic designer because you will understand how the web development process works, why some programming languages are used, and whether or not they allow you to implement your graphic ideas. You will have a better idea of what is technically feasible before you start your design, and better explain your design ideas to developers. It is much easier to communicate with a web integrator and a developer when the terms “div”, “cms” and “zoning” are not totally foreign!
On a side note, you’ll now be able to understand programmer jokes!
- Offer a wider range of services to your customers
As a freelance graphic designer, you might not have the means to hire a developer to turn your designs into websites. On the client’s side, he might not want to use two different service providers and manage the communication between the two. By learning how to code, you can spare him this effort, either by programming your own designs or by communicating directly with the developer. By mastering the entire process, from graphics to programming, you will also be able to respond much more quickly to changes requested by your customers. Lastly, do not forget that a brand is not just a logo. The desktop and mobile user experience are just as much part of the brand image. A graphic designer who knows how to code can offer a seamless and unique experience to a brand’s customers.
- Gain creativity
Programming often seems, to the inexperienced, to be a long series of indecipherable lines of code. In fact, programming is not just technical. It opens up a whole new field of creative possibilities. With computer programming, we can build many things, games, bots or apps. The only limit is one’s own imagination.
- Sell yourself better on the job market
Learning how to code will bring up new job opportunities, as a freelancer but also as an employee. Companies are increasingly asking their employees to be flexible, especially in smaller one’s like SMEs or startups. Combining these two skills allows for added value on the job market and working on more complex and original projects.
Want to find out more? Have a look at our web developer short training.
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