In the early days of the web you had webmasters who’s job was usually to do everything. Mainly because they were the only ones who could or knew how. Some individuals realized that the tasks should be split up into their own respective fields. So then you had designers get in on the game. Up until recently the workflow’s were difficult if not impossible for a designer to take his design and transform it into a working application. With the advent of tools like the products in Adobe CS3, Flex, Flex Builder and Adobe’s acquisition of Macromedia there is a new workflow where design and development cross over.
There are people out there that say a tool should be made for one purpose. A animation tool should not be used to build an application. A development tool should not be used to layout a design. And a lot of people will agree. You wouldn’t use a wrench to hammer in a nail. You’d use a hammer. But we’re not talking about tangible tools right now. We’re talking about software and the need of the customers using it.
If you are a developer or designer, think about your clients projects for a minute. The goal is to give the client what they want correct? Now think about the tools you use Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, etc. If you were the client of Adobe and you were a designer using Illustrator, would it be far fetched to say you wanted to take your illustration and make it into an online application? Should that functionality be built into a tool like Illustrator? Would Adobe say, “This is not the purpose of the tool. So we won’t add it.” But think about if we were their client and Illustrator was a tool we hired them to build for us. Then they would say, “No problem. You’re the boss.” Some people will say you shouldn’t cross over. I don’t agree or disagree. I say you are looking at the purpose of the tool and not the purpose of the one wielding the tool.
Don’t look at the tool and try and figure out what else it needs, ask the person who uses it everyday.
The purpose of the tool is important but the people using it are more important. As a designer when I look at unique design I ask myself, “why does something look the way it does?” Form follows function. Let it evolve. If it wants to fly let it fly. I think Adobe and Macromedia realized this a while back.
Dan McWeeney has some good points about the rise of the designer developer in this interview posted on Doug McCunes blog.