Two fields, One Career.

I read a great article this evening by a designer in which I greatly respect. Come to think of it, it wasn’t so much an article as it was an answer to some of his fan mail. Either way, it really got me thinking. To sum it up briefly, a design student had emailed him and expressed that his passion for design was rapidly spreading towards the love of designing for web. He continued by asking whether or not it would be beneficial for him to learn development on top of design, or if he should simply give all of his attention exclusively to design. Rob gave some great advice about the benefits of having a strong knowledge of HTML and CSS as well as some direction on where to go to learn all of this. However, this really got me thinking about my whole career…

Quarterlife Crisis

I, as some of you may know, am merely a designer. I do however work for a company who specializes in web. Infact, 90% of our projects are websites. My background, on the other hand, is in print. I never even touched a web based projects until about 3 years ago. Since then I have learned a lot about the subject, but I still can’t code my own sites. So I can’t help but ask myself; is this a problem?

It’s pretty obvious to anyone that hasn’t been living under a rock for the past 5 years, that the web is the way of the future. A good majority of people conduct all of their business online and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. With new advances in technology happening almost everyday (or so it seems), the importance of the web in our society is pretty clear. So, is it safe to assume that my skill set will be inevitably obsolete in the near future? Am I destined to be a one-trick-pony who has no place in the progression of the modern world? Well, I wouldn’t go that far. There’s always a need for good looking design as well as creative direction. Besides, regardless of how much the web consumes us all, there will always be at least some need for print, right?

Narrow the focus

I suppose the answer to this concern lies more so within my personal preference of design medium, as well as my overall passion for the subject. Though I do love web design, I also love every form of print design as well as any form of creative direction. Likewise, I am also a firm believer in doing one thing, and doing it well. Narrowing the focus, if you will. The last thing I would want to do is switch career gears simply to renew my subconscious worth.

This isn’t to say that I’m going to go out of my way to avoid learning web development. Quite the opposite, actually. To do anything well, you must be at least familiar with every aspect of it. Just like a print designer should be familiar printing standards, a web “designer” should be familiar with web standards. The more you know, the better off you’ll be. But, if your not truly passionate about a subject, then don’t force it on yourself. It will only be a matter of time until you get frustrated and give up simply because you do not posses the drive that will push you through the struggles. All the while, you could have been refining the skill in which you love and care for.

There is no denying that there are (and will continue to be) people out there who can do it all, but this shouldn’t discount the benefits of a person who is an expert in only one area. But, as rob so eloquently put it in his post; those people are, well… bastards.