Well - Remix has finished up and I’ve had 24 hours to reflect on the experience and contemplate the conference’s main theme: the relationship that binds designers and developers in the new media space.

The final session was a panel discussion that presented the opinions of four noteworthy and experienced professionals that represented either side of the fence. Titled “Designers are from Venus, Developers are from Mars”, the banter was primarily intended as a lighthearted experience that would hopefully unite the audience and send us off with the impression that Microsoft understands us and the next generation of UX - whether that involve their software or not.

Clearly the audience was saturated with developers - one would expect little else at such a conference - and as a result, the occasional cheap shot was aimed at the graphically endowed and was usually rewarded with laughs and applause. Now, I know that most of the comments were intended to keep the tone of the forum light and enjoyable, but I couldn’t help but feel that it provided an invaluable insight into the mindset of each party, their perceived plights and what the future may hold for all of us.

Friends from my university days would recall that I don’t have any problem asking questions at the end of a presentation - quite the contrary, actually! As I didn’t get a chance to field my thoughts during the final discussion, here they are… largely in defense of the absent designers.

1. A Designer is not a Designer is not a Designer!

I think that some developers believe that if you’re not up to your eyeballs in code then you must be a designer… and similarly, if it doesn’t involve code, then it’s not their responsibility.

How many times have you told someone that you work in IT just to be told that their printer is broken and when you get a second would you mind taking a look!? Maybe their email isn’t working or their computer box is making a weird noise and suddenly you are expected to know what the problem is. At first it’s flattering, then it becomes funny and finally it just ends up getting damn annoying.

So we realise that “IT” isn’t just tech support, it’s a myriad of varied professions that revolves around understanding some aspect of computers and/or computing. Believe it or not, the same holds true for those that code with RGB and Photoshop. Expecting a “Designer” to satisfy all responsibilities that involve the visual side of information online is simply an exercise in naivety.

Engineering in the new media arena is much more than just design and code, it’s about understanding the way in which users absorb information and the subsequent considerations that must take place. Expecting a designer, traditional or otherwise to be naturally gifted at guiding a user from the initial ‘welcome’ to the desired ‘call to action’ is simply expecting too much (as it would be of a developer), and it’s this expectation that is the core of the problem. When you break it down, the void that exists between us siblings in development is purely because we fail to understand and appreciate the role of the person at the other end of the office.

It’s important to note that neither side of the argument is innocent - I’ve known many designers that feel that they’re God’s gift to UX (and I’m pleading ‘guilty’ here too)… so there’s plenty of deception that encourages the misconception. As long as we’re all aware of the problem, we can move forward.

2. Designers Breed Innovation

So those freaking designer hippies are at it again and are drawing pictures and dreaming dreams that will never ever be possible online. Lee Brimelow, one of the panelists (and a totally great guy, by the way) informed us that the folks at Frog often had brainstorming days where every idea was welcome and valid in an effort to discover something fresh and original for their clients. Sounds like fun, huh! It was his role to contribute to the discussions but often felt frustrated as he knew that many of the proposals were outright impossible.

What was raised as a shortfall of the generic designer and non-tech folks alike is their inability to understand the nuts and bolts of application construction - I suggest that this is actually one of their most important traits! Designers and their fellow anti-nerds are often the key to innovation - not only visually, but often technically. As Sean Cooper said in our recent interview, “develop for the idea”… aiming for what you currently think is possible may only serve to handicap the potential of your project.

3. The Hybrid is the Future

I don’t know who coined the term (let me know if you do), but there is a growing awareness of the “Deviner” (or “Devigner” - see comments) - those out there that are both developers and designers. Perhaps I’m biased here, but I fully agree with and appreciate this sentiment. It’s long been known that a communication gap exists between IT professionals and the businesses they seek to service, but only recently has it been desirable to find those that can weave quality binary magic into something that looks good.

I’ve actually been to job interviews where being able to code and design was seen as a disadvantage, stating the belief that people who didn’t specialise would ultimately impede productivity. If only they had a cubicle somewhere in the middle ground, life would have been dramatically different.

As a side-note, I believe we can credit Flash with seeding this trend. I knew that this sentiment wouldn’t be appreciated at a Microsoft conference, but the fact remains that the current industry hype around user experience can be credited to trends that were sparked in the ’skip intro’ days… and back then, Macromedia was the only player with the wallet to back their vision.

Regardless of where it came from, the conference vibe was that the time of the Deviner has arrived. Hallelujah! I intend to enjoy the 15 minutes… at least until the next conference.

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That’s it - rant over - I hope that made some sort of sense! If you’ve made it this far, you have an opinion here… so now it’s your turn.