I would like to know if it is possible to be good at coding and designing at the same time

e.g. im a good programmer bt dont fancy designing. my2cents,Afam and other programmers don't seem like good designers to me

Can one learn design?

It's possible - but are you willing to pay the cost?

You'll know deep within yourself that the dedication you put into programming is roughly the same as into designing. I've dabbled fairly deep into both to know this much. It's now up to you to decide how much of your time you're willing to trade to acquire whatever skills (graphical) you think you're lacking in.

But eventually, you'll end up being proficient in both, though one will always be higher than the other. I started from designing and now into programming and i could very much ask myself the same question. But as i hack into it everyday, i know it's possible (and given the hell i went through in CSS - i dare say that it is a programming language in that context )

Start with Fireworks. Its beautiful and user friendly, and there are more than a legion of Firework Zealots here on Nairaland. Then, if the obsession for jaw dropping and bandwidth efficient graphics overwhelms your soul - be sure to turn to the dark side - Photoshop!!!_{(i hope i don't start another photoshop vs fireworks war!)}

@webguru
DISCLAIMER: I don't know my2cents and have never met him in my life (wd love to though)

Considering my2cents has been banned, I don't think it is good to speak of "the dead" in that manner. Are you typing one thing yet meaning another (like maybe, "afam and my2cents don't seem to like web design)? Just wondering.

As they say, dead men can't talk. The dude has no way of defending himself.

I am the same boat as @webmonk to get started with web designing, now i am into programming for 8 years. I used to be COBOL programmer 20 years ago. I dishearten in COBOL programming jobs on the ground of deaf jobdiscrimination over 15 years despite of American with the Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) law.

The reason i keep up with my skills is because technology changing dramatically to keep up-to-date programming after discontinued COBOL, FORTAN, BASIC programming no longer to use except for bank institutional still use old programming for security reasons. Most standard corporates always change programming and application softwares up-to-date every 6 months to yearly. They no longer use MS FrontPage/MS Publisher anymore due to too many Microsoft glitches/flaws- - -switch to Adobe or other reliable software manufacturers.

From starting on MS FrontPage and Corel Paint Shop Pro (formerly Jasc) in the beginning, now I am Adobe product: Dreamweaver, Flash, Firework, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and pure HTML editor: Chami HTML-kit.

From starting on basic HTML, Javascript, CGI-Perl, some Java/ASP in the beginning, now I am proficient in PHP, XML, HTML, Javascript, Flash Actionscript, MySQL, CSS, AJAX, AMFPHP-Flash remoting, some ColdFusion and Flex 3 with MXMLL scripting. I will not go further for C++, Ruby, Python, etc. (any hottest programming)

Old title: Web Designer, Web Developer, now new title: Visual Creative Designer for Website, Print Design, and Multimedia (audio/video production). (i still keep designing and development skills up-to-date all the time)

There is nothing wrong with the blend of passionate skills you have: designer, developer, programmer, goes on. You decide whatever you call it.

In the USA, there are different names of position depend on the job description that fits you when you search for job. . .position name itself confuses you until you must read the job description/duties FIRST before you submit your CV.

Webmaster is same as Web developer.

Web Content Writer is same as HTML coder or Web Editor.

Production Specialist is same as graphic designer for print production.

Media Specialist or Media producer is same as media designer/developer.

A/V producer is the same as multimedia designer. *A/V stands for Audio/Video.

Goes on you see both online and newspaper classifield ADs. Right now in the USA, there are over 500,000 experienced designers, developers, programmers to be competed each other getting technology jobs- - -hard to get in!!!! Not easy!!!

Too many PHP programmers, Flash programmers, HTML coders, Photoshop designers, A/V producers, etc.---often job filled up TOO FAST but job opening avaliable: coldfusion programmer, ruby/python programmer, C+ programmer, ASP programmer---no one get apply those jobs---remain opening for a long time.

Good luck!!!

yawa-ti-de:

@webguru
DISCLAIMER: I don't know my2cents and have never met him in my life (wd love to though)

Considering my2cents has been banned, I don't think it is good to speak of "the dead" in that manner. Are you typing one thing yet meaning another (like maybe, "afam and my2cents don't seem to like web design)? Just wondering.

As they say, dead men can't talk. The dude has no way of defending himself.

@yawa-ti-de
Afam, my2cents, and smartsoft are hardcore programmers but web designing not their bag but they have business partners who specialized in designing working for them.

I am mixed both programming and designing as visual creative designer, i can incorporate ASP/Perl/Java files to be parsed on the website that are furnished by experienced programmers that i cannot do ASP/Perl/Java coding.

So many titles for a similar set of skills. I go remix my own o!

But to the topic, uspry1 has raised many valid points. As per the job issue sha - I'm convinced that if you have da skills you can get the cheese. Most of those Job hirers in the graphics market know what they are looking for. They've seen what jaw dropping graphics can do (ever remember that feeling you had for visiting a site that was wonderful, even if there wasn't much you could do with it?). For the most of it, if need be, they will hire someone else to do the programming. And in developed countries, this is actually the case (division of labour), as opposed to the overabused "master of all trades" mentality due to economic factors. Afterall, ideal jobs are scarce.

I remembered when i went for an interview for the position of a graphics/web designer. Nine people asked questions concerning my skills (conference style - and not your "which HTML tag does what?" kind of questions). I handled every question like a friend waking me up from sleep and asking for my name, simply because i got my hands dirty for 2yrs prior. But i wouldn't have been that good if did both programming/designing at the same time. But give me time to enter programming and imagine how my resume will be like

Focus on one and the other will follow.

hahahhahahah upsry,  i feel you man,  humm but don't  you think is other way now imean the programming thing,  i could feel webguru in that aspect,  but i most tell you,  i was programming hardcore before,  would say i actually stop that because i don't get excited doing it,  i'm always happy working on different skins,  WebMonk and My2cent can testify to that,  almost what i show them are skins i did for client, 

There is this company i was working with as a team,  the guys doing the jobs are: people who knows programming and Designing very well,  now,  what i choose to do there is Web SKins/ Visual Designs,  and Graphics,  Slicing and Dicing, Using PHOTOSHOP, ILLUSTRATOR/ FIREWORKS/ other tools. we have another guy who does PHP/JAVA,  but i don't want to go into it,  since i have partner i can outsource Programming jobs for,  not asif i don't do programming. i do PHP/MySQL/ VB/.NET but i got guys who do this stuff like craze, they crack up codes every blessed day,  and sometimes WebMonk takes over some flash works from me,  when everything seems to heavy, and meanwhile still got some designs to finish,  especially if it comes to a PRINT job,

I was formely programming when most of the jobs i get are just nice skins, flash, or flash web and all that,  so Programming jobs aren't coming forth.

I dumbed it,  not asif i don't do it, but what i will do is just outsource it,  because i'm not happy doing it,  if you not happy doing something, i don't think you can archive good quality thing out of it,  i'm always happy doing graphics,  and that is why i produce quality output.

@webguru you can learn Fireworks as my Webmonk friend told you, when you are familiar with Fireworks., you will be able to work with ILLustrator,  some stunt you pull in fireworks, can be done with Illustrator with fireworks experience,  aren't talking about just a text effect with one shadow thing ooo hard core Graphics,  Illustrator/Fireworks/Photoshop has it,  Now we have Fireworks CS4 beta,  i bet you solid things to pull out,  like ILLustrator CS2/CS3  including Photoshop,

When doing Printing jobs, you can as well use all this graphics tools together to create eye-catching graphics,  and exporting them to normal COREL DRAW,  since most of the printers takes .CDR which means Corel File, 

But i'm still looking for a printing press that will always me save on .PSD or save straight to PDF, 

the white guys allows you to save on .PSD and PDF for printing jobs,

So thats that,

Thanks guys

i actually have adobe CS3 on my system, and do i love it

i use fireworks

bt i love programming so much, i can code all night or from sleep

i cld always design a site wt fireworks bt as a coder, im thinking of loading time, SEO and functionality

i think i'll design my next job using pshop/fireworks, bt it looks so easy, it feels guilty

i hope i can devote time to designing as i have all the packages on my system even animepro

thanks guys
PHP rocks

webguru:

i cld always design a site wt fireworks bt as a coder, im thinking of loading time, SEO and functionality

I'm sure a 50KB HTML design overhead won't break your app (Thank God for CSS)

webguru:

bt it looks so easy, it feels guilty

LOL. Ok - this comment takes the cake - sometimes its like that. _sometimes.

webguru:

i hope i can devote time to designing as i have all the packages on my system even animepro

*sighs* so much to learn - so much to do - so little time

Let's read the favorite anaolgy at below:

25 Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer Part 1
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-133123.0.html

25 More Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer Part 2
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-133126.0.html