When Designers And Developers Work Together

Even in today’s fluctuating job market, one rule that still remains constant and true is to always play to your strengths. Part of this comes from having a complete and firm grasp of your own capabilities and limitations, while part of it also comes from knowing the same about those you are working with. However, as we grow in our abilities we may begin entering a comfort zone wherein wearing every hat and attempting to take on the entire task by ourselves becomes more of a viable reality. And one that we may decide to run with. Not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, but there are benefits to come from specialising and allowing certain elements to be handled by others who have specialised in those areas. This dynamic is easily demonstrated with a look at the Designer and Developer. Two areas that go hand in hand, and that can be handled either as a solo effort or by pairing up with another and each taking charge of your individual roles. So if you do decide that it is in the best interests of the project to work with another in this area, then there are a few things to bare in mind so that the working relationship goes as smoothly as possible. Consider some of our previous posts:

• How To Effectively Communicate With Developers Offers communication advice.
• Clear And Effective Communication In Web Design Examines the communication aspect of the user experience.
• Better User Experience With Storytelling, Part One One more from the Smashing vaults on creating a better UX.

Getting Started: Pick Your Partners Wisely

As with any work situation, there is always a certain amount of setup required to get things started and the Designer Developer partnership is not immune to this either. There are a couple of areas that will need to be addressed in order to get the project off on the right, hopefully most productive, foot. This brings us back to that old rule of thumb about playing to your strengths, and knowing those of the person or persons that you are teaming up with. If you have the say in the person you will end up tackling the project with, then you are going to want to choose them wisely to ensure the most compatible experience for you both and the overall project itself. Not only does compatibility of character play a big part in the working relationship, but compatibility of skills also heavily ways in on the project. You want to choose this partner with great care so that both of your expectations are met and the project can have the greatest chance of success. If you are working with someone who cannot effectively accomplish through code what it is you have designed, or who cannot reasonably design a workable template to code from then the project is destined for failure. Not only that, but chances are there will be a headache or two in store for you both as well. So as you get started in this working relationship know where you are both coming from to keep the expectations reasonable and make sure they are met.

Communication Is Key

Overall, in any relationship in order for it to be sustainable and properly function, communication is beyond vital, and the Developer Designer ship is no exception here either. In order for it to sail correctly, the communication between the players is pivotal, and special attention should be paid to how well you are both engaging this tool. This is a make or break element in the working relationship and when speaking of the expectation levels being set and met, this element’s importance rears its head. If you are not effectively communicating with each other, then there are likely details that will be falling through the proverbial cracks before long. Lots of developers believe that designers should have a basic understanding of code in order to keep things realistic, in fact, many believe that if you call yourself a web designer, you should know at least HTML and CSS, possibly even javascript. Thinking that at the end of the designer’s part they will be handing over completed PSD, HTML and CSS files. On the flip side, most designers expect that developers will have some basic knowledge of design theory so that when changes need to be made, they can clearly communicate them. So there is a give and take with regards to the expectations on both sides, and without being able to convey them on both sides, there is bound to be some ball droppage.

Tips for Effective Communication

• Always be as concise as possible, so as to not confuse the issue.
• Know the terminology from the opposite field, so neither of you is talking over the other’s head.
• Always check that you are both on the same page about an issue before you move on to discussing something else. Never take understanding for granted.
• Always be patient.
• If you have questions, then ask them. Do not worry about how you may look asking for clarification. Better to know up front and do it right the first time.

Have A Grasp Of UX

When speaking of expectations, there is another important group who will also be placing a certain number of them on the project as well, beyond any client, and that is the end user. It is important that both the Designer and Developer have an understanding of UX, and keep that experience in mind as you proceed with your project. Those who will be interacting with the completed product and their satisfaction with the project are what matter most afterall. It is the feedback from this end of the experience that tends to determine the success or failure status of the project. The users are the ones that the product is essentially being designed and developed for, so in the end, it is their experience that you are working to create and crafting so losing focus on this endgame for one moment during the process can have negative and lasting impacts. Beyond anything else, the UX is what will win the game or lose it for you, so when you partner with someone you will want to be sure that this understanding is part of their collective knowledge base as well. If this is not affixed to their arsenal or yours, then there are definitely some more prepatory steps that need to be taken before any serious work on the project begins.

UX Tips From the Blogosphere

Here are a few links to help you further your base on UX tips for developers:

• 52 Weeks of UX A great blog with loads of helpful hints and tips about creating a quality user experience.
• UX Magazine An online magazine that fully focuses on the User Experience field offering the community tons of useful insights.
• UX Matters Another great cyberspace place to stop if you are looking for more on all things dealing with User Experience.
• 10 Most Common Misconceptions About User Experience Design A wonderful article on Mashable from Whitney Hess that can help firm up your grip on UX.
• Information Architecture: Enhancing the User Experience Another fantastic post about building a great user experience from Rick Sloboda and Web Designer Depot.

Learn The Value Of Compromise

Another thing to keep in focus when working with someone in this capacity is that the project, end user, and client are what ends up mattering over either the Designer or Developer and the potential ego that may be associated with them. Ego is not necessary in this process, and can act as a hindrance rather than a helper so as you take on a task with another you will want to check your ego at the door. This is not to say that you have to become any sort of doormat and allow your partner to walk all over you, making every critical call in the project, just that you should learn the value of compromise. When you are working alone, compromise is generally not something we are used to until we show the project to the client. However, when you are working as a part of a team, the steps leading up the presentation to the client may be paved with compromises all along the way. If you are not great at handling them then there is a chance that things can sour early on, and the relationship will suffer, hence the project will in turn suffer. When we deal with the client, making that compromise is easier because they pay the bills, but still we make the case for why the client should bend to our will. So making that compromise in the Designer Developer relationship can be trickier to manage.

Compromising Tips

Even subtle concessions can go a long way in showing a willingness to work together, so below are a couple of ways that you can work at the compromsing element of the Designer Development relationship.

• Keep the goal in mind as you work together to hammer out the details. If any questionable element does not recognizably serve the goal let it go.
• Make sure that when choosing your project partner that it is someone who knows how to, not only compromise, but to approach the issue respectfully and tactfully. You should reciprocate this behavior.
• Try to find a way to frame every compromise as a win/win scenario for the end product so it is less like someone is giving in and more like you are working together to raise the bar.
• Be sure that you are open to the criticisms offered and compromises asked of you, and never let them put you in a defensive place, because then dialogs tend to degrade from there.

Final Thoughts

We will not always get to choose our coworkers, but when we can we should aim in these directions to make sure that our partner turns out to be as compatible as possible. We also want to be sure that we make adjustments to any lone wolf mentalities that we are bringing into the working relationship so that we are not the proverbial wrench gumming up the works.

Some Final Tips for the Road

• Designers should use a wireframe to get going and then be sure to consult with the developer before moving on.
• Designers need to be sure to create clean and organized PSD files so that the developer does not have to clean up your work before they can begin.

Further Resources

Below are some articles for further reading on the working relationships between developers and designers for your consideration.

• 6 Reasons Why Designers Should Code Another great post from Webdesigner Depot on designers understanding the other side.
• Developers are from Mars, Designers from Venus: A Question of Metaphors The title of this whimsically wonderful post says it all.
• Left-Brained vs. Right-Brained: The Developer/Designer Paradox A brilliant and thoughtful post over at My Ink Blog.
• 5 Pet Peeves Developers Have With Designers (and How to Avoid Them) A final post from the Webdesigner Depot crew that we are featuring which offers some hints to designers on ways to improve the partnership.
• Collaboration Tips for Designers Working with Developers An awesome article about how to make this relationship work out on Six Revisions.
• Designers and Developers, Why Can’t We All Just Get Along? Another thoughtful post that looks at this working partnership from the Carsonified blog.