A Designer That Can Code?

Many colleagues over the last few months have said, “a designer that can code is a rare thing”. True I can code html, css, css3 and html5,  however fully understanding JavaScript is a whole new beast for me.

I find that coding and designing dynamic websites are like a giant puzzle. And, I like puzzles. It is like a game for me to try to figure out how things work. So I am taking my skills one step further. I am now learning how to code JavaScript. This is because I want to learn how these sites dynamic sites work.

I can use simple things that are pre-made like fancybox (seen on my current site in the portfolio section). I can also use simple PHP to integrate webpages into WordPress or other CMS systems. This new website, I built with the use of PHP and JS to build in WordPress.

So, I will take this one step at a time. Good thing for sites like Lynda.com and Code Academy First I plan on learning JS, then  PHP, then maybe Ruby on Rails.

Yes, I like to design and code. It not a bad thing. I really enjoy pushing my skills. I also want to do this so when I do take on more art direction or creative direction roles, I can understand just what everyone is doing on my team.