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Despite the tongue-in-cheek title of the series, Designer vs. A utopian vision of teamwork was revealed.
Its the opposite for developers.
Theyre seen as geeks, theyre nerds, theyre super serious people that are wired a certain way.
But its just nonsense.
And yes, the debate about whether designers should code has run its course by now, too.
(Of course, they should know how to code, at least a little.
Nobodys ever seriously wondered whether its important for a magazine designer to be able to read.)
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I think more understanding comes from exposure, says creative director Tori Hinn.
We attempt to make programming more accessible to everyone.
At one level, this simply comes down to smart staffing.
The product design team works directly with engineers, but mostly independently of each other.
We dont have any full-time, in-house developers at the moment, says senior designer Steffan Cummins.
By that point, we know exactly what needs to be done.
Well have a clear brief and can check that we get the right people involved.
Palmer thinks that having developers as part of a team from start to finish of benefit to everyone.
People so often treat digital design like its a print process, he says.
It shouldnt be like that.
Digital design is a living, breathing thing that evolves over time.
Its a living organism.
Ideally, you want everyone working together from the start of the project.
Its a much more iterative and enjoyable way of working.
Working iteratively with both designers and developers can be a big bonus for clients.
Even a super lo-fi prototype helps to engage the client, says Cummins.
Its important that they can actually understand the interaction.
We cant all just imagine things in our heads, agrees Palmer.
you could interpret something as simple as a page scroll in so many different ways.
Unfortunately, its often budgets that hold teams back.
Clients need to understand that creating great digital products takes time and a fluid collaborative effort.
Its not a linear process, says Palmer.
Its a constant loop.
Its a spongy blob that youve got to morph.
The sooner people embrace that, the better.
