Adobe Air & the plight of the web designer
by Jason Koning
I don’t know about you, but I was wondering (whilst listening to episode 130 of boagworld) just what is the answer for the aspiring (& current) web designer out there. Adobe Air (which was the featured story) does indeed sound like a great technology to start utilising, but that’s just it – it’s another technology isn’t it.
I mean, there’s xhtml, css, ajax, Flash (well, maybe) which we as front end designers are expected to know back to front. Sometimes it seems to me web design is a double edged sword, it’s a great industry to be in because it’s continually evolving, but it’s also – in equal parts, not so great for exactly the same reasons.
Which leads me to my next thought (or observation) covered off in a recent freelanceswitch podcast, dealing with self-doubt. I don’t know about you, but I am happy with the way my work is evolving, & I’m realistic enough to know there are a great many designers(?) out there who I feel superior standing next to, but there are a great deal more whose work I aspire to. Considering we operate in a global market in our industry – how do we remain positive when there is such a wealth of variance out there?
Do we specialise or try & do everything – a jack of all trades if you will.
I guess I should have a listen to episode 19, it may provide me with some well needed answers.
Ian
February 12, 2009 @ 9:28 am
This is an industry that requires you to be a lifelong student.
I consider this a bonus, in that I’m constantly being challenged to stay current, and an opportunity in that there are almost always new things to play with. There’s also the benefit of potentially being “cutting edge” if you stay agile and adopt new technologies before they explode.
For those who get stressed out by the constant cycle of learning and relearning, I encourage you to consider it the price you pay for working in an industry that generally pays well and allows you to express your creativity, all while remaining relatively cushy.
You see, I sit in a comfortable chair all day in front of a computer. I have a huge library of music to listen to, access to the internet all day long, and no dress code. I rarely if ever have to deal with clients (I work for an ad agency. The suits handle that stuff), and when I do they defer to me. I make a good living and I was able to get it without any kind of college degree.
There are many out there likely. We should consider ourselves lucky.