Designer or Developer, is it build in talent?

[James_Hibbard]

Another related link crossed my radar today: What’s the Best Way for a Programmer to Learn a New Language?

Although the title implies learning a language from scratch, you can apply most if not all of the points raised to levelling up as a developer, as well.
I found it very informative.

[matt6frey]

@peanar

Now about your question…I’m a web designer and words like server, database and programming scare the hell out of me. I have a solid understanding of HTML and CSS, I’m trying to learn Javascript and I design on the browser rather than do Photoshop mockups. Occasionally I check out PHP sources to have a better understanding of how Wordpress functions but I usually draw the line at Javascript. I tried it and I can’t program to save my life but I want to have an understanding of programming because programming and design together produce a website and focusing only on the design part would make me feel so powerless.

I feel your pain. I had a lot of trouble learning Javacsript, not so much the logic and functioning, but it was how I was learning it. My course notes were bland as hell and the book they suggested to read and learn from, Javascripts in Easy Steps by Mike Mcgrath was horrible! (Sorry Mike if you are reading this.) I found books like Visual Quickstart Guide: Javascript by Tom Negrino and Dori Smith way more explanatory. I also watched some videos from thenewboston.com to get a little more of a handle on it.

I am certainly not an expert in Javascript, but the other books helped out. So consider the method of learning too, if the material is bland, it’s painful to learn, and if it doesn’t relate in some way to your objectives, it causes confusion.

Cheers!

[nofel]

@matt6frey

I feel your pain. I had a lot of trouble learning Javacsript, not so much the logic and functioning, but it was how I was learning it. My course notes were bland as hell and the book they suggested to read and learn from, Javascripts in Easy Steps by Mike Mcgrath was horrible! (Sorry Mike if you are reading this.) I found books like Visual Quickstart Guide: Javascript by Tom Negrino and Dori Smith way more explanatory. I also watched some videos from thenewboston.com to get a little more of a handle on it.

I am certainly not an expert in Javascript, but the other books helped out. So consider the method of learning too, if the material is bland, it’s painful to learn, and if it doesn’t relate in some way to your objectives, it causes confusion.

Cheers!

i agree, I have too much trouble understanding Kevin skougland’s php essential training. His way of teaching is so bad. All of sudden in basic he goes to refactoring. However simon allardice is amazing but don’t do php, his foundation of programming is amazing and so is JS teaching. Then I came across Jon peck of php and my my he is also good in teaching, for Kevin I couldn’t understand php basic and with Jon peck I learned OOP. Amazing isn’t it?

[molona]

@nofel

I find myself lazy and very bored. How do I get the juice? I feel like I can do a lot more as i m learning OOP in php and getting to understand it little by little.

@nofel

What makes u up and running in morning? What makes u wake up till late to do something and learn something new? Some ideas would be appreciated.

These are a completely different topics. The first question (How do you get the juice?) is easy to answer. Basically, challenge yourself. Even if you don’t have a real project, do one as if you do have a customer with certain needs. Maybe a shoe/clothes store.
In the second quote you’re asking about motivation and obviously, when you learn something new and feel like you’re getting somewhere, you get excited and need little to get that motivation. It is in the hard times, when you don’t understand, when you’re not getting there or not fast enough, that you have to have your goals very clear to keep that montivation

[peanar]

@HAWK

This is a conversation that fascinates me. I studied heavily design centric subjects at school and then did a Bachelor of Architecture at university. I then went on to teach myself to code and worked for a decade as a programmer. It never felt like the right fit but it was easy enough. I had no passion so while I did my job every day, I never really built anything that I was proud of.

I’m rambling a bit, but I guess what I’m saying is that yes – anyone can learn to code or put together a cohesive design, but unless you have a true love for something you’ll never change the world.

I studied architecture too and now I’m in web design. The bad part is I feel like designing web sites seem more trivial to designing buildings. The good part is I actually enjoy designing for the web but in terms of social value web design still seems very inferior to architecture. I’m not ever going back to architecture though.

[molona]

@peanar

I studied architecture too and now I’m in web design. The bad part is I feel like designing web sites seem more trivial to designing buildings. The good part is I actually enjoy designing for the web but in terms of social value web design still seems very inferior to architecture. I’m not ever going back to architecture though.

It doesn’t have the same level of comlexity of course but then… the challenge here is that it doesn’t matter which shape you use, it will be square for the browsers (for the browser is simply a box)

But I know a great designer that study to be an arquitech… although he didn’t finish university. Got bored before getting his diploma or degree

Still, he’s a great designer… Talent? for sure! But also all those university years, practicing and studying made him understand the relationship between shapes, colors, designs…