Architect vs.
Decorator
By Bill Langley
Contributing Writer
Article Date: 01.30.03
As a designer/developer I somewhat agree with your statement, but have
troubles with the simplicity of your analogy. How an individual buys/builds a
home has more to do with their budget and expectations. Like business owners,
many home buyers want to take the "safest route" within their budget. Subsequently,
most home designs are duplications of originals supposedly designed using best
practices. Owners usually end up their own interior designers. In this way, websites
today and homes are a lot a like.
My experience as a is that most customers don't want to reinvent the wheel.
They don't want to utilize new technology to increase their site's
functionality. They don't want compelling design. They just want it look and
work like xyz.com and fit within their budget. I'm not talking about Mom and
Pop shops, either. I'm talking about major Fortune 500 corporations. In my
view, this explains why (to use your analogy) websites are looking more and
more like tract homes.
Your use of Frank Lloyd Wright is actually very apropos. Once a student in
architecture, I abandoned the field mainly because I deemed the days of the
Master Builder over. Architects no longer have the control they once did.
Most buildings today are nothing more than budgeted reproductions of
techniques long since invented. There are exceptions...but relatively few.
Unfortunately, I believe websites are taking the same path. Again, there are
exceptions, but they are increasingly the minority.
So that's why many small companies are quite happy to use their high school
relatives to design/develop their website. After all they're just stealing
bits and pieces from other well known sites. Why does one need a
developer/designer for that? To them your argument (designer vs. developer)
is mute. Personally, I believe that sophisticated sites require both, in
tandem, with each understanding the other's issues. Which is why I straddle
the fence in being competent (vs. brilliant) in both fields. In a design
heavy site I'll defer to a better art director. In more functionally
oriented sites I'll design. But, due to the lowering standards of my website
customers, more and more I do both.
Because of the above mentioned website malaise, I've switched back to
designing more multimedia (Flash and Director) projects. These projects
still bring customers excited about functionality, interactivity, and
design. Often times I end up using the same online and database technologies
I fail to sell to website clients. For some reason, perceptions are
different when you sell an "application" vs. a "website." The more I can
offer, the more the customer likes and wants. Which is how it should be.h
About the Author:
Bill Langley
Partner
Brainstorm Creative
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