Alright, so web design is obviously not complete dead…yet, or maybe never? Who knows where this industry will actually end up. But I was at a workshop with Chris Coyier of CSS-Tricks and one of the other attendees asked, “with companies like SquareSpace and Wix, where do you see web designers in the future?” I’d be lying if I hadn’t thought about this exact question before. I mean, gosh, could you imagine somebody like me with the last name “Webb” not working in the “Web”? Yes, everyone — I’m aware of the irony. Only kidding. But as a husband and dad of 4 little girls, you’re always thinking ahead.
So hearing other people talk about the future of the web only confirmed to me that people are thinking about it. So let’s discuss…
If you’re a web designer, developer, front-end developer, ui/ux designer, interactive designer, senior web ninja or any one of the million names they give us web people then you ALREADY know that this industry changes. I mean just look at how many times our title has changed. Just a few years ago you were probably a flash guru and now you probably don’t even have it installed on your machine. HTML to HTML5, CSS to CSS 3. React, Angular, Vue?? Does it ever stop? NOPE.
Technology is not a fad, but a staple in the future of society.
But that’s the beauty of this industry. No rest for the weary. However, that’s where the world is heading. Technology is not a fad, but a staple in the future of society. So here’s a little positivity for you, as long as technology is around there will always be work and it’s not going anywhere. Because you are web person you are among the most versatile human beings in the world. It means that you are capable of making anything happen. You’re forced to be flexible and to roll with change and even if the web died tomorrow, there’s a million other things you would pick up.
So here’s my point. Complacency is a dream crusher and an industry killer. When you become complacent you start passing up on opportunities to better yourself. You struggle finding purpose in your work and start crying, “Whoa, is me!” But my challenge for you is to embrace it. Oh, it was painful the first time I was asked if I knew how to use Sketch instead of Photoshop. I felt like I was betraying my long lost Adobe family. But I picked it up, learned it and now….I love it. Why didn’t I use it before? Photoshop will always be my go to for quick design projects. But the idea is that it doesn’t matter the industry you work in, you have to be flexible. There’s an old Bruce Lee saying that goes like this…
“You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.” — Bruce Lee
None of this is to say that the future will be easy for web people. But you have to change your outlook. BE AWARE, as Chris Coyier put it yesterday. Pay attention to the change in tides, listen for reoccurring words, network, and make friends! Most importantly, do not become COMPLACENT. Do the opposite and get ahead. Someone once told me that you are either moving forward or moving backward, but never staying the same. Just something to think about.
Thanks for reading!
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