The graphic design industry is using more digital methods to create and display work. Most graphic designers are freelance, and as such, are responding to the needs of their client base. These needs include more digital images and more digital platforms upon which to display them.
However, this increase in digital graphic design leads to more understanding of digital needs. Coding and computer programming have become a big part of digital images and graphic design.
A graphic designer who can also code will become more valuable and more sought after for their advanced skills in the field.
Why Learn to Code?
Learning to code can help graphic designers to fully design a client’s website and add in particular elements they might not be able to otherwise. Coding increases a graphic designer’s value because it allows them to do more for graphic design as opposed to using specific graphic designer tools.
What is Code?
CSS, HTML, and Javascript are the three most commonly used scripts for websites. They are the building blocks for web pages and can create entire websites with content, structure, and mobility. They can be used together or separately depending on what sort of content a webpage owner desires.
Graphic designers who understand how to use these programming languages can easily adapt a website to better suit the client’s needs. They can also edit their images and place them in strategic locations so as not to interfere with other page elements.
Advantages of Coding
Coding will give graphic designers an extra advantage in producing their best work. Most graphic designers are primarily artists. Perhaps the extent of your digital knowledge features Adobe programs.
However, coding helps you in the more digital sense if your images and designs are primarily displayed on the internet where everything is digital.
Coding is Easy to Learn
The coding community is very large and lives online, so there is always help to be found. More importantly, there is an endless stash of resources available for coders of all levels. Google resources, Reddit, developer blogs, forums, learning sites like Khan Academy, and more – you imagine it, you can teach yourself it. Furthermore, most languages are open source, while coding tutorials are readily available in Javascript, Node JS, Java, Python, and all other common use languages.
Hard Skills
The more skills a graphic designer has, the more versatile they will be and the more hireable. If they can provide more for their clients than other designers. Knowing how to code is a highly valuable asset, especially in today’s world of web pages and digital images. Considering that the skills you develop from learning to code are hard skills, the payoff is immense. As a graphic designer, you will certainly be increasing your marketability and hopefully your paycheck as well!
Collaborations
Because graphic designers often collaborate with other designers, artists, IT developers, or web developers, having a fundamental knowledge of coding can improve communications and project flow. The designer will have a better understanding of what they have to do if they can properly communicate with a marketer or web developer.
Coding is Easy to Implement
With CMS like Wix and WordPress, web development has become a layman’s game. However, the same can now be said for software development and coding, with fully integrated hosting services, cloud development platforms, and coding libraries making everything easy to instantly deploy. You can get a new app or website live in a matter of minutes.
Online Images
Images look different between physical and digital platforms. Understanding code can help you maintain the proper look of your image, so none of the details become blurry or misconstrued. Knowing how to code will further enhance your images, as you will better understand how to integrate what you’ve accomplished with a digital platform.
Plenty of graphic designers use digitally-created images and designs to do their work. The advantage of creating graphic design online means there is less transition between transferring physical images into digital. As the industry is constantly moving towards more digital uses, understanding how to code is the next step in gaining an industry advantage.
Working with Code
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can collaborate to better accommodate graphic designs. As the more popular programming codes, these three can complement each other and further strengthen your website’s abilities.
HTML
Pairing your graphic design abilities with a little computer programming is a beneficial step for any entrepreneurial graphic designer. The most common kind of programming is HTML. Everyone has heard of HTML, even if they don’t know what it does.
HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language and uses tags to properly tie a website’s content together. It uses links and references within a script to tell the webpage what it has to do and look like.
The most current form of HTML, HTML 5, uses about 100 tags total for webpage creation. For a graphic designer, you only need about 30 or 40 of these tags for a specific image or design incorporation.
CSS
CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is often used in tandem with HTML for graphic design features. HTML is most useful for website content but not the best at achieving readable format. That’s where CSS comes in. HTML provides everything on the page and CSS programs in the correct format so that your website is both captivating and readable.
CSS works out of rules, declarations, properties, and values. A CSS rule has a similar structure to a sentence, as it will contain declarations made up of properties and values like a sentence contains phrases that have verbs and nouns.
Javascript
Whereas HTML and CSS provide structure and content to your webpage, JavaScript controls dynamic elements, making it ideal for authenticating passwords or clicking buttons. In terms of graphic design, JavaScript controls media and can even accommodate animation if your webpage demands such.
Unlike other programming applications, JavaScript is a complete language with many relevant abilities. One can also download it directly into the appropriate webpage for convenience. Using HTML, it’s incredibly easy to place external JavaScript into your work through tags. The JavaScript then works with the HTML coding to perform as you specify.
Conclusion
Coding offers many advantages to graphic designers in today’s increasingly digital world. Knowing how to code or use computer programming can help a designer tweak a client’s webpage to get the correct effect or even edit their images and make them more digital-friendly. And if you are not confident in your coding ability, there are numerous well-compiled code development resources to tap into. A graphic design paired with coding can come across as flawlessly and just as perfect as a physical design.
Author Bio
Christoph is a code-loving father of two beautiful children. He is a full-stack developer and a committed team member at Zenscrape.com – a subsidiary of SaaS industries. When he isn’t building software, Christoph can be found spending time with his family or training for his next marathon.
