Dear First name / creative,
These days you might get a sense that tools for web development have been improving at an unprecedented pace. Website builders and AI generators alike are now made more convenient and accessible to those seeking a digital presence. The possibilities seem endless—hampered only by your own imagination.
What an exciting time to be alive. Yet if you’re still finding your footing in the industry, you can’t help but ask: Do businesses still need web developers? Is there a point to learning how to code?
As someone who uses these platforms on a daily basis, my answer remains a resounding yes.
It’s easy to forget the lines of code that flow through the internet when all you need to do is to add blocks, to drag and drop elements in your site. Ideally, your tools can fill in the code for you so you don’t have to do it yourself. But what if something goes wrong? What if there’s a glitch in the layout that you have no idea how to fix?
Learning how to code is learning how to speak the language of your web browser. Platforms are simply tools—empty vessels in search of a creative. You can gain the ability to reveal their full potential with enough care and commitment. It’s no different from the artist who can utilize pigments, brushes, and surfaces the way an amateur can only aspire to. Coding will grant you the confidence and ease of working with your digital medium rather than against it.
Not everyone will have the luxury of time to figure it all out, even when the tools are within reach. It’s up to you as an expert designer to build their website reliably and efficiently on their behalf. I believe that coding is but a natural extension of this profession.
If you’re willing to move fluidly through design and code in equal measure, I’m sure you’ll be able to set yourself apart as an invaluable multi-hyphenate in the industry.
