# Designer role in ROR development **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [September 4, 2008, 9:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/designer-role-in-ror-development/147683 "2008-09-04T09:21:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tarakeshwarrao)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 9:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/designer-role-in-ror-development/147683/1 "2008-09-04T09:21:56Z")
I am just starting with rails or to be precise web development… I just want to know… wats the role of a designer in ROR development(the guy who works on dreamweaver and stuff)…?? does the designer works only on layouts and css or does he work on views after the project is completed? ---
**Author:** ![tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tarakeshwarrao)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 9:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/designer-role-in-ror-development/147683/2 "2008-09-04T09:52:47Z")
On 4 Sep 2008, at 09:21, Tarakeshwar Rao wrote: > I am just starting with rails or to be precise web development… I > just want to know… wats the role of a designer in ROR > development(the > guy who works on dreamweaver and stuff)…?? does the designer works > only on layouts and css or does he work on views after the project is > completed? Probably varies from project to project but for us it’s a bit of both. Our guy works the html and css directly rather than using something like dreamweaver (which might not understand erb templates) Fred ---
**Author:** ![tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tarakeshwarrao)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 10:19am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/designer-role-in-ror-development/147683/3 "2008-09-04T10:19:15Z")
As Fred said, it depends on the project. We don’t do the design as such, but get Photoshop graphics or pdf files from designers our customers chose. We could do some of it and for the admin views and other technical things we make the technical design. But if it comes to colors, logos and other parts visible to the users we prefer to work with professional designers. Though we try to work as close with them as possible, since some design questions may influence our work or some ideas simply can’t be done or would be too much work. We then implement the designs by writing the views, html & css. Some of it I do myself, but for the more complicated cases I ask one of my colleagues, who has a very deep knowledge of those things. I don’t think it makes much sense, to have a programmer doing visible design stuff or specialize on the view part of a project. ---
**Author:** ![tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tarakeshwarrao)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 11:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/designer-role-in-ror-development/147683/4 "2008-09-04T11:07:15Z")
thanks folks… i understood that there is no best practice involved… and probably its best to work along with the designer when it comes to the views! Tarakeshwar ---
**Author:** ![tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tarakeshwarrao)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/designer-role-in-ror-development/147683/5 "2008-09-04T16:24:48Z")
On Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 1:18 AM, Thorsten Müller [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > As Fred said, it depends on the project. > > > > > I don’t think it makes much sense, to have a programmer doing > visible design stuff or specialize on the view part of a project. I’d argue that it depends on the designer more so than the project. In my opinion… if a designer isn’t doing the HTML/CSS than their just a graphics designer and shouldn’t be part of the process of designing web applications. They need to understand the limitations… the web isn’t like the print world… nor is it a jpg. Anyhow… that’s my very opinionated view on the topic. 😉 Cheers, Robby – Robby R. Chief Evangelist, Partner PLANET ARGON, LLC design // development // hosting > **[Planet Argon](https://www.planetargon.com/)** > > Planet Argon is a Ruby on Rails development agency specializing in maintenance and support for existing Rails apps. Based in Portland, OR, Planet Argon has been a member of the Rails community since 2004. [http://www.robbyonrails.com/](http://www.robbyonrails.com/) aim: planetargon +1 503 445 2457 +1 877 55 ARGON [toll free] +1 815 642 4068 [fax] ---
**Author:** ![tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tarakeshwarrao)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/designer-role-in-ror-development/147683/6 "2008-09-04T16:47:39Z")
> I’d argue that it depends on the designer more so than the project. In > my opinion… if a designer isn’t doing the HTML/CSS than their just a > graphics designer and shouldn’t be part of the process of designing > web applications. They need to understand the limitations… the web > isn’t like the print world… nor is it a jpg. > > Anyhow… that’s my very opinionated view on the topic. 😉 Sure, right. But then you have a customer who got his logo and letterhead and don’t know what from that designer and wants him to “design” the web site too… Has never heard of html (or worse, thinks he knows something…) So you must make that a mutual process of explaining him some basics of user interface design, like that it’s no good idea to let the user enter some data on page one that influences the information five pages later, or how to use (what is) checkboxes radio buttons etc and why endusers expect a checkbox for yes/no decisions instead of whatever the designer thinks more fancy… But then: Nobody said it would be an easy job 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@tarakeshwarrao](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tarakeshwarrao)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/designer-role-in-ror-development/147683/7 "2008-09-04T17:37:28Z")
A web designer that don’t know how to make a good user interface design with also good knowledge of XHTML/CSS…well it’s not a web designer, a “other thing” deisgner maybe. So, in this case, I don’t want him to make part of the team too.