The Employable Web Designer
andyrutledge.com
andyrutledge.com
At my last job I worked (on a small team) with a programmer who happened to have a knack for design, so after we discussed how the UI would look/function, he would do the detailed design and CSS/HTML implementation, giving me the classes/elements to use in my code.
At my current job (larger team), there is a FT designer just does mockups in Photoshop, and its up to me to implement the CSS/HTML and make sure it works in all browsers. As a developer I find that a pretty big waste of my time.
I say this, since if I am ever in a position to hire a web designers, I'd make working with the tools of the trade (HTML, CSS) a must-have requirement. It'd be OK if they don't know major browser quirks and need some help, but they should be able to do the majority of the design themselves.
That does make things much more efficient, although I'd prefer to either skip the Photoshop step or combine the Photoshop and HTML/CSS steps into the same person(s).
Unless you're a "rock star" employer (Spolsky, 37signals, etc...) who can choose from an enormous pool of candidates, you're going to have an easier time staffing teams of unitasking employees than you are finding generalists. It's not that either side "can't" learn the techniques of the other, it's that in practice they don't, so the ones that do are hard to find.
You go to release with the team you have, not the team you want, basically.
It's an interesting wish list. Almost 37Signals-ish in attitude.
Link bait?