[orangewarp]

It's interesting to hear about these emerging hybrid niches. Clearly the idea of hybrid positions extends beyond just art and engineering. It can span across many different kinds of disciplines: content, instructional design, business, programming. Those that can cross between these different areas can really tie together the threads of communication and understanding across different parts of a project.

That said, I think it's also really crucial for every member to be a specialist in something. The most productive group dynamics I've been in have been the ones where each member clearly understands their role and can execute it with flourish. Most of the talented bright people I know are usually hybrids in some regard anyway but above all, they are outstanding in a specific way which the other team members recognize.

If I had to choose between 5 people each with their respective DEPTH of knowledge and ability vs. 5 hybrids with breadth, I'll take depth in a heartbeat. Although, it might be cool to have 1 hybrid with excellent communication skills and 4 specialists!

[ericingram]

You make a great point. I was going to title the blog "Hybrid Developer Bridge the UX Design Gap", which is really what I believe happens, but figured the title sounded confusing for those who aren't into UX design. It really does span disciplines, not just web design/programming.