[mnicole]

My problem as a designer living in code is that by calling myself "UI Designer" (or "Web Designer" for that matter), I'm putting myself in the same boat as people who don't know any code (I'm basing this off of seeing what people on Dribbble's titles/"skills" are). I much prefer "UI Developer" to "Designer" because that implies I am actually able to build what I've designed while acknowledging the design/interface aspect.

[greghinch]

I would take a similar stance but say that anyone who has the title "UI Desginer" or "Web Designer" should have to know HTML/CSS. If you are designing UIs for the web, HTML and CSS are your medium, Photoshop not, that is just where you formulate your ideas.

[mnicole]

I absolutely agree with you there; but people have taken unkindly to my saying so :)

[greghinch]

I think (hope) we are in a transitional period. There is an "old guard" in the design crowd who came up in the era where web and print design were still pretty mixed, and so the idea of knowing code seems unfathomable. I know and have worked with designers who, while I know they are perfectly capable of learning HTML/CSS, just put up a wall when you try and talk to them about code of any kind. It's a shame, and I see the trend changing in younger folks, so hopefully that continues and companies will adjust their orgs appropriately.

I certainly know if/when this project I'm on gets some legs and money behind it and we are hiring, the designers I hire will be writing HTML/CSS ;)