Today, while I was visiting my local Barnes and Noble bookstore, I came across a magazine for web designers. I can’t quite remember the title of the magazine, but I do know that the magazine is published in the UK and carries a hefty $15 cover price in the States. Regardless, I perused the magazine in hopes of finding an interesting tip or tidbit that I could explore further when I returned home. My efforts paid off as I came across an article that suggested that web design is a dying art. Of course I was intrigued (and worried) by this idea, since this posed a threat to one of my passions, and not to mention, my career choice.

But when I stopped to think about what this magazine had just suggested, I realized that the notion of a death of web design is impossible.

The idea behind the decay of web design comes from the growing popularity of website and blog templates.  In theory, since a wide variety of templates (paid and free) are available to the user, the web designer is no longer needed, since a clean, pre-exisinting template is ready for use. No longer is the web designer needed to determine what layout is the best fit for a website, and which colors should go where. While it is true that less people may spend the time to learn and practice the art of web design, this by no means implies that website design as an art or career will disappear. The reasons why the web design field will continue to thrive are just too many.

The main reason why we will continue to see web designers is that those template designs must come from SOMEWHERE. They do not just manifest themselves onto the web. A designer had the spend the time and effort to come up with that template design. So how can these templates continue to overtake the web if someone is not there to design them for us?

A second reason why web design isn’t going anywhere is because clients, especially businesses, will not use a cookie-cutter design that everyone has access to. Businesses and organizations are looking to differentiate themselves from the competition, not just use the same template as their competitor but with different colors. As the popularity of the web continues to grow and more business is conducted online, customers will be turned off by look-alike websites. I know that as a consumer, I tend to shy away from businesses that look to have spent little time in planning their website, as I think that company probably will not be around for long. Most template websites belong to individuals and small businesses that require a starter website, not the organizations that are leading the way in web design inspiration.

Perhaps a less obvious reason that web design will stick around is that using templates halts the progress of the web. Whenever a developer builds a new application, the designer must find a way to accomodate for that application on the website. Templates do not provide the flexibility that a web designer is capable of. After all, a designer begins with a blank canvas and has the option to place page elements wherever he or she desires. Without that flexibility, the web will grow stale and practically come to a halt in terms of technological advancement. And who wants that?

Although web design will never disappear, the only trend that the growing popularity of templates might bring about is a decline in how many people will take up the craft. However, those who are truly dedicated to the web will continue to study of art of design, and they and seasoned pros alike will be the ones who are the top professionals in the field, designing the templates for those simply looking to experience a taste of the web.

Tags: obsolete, trends, web design