I started out as a graphics guy - Wavefront on SGI's, Photoshop, Corel Draw, etc. I graduated from college in 1995, and I could not find a job anywhere.

I enrolled back in school a few months later (student loans were around the corner and I needed some deferment time), with plans of taking some art and computer science courses. Then I might have a better chance of getting my foot in the door at an animation house.

Next thing I knew, graphical design was just a hobby and I had completed the requirements for a computer science degree. I have not looked back yet.

Unfortunately, part of my creative side died a little - I blame it on the Red-Black Tree assignment, but that is another story. I get bored with graphics now, but I can more than live with that (and a bigger paycheck!).

Creativity is something that I believe cannot be taught, it is fostered by the individual. If you can read a technical manual on how to install a web server, you can read a book that tells you how to make pretty graphics. Programmers have that advantage over graphic artists, but not everybody can draw a logo from scratch, or create a cartoon mascot.

So, what I am trying to say is - WE have the advantage. But what we do is invisible to the hordes of otherwise ignorant users on the web. So the Designer gets the credit. >:P

I have been trying to convince a friend of mine to take some CS courses - he is never going to have a good foundation otherwise. Just recently I found out that he is going to code (in ASP) a front-end to an Access database file that maintains state and has security.

All he knows is how to make graphics and write HTML. He figured that ASP would be easier to learn than Perl, and therefore is the tool for him. Boy is he in for a shock.

On the other hand, ask a Designer to make some graphics, and they will - they might not look pretty, but at least no one can hack a .jpg's security (um, well, maybe some).

Jeff

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