1. Higher Pay
By knowing how to design and code, you’ll be worth more to companies. Especially startups! By not only knowing how to design a beautiful UI element, but also implement what you design, you’ll be able work faster and create better work. All of which makes you more valuable and able to demand a higher salary.
2. More Opportunities
Not only will you make more money, but you won’t have a problem getting a job. Your skill set is so rare that everyone will be trying to snatch you up! Startups especially, because they have smaller teams and less resources, a employee who is able to do more than one thing (design and code) is almost a must. Everyone will be fighting over you!
3. Start Your Own Company
One of the reasons these designer/developer combos (Unicorns) are so rare is because they’re usually busy starting their own companies. When you have the knowledge to not only develop a application, but also make it beautiful, you have everything (almost) you need to launch any idea you have!
4. Freedom
There is an incredible freedom that comes from not having to rely on someone else to take care of a part of your project. You can allow someone else to do the design, or the development, but by being able to design & code you have the ability to do it yourself. Freedom!
5. Build from Start to Finish
By knowing how to do both the design and the development of a project, you have the ability to take an idea from concept to completion all by yourself. This also gives you greater control over the outcome of the project because you make every decision. This brings me to my next point:
6. Experimentation
Since you can build both sides of any given project, you won’t need to hire someone else to do either the design or the development. This means it won’t cost you thousands of dollars, or a percentage of your project or company ownership, just to validate the idea. Putting a project out and seeing if it gains any traction costs nothing more than your time… Which of course means you can put out more work! It’s experimentation without the risk.
7. Work More Efficiently
Design & code go hand in hand. They’re so tightly integrated that it’s important to know what is possible on both sides. By knowing how to design & how to code you can make smart decision about one side that would later effect the other.
8. Higher Quality of Work
There are so many decisions that are made between the initial concept and launch. It’s very easy for things to get lost in the communication between the designer and the developer. By knowing how to design and code you can make smart decisions for both sides as you work, leading to a higher quality end product.
9. Work Better on a Team
As I mentioned in the previous point, you’ll know what both sides need. This means when you are working with another designer or another developer, you can avoid making decisions that will negatively affect the other side. For example, a designer creating a UI element that he/she thinks (wrongly assuming) will be simple to implement, but not fully understanding the effort it will take to create it. (I did this when I was only a designer… I designed something assuming it wouldn’t be too much work only to find out from he developer it was very complicated. All of which could have been avoided if I understood what it took to do the development).
10. Make a Better Leader
So not only will you make a great team member, but you’ll also make a great team leader. You’ll have the understanding and empathy you need because you know what is required to do this work. You know if a project timeline could happen quicker, but you also know if the deadline is unrealistic because you’ve been there.
So far so good, That’s it!!! See ya!!! :)