Designers arguing about whether they should code is one of those debates that never dies.

I think the answer is simpler than people want it to be: there is no universal rule.

Jon Gold said it best

In episode 43 of the Design Detail podcast, Jon Gold put it plainly:

Do what brings you happiness.

That’s still the best advice I’ve heard on this topic. If code energizes you, learn it. If it drains you, don’t force it just because design Twitter says you should.

Design is wider than code

Design work can include all of this:

• Visual craft
• Interaction design
• Systems thinking
• Writing
• Research
• Communication
• Facilitation and leadership

You don’t need to be elite at every single one. You need to know your strengths and build with people whose strengths complement yours.

Why I still code

I code because it expands what I can make. It helps me prototype ideas faster, collaborate better with engineers, and understand where constraints are real vs imagined.

As @rsms put it:

Software is the medium through which I express myself.

That line hits for me. But I’m not trying to become a full-time engineer. Design is still the center of my work.

If you’re asking whether designers should code, ask a better question: what kind of designer are you trying to become?

Start there and the rest gets a lot less confusing.