What am I?

For years I’ve struggled with being able to properly describe myself with a single term, or even a set of terms. Over the years I’ve tried many variations of: “Web Designer and Developer”, “UX/UI Designer”, “Design Prototyper”, “Front End Developer”. Nothing ever fit me.

I’ve always done my best work at the intersection of design and development. It’s one of my greatest strengths. I’m able to move easily in between the two sides and act as an interpreter or bridge.

As a result of “in-between” status, I started to notice a strange pattern. Whenever someone asked me what I do, I unconsciously tailored the response to whomever was asking the question:

• When a designer asked what I do, I’d say “I’m a developer”.
• When a developer asked what I do, I’d say “I’m a designer”.

Lordy, I sound confused! But maybe there’s some truth here.

I enjoy the creative culture and camaraderie of designers. We tend to have similar interests and passions. The problem is that almost all the work I’m interested in is related to development. It’s hard to talk about what I do without getting technical.

I have a similar disconnect with developers (especially back-end or traditional devs). I simply have a different mindset when it comes to problem solving. I like to explore creative solutions and find ways that code can be made more human or more beautiful. In these ways, I’m like a designer.

I’m not sure… but maybe the best thing to call me is a “Creative Developer”. It’s not perfect, but it might do for now. :)