Is WordPress Killing Web Design?
Out of context: Reply #50
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- tOki0
There is nothing wrong with working within constraints of a system, but I think that a developer should never have power over a designer in this respect. 9 times out of 10 they will do things the easiest way possible, the lazy developer stereotype is all too often a real thing. There is nothing wrong with starting with default as long as it meets the objectives of what you are doing - I think a balance is important in this regard. By saving time where you can, you are freeing up time to spend on the more bespoke side of things and improve upon a basic template. Design should never be templated in advance, but functionality can.
I think that business in general is often to blame for the situation we are in - everyone wants to be like everyone else. They want functionality without understanding why or the costs involved. Most people in these positions of power are not really part of the internet generations, they don't get it - they just understand that they need it because someone told them so. Most people will baulk at the costs involved from developing from the ground up and this needs to change. For years ad agencies have been tricking them into spending millions on advertising with TV, but get them to fork out a 150k for a site? That's a hard sell.
The common analogy of a man walking into a dealership and asking for the blueprints of rolls royce so he can make his own for a 1/4 of the price is all too common in our industry. We all know if you did this, people would laugh at you. Yet it still happens regularly when it comes to the web. People need to be educated, and digital agencies need to squash the bottom feeders out as best they can.
I guess the problem is that there will always be a large market for people who will happily go down the easiest & cheapest option available, and we have to service this or miss out on a peice of the pie..