This is the end, isn’t ‘it?

When I got started in my career I called myself a web designer. I was fresh out of my MFA program and teaching part-time in an Interior Architecture department. I felt closer to design than technology at the time.In those early days of web development, if you called yourself a “web designer” but didn’t write HTML and CSS (at least) you might find yourself snubbed. It was unfair, it was gatekeeping, but did encourage one to develop his skills. This is why I learned to code.The days of the jacks-of-all-trades didn’t last. Roles became more specialized and visual design of websites became the role of experience designers using specialized design tools. Old-school web designers became web developers who became engineers. Engineers who could lead and talk to clients and other humans became directors. I became a Director of Technology.With the field becoming more and more horizontal, more jobs were created and more space was created for Junior team members and the widening gulf between…