Embracing a Full Stack Approach to Design

Beyond individual benefits: how coding can up the emotional intelligence of designers and strengthen teams and products

by Mike Ciarlo

For over two decades, there’s been some form of the “should designers code” question on forums, at design conferences, and on social media — with plenty of strong opinions on each side. Navigating between the two worlds as a hybrid designer-developer has shaped my own view on the debate and the real question product teams should be asking themselves.

In design circles, the coding conversation tends to focus on the benefits of knowing front-end languages like HTML, CSS, or JavaScript because these front-end web languages are more approachable than say Python or Java. But this recommendation is often suggested to educate designers about constraints or about more tactical things like building their own portfolios. What’s surprising to me is how little this discussion has advanced, even in the age of digital design now leaping from 2D experiences to 3D immersive experiences or in the age of Gen AI. I believe we’re only scratching the surface of what code can offer designers—and in turn, product teams. The real question is not what hard skill should designers challenge themselves to learn, but how can we deepen our empathy for other product disciplines and for users?

Now is the time to shift our perspective and start viewing coding as a soft skill for designers and creative leaders that bolsters problem solving, facilitates collaboration, and improves our ability to identify with team members across-disciplines. As we step into an era of AI solutions that redefine our relationship with technology, it’s these deeply human characteristics that product teams should protect and refine the most.

I’ve found that practicing both design and development—and making it a practice to always consider technological constraints and possibilities, and seek out my engineering colleagues expertise— has deepened the empathy I have for my team and improved product outcomes in three important ways:

By harmonizing product development with the user experience

We know that a product’s design and engineering work hand-in-hand to shape the perception of the experiences we’re creating. By fusing these disciplines on two levels—first within an individual, then within multidisciplinary teams—product development more closely mirrors users’ reality. When designers experience products holistically as we’re bringing them to market, we’re better positioned to empathize with real consumers who will rely on the product for shopping, banking, entertainment, booking travel, or managing their personal health and wellness.

This really came into play for the PGA TOUR Vision app. For the entire team, Spatial Computing represented wholly uncharted territory. In hours, not days or weeks, we learned where to push and how to exceed expectations for an immersive sports experience. This ability to adapt as a team and navigate technology with no true equivalent is an asset. Most recently, it enabled us to navigate Spatial Computing and Gen-AI, but other technologies are always on the horizon. And when they’re ripe to bring into digital products, we’ve already trained our ability to work through the messy middle, moving from a concept with high-potential to a market-ready solution.

If designers and developers each stay fully in their lane, it’s much harder to put ourselves in the shoes of a user taking in a paradigm-shifting experience for the first time. It’s why Work & Co’s one-team model, which ensures there are multidiscipinlary experts focused together on solving one problem at a time, all driving towards the goal of a bringing a product to market, is critical. This matters greatly for users, but ultimately for businesses, too. A designer is tasked with striking the right balance between making something mesmerizing, meaningful, and approachable–and if the product isn’t, users won’t stick around.

By enabling more profound conversations

Having a dual designer-developer mindset allows designers to understand where technology teammates are coming from, before they even explain their process or reasoning. Less time is spent explaining and rationalizing, and more time having meaningful discussions—like whether or not the interaction paradigm is even appropriate, or if there is a simpler, more intuitive way to help the user accomplish their goals, and to what degree do we need to push that to make the added product value felt? These are the crucial conversations that take products from good to great.

In the end, knowing how to code is less about the act of building something and more about the logic behind the build and the conversations this knowledge allows you to have. The time we gain back from this empathy driven product process means more time for iteration and a greater chance to create something truly unique.

In my experience, the marriage of coding and design unlocks a more complex and nuanced approach to disrupting what came before— instead of regurgitating back what already exists. As machine learning solutions become more prevalent in our day-to-day, it’s a powerful reminder not to underestimate the human element. Even in Hollywood, where many were skeptical of the technology just a year ago, there’s more discussion about the irreplaceable value of craftsmanship and the art of knowing when to stop. The same is true for product design.

By facilitating next-level foresight

I enjoy the fact that I hold the role of Group Design Director and am still a hands-on practitioner. Nevertheless, as I advance in my career, there’s a natural tendency to take on more management-oriented tasks like shepherding long-term product evolutions. But coding skills and the problem-solving experience I’ve developed still find their way into my processes. I’ve found that being a hybrid designer and developer makes me more empathetic towards how my work might be implemented and interpreted down the road.

Design systems are a great example. Having a foot on the developer side, designers are more mindful of what long-term maintenance the design system might require, how scalable it is, and how the system might need to flex to accommodate future needs. These are real concerns that a designer whose primary focus is form and function might de-prioritize. But they matter greatly for future resourcing and team composition, future business investments, and even organizational design.

If a business is on the cusp of a transformation, the design system should be a precursor, not an afterthought. Coding helps paint a more complete picture of product complexities and ensures that what the product team envisions aligns with the end product.

It’s not about the code

The more time that passes as a designer, the more I’m exhausted by the idea that all designers should learn to code. If the answer was a definite yes, then we wouldn’t be repeatedly asking this question. There is no one-size-fits all answer. Knowing how to code is about perspective. When you can see the problem from different angles, your empathy is the greatest and everyone benefits. That’s what being a full-stack designer means to me. The skills you’re able to unlock for iteration, refinement, and long term planning makes you feel like you have superpowers.

So if you’re still weighing the pros and cons, ask yourself: “Will coding make me more sensitive, my decisions more measured, and my design more human?” If the answer is yes, then it’s time to get started.

About the author

Mike blends a background in design and development to create elegant and functionally-driven digital products. At Work & Co, Mike has worked with clients including Gatorade, the NBA, PGA TOUR, IKEA, Medtronic, and The Home Depot. His passionate solo projects have been recognized with 3 Webby Award nominations. Mike holds a degree in Interactive Digital Design from Quinnipiac University.