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Learn CSS and HTML. Learning Javascript is a bonus.
Mattison remembers spinning dev wheels for weeks on a custom floating dot in the UI. It turned out that any separation element would’ve worked for the design. Moments like that make him passionate about modeling and normalizing frequent communication lines between the roles.
The result of cross-skilling
Loftis and Mattison exemplify what’s possible. They are so aligned that they finish each other’s sentences. If not, they nod in agreement while the other speaks. It’s clear that they love what they do.
The duo talk offhand about how to use a component with a related america phone number list record without getting a new developer widget. They laugh about red flags like custom grids or a bold class instead of a utility class. This ability to be on the same page comes from building their skills in the other’s discipline. Loftis studied UI development and Mattison knows enough about SLDS to be dangerous.
“If you want to be a really good chef, then you need to know how the plants are grown,” said Loftis. “To create a better user experience, I need to understand these things that are around the space but not (necessarily) in my core skill set.” Learning about other work streams doesn’t just benefit personal growth and team culture. It has outsized effects on the product development process.
When designers and developers collaborate, it helps create user-centric, visually appealing, and technically feasible solutions while maintaining efficiency and quality.
Both Trailblazers exhale deeply when sharing what it’s like to enter a kickoff and notice a great collaborator in the other role. “This product is safe,” said Loftis about this moment. “It’s gonna be okay.”