Design engineering
Web development split into two camps: those who design and those who code. This division is artificial. The web is a design medium that happens to be programmable.
Two mindsets, one medium
Design mindset sees patterns, rhythm, and hierarchy. It asks: How does this feel? What draws the eye? Where does attention flow?
Engineering mindset sees data structures, state management, and abstractions. It asks: How does this scale? What are the edge cases? How do we test this?
Both are essential. Neither is sufficient alone. The web demands both mindsets because interfaces are both visual and functional. The mistake is believing one matters more than the other.
The artificial divide
Modern frameworks optimize for engineering mindset. Everything becomes a programming problem. CSS becomes CSS-in-JS. Design becomes component props. Layout becomes flexbox utilities. We've turned visual decisions into code decisions.
Designers must learn React to do their job. They write JavaScript to change a color. They debug webpack to update spacing. The tool shapes the thinking, and the thinking becomes programmatic.
This isn't about roles or job titles. One person can embody both mindsets. Teams can specialize. The key is that the technology supports both ways of thinking equally. Design decisions happen in design tools. Programming decisions happen in programming tools. Neither compromises for the other.
When tools enable both mindsets
True design engineering happens when both mindsets have equal tools and equal power. CSS for design decisions. HTML for structure. JavaScript for business logic. Each layer owns its domain completely.
For designers, this means direct control. Change a variable, see it everywhere. No asking developers to update components. No waiting for builds. No translation layer between design intent and implementation. The feedback loop becomes immediate.
For developers, this means assembly without thinking about presentation. Grab a <nav>, it's already styled. Add a <button>, it already works. Wrap content in .stack, spacing is handled. No memorizing utilities, no fighting specificity, no debugging why styles don't apply. The design system becomes invisible infrastructure that just works.
When design is truly decoupled from structure, both disciplines work at full speed. Designers iterate on visual language and developers build features without breaking design. Neither blocks the other.