Will software engineering die some day?
In 2010 Wired magazine published an article about the death of the web. Basically it was pointing out the fact that the mobile market was the next big thing and people were moving away from the web. What I can’t wait for is the day when Wired announces the death of development. By that I mean the day when software development is so cheap and easy that most companies will finally put design first.
I realize that some companies put design first already, but they are few and far between where I come from. Most of the companies I have worked for here in Utah don’t work that way. Think about it from the small town, small business owner’s perspective. If I want to start any kind of electronic based business (and I don’t really know what I’m doing) what’s the first and most important hire I’m going to make? The engineer of course. That’s because at the end of the day if I don’t have someone who can actually build what I want built then I’m totally wasting my time. And so the viscous cycle begins.
The vast majority of development today isn’t easy, so I have to hire a very talented and experienced person. These people are not common and aren’t cheap. When I finally find my guy most of my budget goes towards his or her salary. To make a long story short, after hiring an accountant, marketer, customer service rep, lawyer and so on (all extremely critical roles for a business), my money is all spent.
Case in point, I have my current design job primarily because I was originally considered as a flash developer. I had to make my current position as an interaction designer into what it is after I got hired.
Software development hasn’t been around nearly as long as other industries. But if the history of the construction industry is any indicator, someday development will be so refined that almost anyone can do it with just a little education. And then on that day, when development skill is a dime a dozen, perhaps designers won’t be such an afterthought as they are today.
