Does web design have a future in 'high wage' countries? (was Question])

[patrick]

Then why not find other freelancers/what have you who complement your
skills? You don't ask a carpenter to build the whole house by himself.

patrick sanders
http://www.stoutstreet.com
web sites that fit


Joel D Canfield wrote:
>>Do we of the high wage countries have a future in this field? And if 
>>so, what will it look like?
> 
> 
> I've also given this quite a bit of thought, which is why I'm getting a
> realtor's license. I'll take we and database work if it comes along, but
> I don't have the time to get and maintain cutting edge skills, and
> that's where the future of web dev is, in 'high wage' countries.
> 
> I suspect beginners will always be able to sucker someone into a $49.95
> site, and there will be a certain amount of work for folks at my skill
> levels, but not enough to live indoors and eat regularly. The
> freelancers will fall more and more into very specialized categories.
> How can a generalist compete with a specialist? A PHP expert can always
> do the job faster, cheaper, and probably better than I. Someone who
> works with shopping carts every day can certainly outperform someone who
> only does it occasionally.
> 
> We've had quite a few discussions on this list about encouraging
> prospects and clients to demand the best, in order to improve the
> general quality of the web. Once the average web client knows the
> difference between bad design and good design, it's a small step to
> appreciating the difference between good design and great design.
> 
> I really love web and database work, but in the last year, I've realized
> I don't have the time to develop *great* design skills, and I don't want
> to spend the rest of my life struggling with mediocrity. As is common in
> economic circles, web dev will polarize into inexpensive, badly designed
> sites, and expensive, well-designed sites.
> 
> Perhaps if I could decide on a single thing to become an expert in, I
> could still see myself in the picture.
> 
> joel