I’ve been thinking a lot about the meaning of the title Web Designer. Lately, I’ve been shying away from using it for myself. It seems to have become a general term that is used to denote anyone who works on websites, and I worry that it misrepresents what web professionals really do. The word design is most commonly used to refer to the visual appearance of things, i.e. layout, spacing, colors, textures. Web professionals know that there is so much more to consider when building a website: lean code, no-brainer usability, quality content … the list goes on. When the word design doesn’t accurately describe the process, it’s no wonder some people can’t see the forest for the trees, nearly killing themselves over trivial visual details and delaying important functional improvements to get the design just right.
So what to do? Perhaps a new title … Web Strategist? Web Consultant? I’m not sure I’d use these either, because they focus more on the idea of planning and exclude the idea of execution. As an artist, HTML/CSSer, and general problem solver, I want to do both! I’d also be missing out on the immediate comprehension that the title Web Designer has. After all, it’s always a good idea to use terms that are immediately understood in conversation.
Time to go to the dictionary! Turns out, one definition of design is exactly the sort of superficial, fonts- and background-picking most people think of when they think about web design:
an arrangement of lines or shapes created to form a pattern or decoration
However, there is a second definition of design that I’d be quite happy to include in my title:
purpose, planning, or intention that exists or is thought to exist behind an action, fact, or material object
Ah … that’s better. I can be that kind of Web Designer.
Actually, I’d narrow it down even further to the idea that design = intention. What separates a great website (one that is immediately enjoyed by it’s visitors) and a bad website (one that confuses or is immediately perceived as ugly) is the presence of intention. On a great website, some thought, however brief, has been put into every detail; a million micro decisions that add up to one cohesive, effective whole. On a bad website, a lack of intention is revealed by a barrage of disparate information, colors and functionality.
So, perhaps I’ll use the title Web Designer1 after all. But with a footnote. 
1 A creative professional who combines his/her understanding of spoken and visual communication with a thorough understanding of the goals and challenges to solve a problem.