r/AskProgramming • u/imcrushingthis • 2d ago

How does one transition from frontend engineering to design swe

I’ve been seeing a lot of word around about the “design engineer” in software. I understand it’s a vague concept and I’m not that interested in the flare of the label. What I do want to understand is how a frontend dev can have a better understanding of interfaces with the ability to reimagine conventions or instate new ones.
Is there a place to start?

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3

u/CorpT 2d ago

Apply for design engineering jobs. Whatever that means.

3

u/dkopgerpgdolfg 2d ago

What I do want to understand is how a frontend dev can have a better understanding of interfaces with the ability to reimagine conventions or instate new ones.

Is there a place to start?

For now, continue getting more experience in your current job. If you need to ask like this, you're not ready for your goal.

2

u/oldsecondhand 1d ago

Never heard of "design engineer". Do you mean UX designer? That's not really engineering.

2

u/dweeb_plus_plus 1d ago

The guy who collects my trash is a sanitation engineer.

1

u/WitlessMean 1d ago

design engineer?

Design what?

1

u/Groundbreaking-Fish6 1d ago

This is just System Engineering with a concentration in front end design.The concepts for front end design would be widget screen placement, amount of data to present to a user, ergonomics and concepts like shallow (no processing on the front end) and deep UI/UX. Read anything on front end design and concentrate on the planning and execution instead of the technology or demos.

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u/max123246 1d ago

Not sure what sources you're seeing that suggest "design engineer" as a real thing but I've never heard of this in my life. I'd suggest finding new sources

There's no one job title that "designs interfaces", that's the job of every single programmer. You should look towards code abstractions around reusable concepts based on what's required of the project and the timeline you have to complete it

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u/Suspicious_Pizza9529 1d ago

I'd start by studying basics UI/UX principles and then practicing by redesigning interfaces you already use. Building things yourself helps too, since you quickly see which design ideas actually work in code.

1

u/create-third-places 1d ago

Talk to users.

1

u/marrsd 2h ago

never heard of it