Six months ago I wrote a blog post called Cooking up a Homemade Drupal Theme. A visitor recently submitted a comment to my article that's left me contemplating the target audience for that particular post. "Wait," you think—"shouldn't every writer know for whom they are writing before they publish content to a website?" Technically, I agree with this sentiment, but considering the varied interpretations of the skill sets required of a Drupal themer, defining an appropriate Drupal audience can be a real challenge.
I used to be among the the group of Internet users who didn't understand the importance of selecting a web browser. At the time, I was entirely dedicated to Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer ... 6. My transition in 2007 to Mac and Safari came from necessity. I was enrolled in a Digital Art class, and every machine in the lab ran OS X. I wasn't particularly concerned I had to use Safari, but I noticed IE's absence.
Drupal themers are like cooks. We use common components (contributed modules) as a starting point for successful websites. Cooks also use common components—tried and true ingredients (salt, pepper, garlic, onions, etc.)—as the base for delicious recipes. The fruits of our labors are robust and flavorful. But somewhere in this busy world, saving time has taken priority.
Boerne Wild West Day is hands-down my new favorite website. The thing that really set this project apart for all of us was the high amount of creative freedom we were granted and the strong level of enthusiasm that followed. For "creatives," hearing the words "do whatever you want" is like unwrapping that amazing gift you really wanted but didn't think you'd get on Christmas morning. I imagine it's how a hair stylist must feel when a client goes in and tells them they have no idea what kind of hair cut they want, but that they trust them, and to "go to town" on their hair. Sometimes you just need to trust your stylist.
When you work in the internet business, it's critical to stay on top of current design trends and development best practices.
In the same way writers improve their writing abilities by reading other great authors, graphic designers and programmers can seriously expand their repertoire by surfing the web for inspiration, reading design blogs, and keeping a watchful eye out for methods that might help get the job done better and faster.
With so many tools available online, you might think "those internet people have it easy." Sure, there's plenty of resources online to help us get better and keep our sites looking fresh and hip, but there's really nothing more vital to a web professional than people skills (a.k.a., the ability to relate to a client in such a way that their needs are fully understood and fulfilled).
