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9/22/2011 10:53:35 AM

An interesting question. I would share that I have experienced this tribal relationship come full circle in the past 10 years.

When the industry was still "in utero" and we still referred to it as the information superhighway, tribal distinction was critical for establishing new skills and domains of ownership. Developers embraced this new realm and claimed it for their own, while Designers held firm in the belief that this new realm is merely another "publishing vehicle" and that the rules of design are timeless and universal. Over time this often created a rift between design and development — and in some cases these two tribes became so distinct and so suspicious of the other that it spawned a "Capulet/Montague" style feud. Nothing so bloody and belligerent as the Clampett's and McCoys; more of a mutual disdain and a "we shant associate with those" keeping at arm’s length approach.

Then, with the dawn of a new century came a new generation of creatives. Digital natives who were brought up in this new realm and shared none of the traditional biases of their respective "houses". Rather, these Romeos and Juliets shared a respect and affection for each others' houses (disciplines) and sought to learn as much as possible about them. They saw the value in enhancing their own knowledge with the wisdom from another tribe. We refer to these people as "hybrids" or "devsigners" — creatives who can move freely between both tribes because they "speak both languages" and "embrace both cultures".

But as technology continues to evolve, so must the tribe. Within what is now (in my observation) a collective tribe of designers and developers are many factions and fifedoms working harmoniously — but some factions have begun to evolve beyond the current tribe. Take mobile, for example. Mobile creatives are a new breed of specialists, working within a realm very unique from those of other tribe members. Some tribe members have been able to work with this new faction without disassociating themselves from their traditional factions, but the majority have elected to emigrate to this new faction entirely. More interestingly, there is a growing tension between the "collaborators" and the "competitors" in this faction. There are those who are exclusively "iOSolationists" or "Androidians" (passionately touting that their way is the only way), while others follow the path of platform-agnosticism (that all ways have merit and value, and can live together). Only time will tell whether we will witness the spin-off of a new and distinct tribe, or merely the evolution of a new faction within the collective tribe.

Either way, it is most fascinating to observe.

Maybe at this point we are more than just a collective tribe. Maybe we have evolved into a village of sorts. A village that supports multilpe tribes with various affiliations and skills, all working together (for the most part) harmoniously. Each adding specialist value to the collective effort. Each bringing their perspective to the collective wisdom of the whole. It has been said that "it takes a village to raise a child". Perhaps the same holds true for us.

Drory Ben-Menachem