I'm a bit confused. Why is that companies looking to hire web desginers require that they have PHP skills even though it has nothing do with web design?I'd have thought PHP is more to do with web development!

Many companies can't afford both a designer and a developer. I don't believe it's reasonable to expect a balance of both as it's incredibly rare. Creative people are typically not comfortable programming and vice versa. Go with your strengths (design) and learn the basics of the other (programming).

At the beginning of my career I tried to learn everything .... it was exhausting!!

of course that has to do with web design. Thinking the design of a website is just about flashy graphics and stuff is seriously erroneous. There's usability to consider, as well as functionality.

I've had this argument with so many graphic designers who think a designers job is simply drawing a mock in photoshop to be sliced up. This is fine for small, basic websites, but anything more complex and the result is often something hideous.

Designing in photoshop also generally leads to quite awkward coding for the coder as a designer with no knowledge of HTML, CSS won't be understand how sites are put together.

The same can be said for PHP. So many websites these days are actually applications, the HTML is just the front for a PHP backend. If you know nothing about PHP, how could design a decent website along these lines?

Learning PHP will put you head and shoulders above the other "slice n dice" web "designers".

I couldn't agree more with edgray
If you're serious about web design, you need to be fluent in HTML, CSS, JavaScript and either PHP with mySQL or ASP with Access. (PHP being the preferred choice)

Also, you want to look into Flash. Even if you don't want your entire website in Flash, a simple Flash navigation stands out more than CSS sprites (for example)

As stated, if you're giving a website a face lift, then a knowledge of HTML and CSS is sufficient.

If you're creating a simple (or complex) Contact Form - that's PHP. If your client wants people to log into his website, that's PHP and a database. If your client wants you to be the Webmaster and something goes wrong with the Shopping Cart and you can't read PHP, you're gonna be like 'uh oh' :\

Personally, I love doing both. I love making things pretty and I love making things work

Originally Posted by gamer-goddess

I couldn't agree more with edgray
If you're serious about web design, you need to be fluent in HTML, CSS, JavaScript and either PHP with mySQL or ASP with Access. (PHP being the preferred choice)

Also, you want to look into Flash. Even if you don't want your entire website in Flash, a simple Flash navigation stands out more than CSS sprites (for example)

As stated, if you're giving a website a face lift, then a knowledge of HTML and CSS is sufficient.

If you're creating a simple (or complex) Contact Form - that's PHP. If your client wants people to log into his website, that's PHP and a database. If your client wants you to be the Webmaster and something goes wrong with the Shopping Cart and you can't read PHP, you're gonna be like 'uh oh' :\

Personally, I love doing both. I love making things pretty and I love making things work

well said. The more skills the better really. I find being asked of me: HTML & CSS coding, Print design, Flash banners, PHP, MySQL as well as SEO, PPC and link building. I don't like saying no!

Originally Posted by henry222

Many companies can't afford both a designer and a developer. I don't believe it's reasonable to expect a balance of both as it's incredibly rare.

It's a lot less rare than you think!