Don’t feel bad — most people honestly have no idea what designers really do, and I think developers’ proximity to them instills false confidence in their understanding of it. (I worked in both fields for years, and am also a graphic artist.)

A great example of this understanding gap is people thinking interior designers choose color schemes, sconces, and throw pillows. That is an interior decorator—- someone who’s professionally tasteful. An interior designer has an architecture license and designs the inside of buildings, often including everything from where fire exits are, where utility lines flow, what floors everything is on, and even things like wayfinding signage.

Even the most visual practical design is often more about visual hierarchy, semiotics, using gestalt to convey informational relationships, and conceptual thinking than taste.

Edit: Not sure why your comment was flagged?!