It depends on your definition of code. If your definition is “production code”, then the answer is an emphatic NO. If your definition is a more simple code used in developing advanced prototypes for use in usability testing, then the answer is “definitely maybe”.
As a usability analyst, all too often I see the shortcomings of attempting to produce final code when the time would be better spent engaging in an iterative design process through research and testing. Designers who write code up front become attached to it and are less inclined to make the changes necessary to ensure usability. The “get it right the first time” mindset of the “coding” designer simply doesn’t lend itself to an optimum user experience.
On the other hand, designers who dabble in code and can produce working prototypes develop a better understanding of the light of the developer. This allows them to concentrate on navigation, information architecture and task flows to give the software engineers what they need to avoid the rewrites that increase downstream costs and diminish the ROI.
Do architects build houses? Do automobile designers hunker down on the assembly line?
I think not.
I agree to not code. Coding to produce a prototype is expected. Using that code in the final product would not be advised. However, I do not see any problem if you have the skills, to contribute to the teams workflow.
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