Is it worth a back-end developer's time to get into web-design and HTML/CSS
wallflower: The more you know about design in general, the more effective you are. People don't respond to a back-end transaction program - they respond to the user experience.I would highly recommend checking out a CHI meeting (Computer-Human Interface a.k.a. UX/UXD). I guarantee you will learn a lot by meeting and listening to designers lecture other designers.http://www.sigchi.org/local-sigs/