Is it worth a back-end developer's time to get into web-design and HTML/CSS
cmars232: Yes, you need to know design.  Even if you hire a designer, you'll be better off in understanding what you're paying for, being able to maintain the site they deliver (and being able to tell if what they give you is maintainable).I learned design by reading a bit on CSS, JS, and reverse engineering & imitating sites that have a certain effect I'm trying to get.  Firebug is awesome.  jQuery is awesome.  Blueprint CSS might be what you need, or it might get in the way, but give it a try.Oh, and don't be afraid to break the "rules".  If your page looks and works the way you want, you win, even if you used (gasp!) tables.