I've mentioned some changes in my work world involving a move from building only back end (or server side) software, to a more all around role involving code both on the server (for me mostly PHP + MySQL) as well as on the client. For the client side stuff we're talking, loosely, about HTML5 which involves layout "code" (HTML + CSS) as well as actual javascript code (for me always using jQuery.) Plus, once you've gone that far you are already into the graphic design realm - so although I still like to work with an actual designer when a job makes it possible, I'm trying to come up to speed there as well and thus be able to do it all.

I feel this is a trend in the industry, driven at least in part by price concerns. If I can do the whole project myself I can either charge less or make more. The other benefit is that by doing everything myself there is no development delay often inherent in going back and forth between team members.

And I'm not the only one noticing this. Nathan Bashaw's blog post, Designer Eats Engineer, outlines his view of what seems to me to be the same progression, but from the opposite direction. Monday By Noon (where I found the link to this post) sums it up:

This is a nice overarching view of our industry’s landscape. Lots of trends are leading towards people doing more of everything and less of one thing. That seems to be a result of so much of the stack relying so heavily on multiple parts that you need to take time to research each bit. That leads to more intrigue and more time spent researching additional pieces you weren’t familiar with. There was a time when being a Jack of all trades meant you were a master of none. Perhaps that time is long gone around here.