We hear this debate all the time… people either can or cannot be strong at both visual and UX design. My personal opinion on the situation is that someone can be strong at both, but that having one person play both roles on the same project is not the ideal situation. 
Several months ago I came across an article on UX Booth about Decoupling Usability and Visuals and I couldn’t help but see how the author’s point of view relates to this debate.
In the article, the author talks about pulling apart the visuals from the usability in order to exploit the strengths and weaknesses of both. I would agree, and I would argue that pulling them apart is much easier and efficient when there are two different people representing each role. This pulling apart is a huge part of making a design, and further, a product or site successful for the user. When that pulling apart is done by the same person, one would assume that biases towards one or the other would appear, and the solution would be weighted one way or the other… either towards the visuals or towards the usability.
By having separate minds pull apart these two intersecting points, a more pure and holistic solution can be found. A balanced compromise can actually be achieved, one that will end up being better for the user.
So, give the article above a read and let me know what you think. Whether you are someone that agrees or disagrees or even if you’ve found further research on this point. I’d love to hear more from you!
I agree completely that decoupling usability and ux from visual design is different and you provide some awesome rationale for why. Such great points… thanks!!
@lishubert I think decoupling usability from visual design is different than decoupling ux design from visual design.nnIn this context I’m thinking of ux design (contrasting against visual design) as those that tend to cover the IxD/IA roles (flows, maps, wireframes, prototypes, etc.). But not necessarily the roles of research, usability and content as specialists. (thus you’d have ‘all of ux’ versus ‘visual design’)nnIn this case, I’d agree that it can help to have them separate, but in tandem. Much like a copywriter and art director in advertising. Both helping up front to frame and define a solution, but with different, yet complimentary roles, for fleshing out that solution.nnI think the decoupling of usability and visuals is a more muddy task – as it inevitably leads to how all roles of ux should be intertwined or decoupled. Does IA get separated from content? Visual design from interaction design, etc.nnI also think (and this tends to happy a bit unofficially) visual designers need to continue to start to overlap with interaction design in their skill set to make sure they can contribute to the overall product design with more than a monologue (visual representation) but a dialog (interactions) in mind, or they could be marginalized to the make-it-pretty-at-the-end people.nn
I agree completely that decoupling usability and ux from visual design is different and you provide some awesome rationale for why. Such great points… thanks!!
Thanks – I think it’s an interesting topic to bring up and pretty relevant right now.