Do I need to code?

As a graphic designer I am always amazed at how often I get confused for a web designer. I understand people not knowing what exactly a graphic designer is and just assuming that graphics is all web based because that is the direction our society is going in. Technology and the web is everywhere.  While we do design for web that is not all we do.

So that's where the big question lies, Do I need to code? I do not think that graphic designers need to be able to code everything they design but I think it's important for them to have a basic understanding of how code works. Being able to code everything they design is a web designers job. But they have to have a basic understanding of design so I think it's only fair that if a graphic designer is going to do some of a web designers job then they need to know a little bit about code and vice versa. I have taken a basic web design class and know a little bit about coding. I have seen where it has benefited me in my school work, especially in interaction design. It also helps to know a little bit of the web's lingo so you can better communicate with the developers.