How much design should a developer know?

We often talk about and read about the importance of design in building products. After Apple, maybe, more people appreciate classy design more than they used to. We have all but established the importance of design.

We also talk and read about how much code should a designer understand - in the advent of the developer and designer working closely, this boosts productivity by quite a magnitude. A designer who understands the limitations of the platform she is designing for often designs implementable and better designs.

I wonder though how much do we talk about the need for developers understanding design and be able to play around with a few design tools being used in general. I, for one, have never started photoshop and opened an image. In my opinion, developers understanding design could be a big boost. The one who is building the product from the ground up should have a more important role in defining the design language of the product.

This could be specially important to the developer-turned-entrepreneur. In the initial stages of the company, which basically is some developers writing code everyday, I believe it could be a great skill to have. Bring able to quickly design rough mock ups and understanding graphic design in general will help in working with designers in a better way.

Advice to Self: Starting learning a photoshop class on Udemy.