Poll Results: What one specific skill set are you most envious of?

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We all wish we were better at certain things. The latest poll here on CSS-Tricks asked you to pick just one:

If you had to just pick one of those that you most wish you were good at (and aren’t now), what would it be? Which are you the most envious of?

(The original poll said “jealous”, but the proper term is “envious” for what I meant. Thanks Tristan!)

Here are the results:

See the Pen highcharts barchart by Chris Coyier (@chriscoyier) on CodePen.

The winner, with 26% of the vote: Visual / Interaction Design. The biggest slice of voters wished they were better at this type of design. I feel you, that’s what I voted for too. I am the visual designer for several projects and I wish I could do them better justice. For years I’ve been wanting to level up in that, but it always ends up that my time is divided up such that I haven’t been able to give it the hours it needs. Visual design is such a vital component to the success of things, it’s no wonder we’re envious of it around here on a site dedicated to other areas.

The runner up, with 24% of the vote is similarly no surprise: Back End Development. I guess if we’re a bunch of front end developers around here, we’re most jealous of the the two other main components that make a website.

Third place was actually Front End Development with 16%, which I bet accounts for folks Googling things, landing on CSS-Tricks, and voting based on wishing they already knew what they were Googling =).

Server Management was at 7%. Database Administration was at 4%. So 11% of folks wish they were better at that low-level stuff that keeps websites running. I probably would have picked one of these as my runner up.

6% of people voted for Video / Audio Production. Perhaps I should have lumped photography in there too. The idea was complimentary artistic skills to web design, as they as used and very important to lots of websites.

Writing / Copywriting had 5%. I bet this would have been an interesting one to break down by years-in-industry as, just anecdotally, the more I hear people wishing for greater skill in this area the longer they are around. It’s almost certainly the strongest form of Marketing (also 5%). If you’ve heard of something/someone, it’s because writing.

Bringing up the rear was Management at 4%. This is something I’ve always wanted the opportunity to do, but haven’t yet had the chance. I suspect I’ll love it one day, but I’m not yet envious of management skill, as I haven’t started that journey.

And last place: Knowing / Practicing the Law at 3%.

Any final words on your skill envy? New poll tomorrow.