How many web designer (ie. strictly HTML + CSS) roles are out there anymore? Anytime a position is posted with "HTML and CSS" in the requirements, you can almost guarantee a Javascript framework of some sort is in there as well.
That’s not the point - it’s been at least a decade since “web designer” means doing graphic/interaction design, and not coding in HTML and CSS.
What they are saying is that, in the same way a car designer cannot do a great job without having decent knowledge of aerodynamics and the physics involved, good design for the web requires some understanding of the underlying technologies.
