It's all depends if you're a pixel pusher lead by clients or a creative, who creates... Like the difference between a house painter and Michelangelo.

If they work enough years long and if they put enough soul in each part of their work, they should. Of course not client work but even client work can get into art sometimes.

In theory, design (including a web design) is only a decoration of final product (in web sites, final product is content on site) and design cannot be called Art or web designers Artists.

I'm somewhat new to web design, but I consider myself an artist - or at least my service as art... I guess that makes me an artist, huh? I do, because there is no one answer (like 2+2=4), but instead it allows me to be creative, like writing a poem or playing a instrument. Yes. It is art.

Now I wonder how would an artist director who is fully involved in a web design project can be considered as web designer?

I think if you call yourself as a web designer, you know the rule of usability and sort of it in web design field, but at least you must have a little of aesthetic sense in you, to put together the beauty and function or usability elements into a website.

I'd say that the 'artist' in you could be relative to some levels, it depends on your talents or your artistic skills gained in time.

I'm a "pixel pusher" as a web designer. I love the technical aspect of web design but when it comes to the creativity part, I usually rely on a REAL artist. I think I have a good sense of placement so that all the elements on a page look balanced and I wish I was more creative but I'll stick with my tekkie strengths and tap other resources for my artistic weaknesses.