Website design & web development are vital to the success of businesses of all kinds and sizes today. It is becoming increasingly important for all businesses to have the most user-friendly, attractive, and helpful websites.
All of this makes it very important for you to hire a professional website designer or web developer for your website.
But do you know the difference between website design and web development?
Are they both not the same?
Well, website design is a completely different process and skill set than website development. And therefore, the roles & responsibilities of a website developer or website programmer and a website designer are totally different.
A Web Designer Can Work On:
A Web Developer Can Work On:
Let us try to help you by pointing out 10 major differences between a website designer and a web developer.
#1 In Terms Of Website Layout
Website designers are the people who put down the rules of how the website will be laid out.
They make use of tools like Photoshop to depict the layout of the website.
These web designers write the HTML and CSS to implement the website design scheme.
On the other hand, website developers use these defined designs, structures, HTML & CSS and combine them with their coding to add features to your website.
Using a house analogy, website designers create the architecture of the house while web developers or website coders build the house.
#2 In Terms Of Navigation
Website designers ensure that the website has easy navigation and lay down the scheme of navigation.
Website developers implement the scheme in code, for example, they may use JavaScript and AJAX.
#3 In Terms Of User Experience
Website designers are responsible for dictating how the users will interact with the website.
They take care of the UI/UX aspects of the website.
Website developers are the coders who make it happen.
#4 In Terms Of Template Creation
Website designers create the templates for web pages and web developers are the programmers who fill in the template using various tools like HTML and PHP.
#5 In Terms Of Backend Development
Web designers do not have much role in deciding how the backend of the website will be designed or will function.
They typically stay on the user interface aspect.
Website developers create & implement a website backend using tools like PHP and MySQL.
So, if you are looking to get some work done on the plumbing of your website, hire a web developer, not a website designer.
#6 In Terms Of Cost
Website development has gotten very complex with websites making very heavy use of AJAX and JavaScript on the front end and lots of options for the backend.
As a result of this, hiring a web developer is far more expensive than hiring a website designer.
#7 In Terms Of Manpower
You can typically work with just one website designer to help you decide the layout, user interaction, and visual aspects of the website.
However, since the skillsets required for actual web development could vary a lot & may become complicated, your development team may consist of multiple website developers, with some specializing in the front end while others may be experts at the backend or databases.
#8 In Terms Of Graphics
The website designers are the ones who are experts at creating graphics like your company logo and other graphical content that goes on your website.
Web developers would have the job of ensuring that it is included in the PHP code so that it is displayed in the right place.
#9 In Terms Of Colors
The website designers would define the colors to be used across the website.
They are experts at ensuring that website design best practices are followed when picking colors for different parts of the website.
Web developers would just have to ensure that they use the color codes recommended by the website designer.
#10 In Terms Of Text Style
The web designers are the experts who recommend the text styles (font and size) to be used on the website so that the site flows smoothly.
Website developers’ job is to make sure that the right font and size is coded in appropriate places so that the recommended scheme is implemented uniformly.
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