Differences between Web Design and Web Development

Web design and web development are two different activities, yet many businesses mistake them as the same. They both work together to create a full, complete, and functional website. You may have wondered about how they resemble and differ from each other or what you must achieve to work in either position. Here’s a blog that looks at the similarities and differences between web design and web development, and what to know about them. 

What Is Web Development

Web development, or website development, includes sequences of making, building, and obtaining websites and on-site web applications that work directly on a specific browser. Some subdivisions of web development are web design, web programming, and database management.  

Some commonly used coding tools for web development are Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), JavaScript, and Cascading Style Sheet (CSS). These are the means of website construction that entirely relies on writing code. On the other hand, many content management systems (CMS) help administrators build their sites without requiring much coding experience. Some prime examples are WordPress, Drupal, TYPO3, Adobe Experience Manager, etc. 

The roles of Web Developer

Web developers are responsible for building and maintaining the core structure of a website. This will include complete website coding and massive exposure to advanced coding languages. In other words, web developers construct the website with a lot of coding and back-end server configuring. Moreover, they also cover the work of adding user-facing features and functionality. Examining webpages, debugging, and dealing with post-launch services are also parts of their jobs.  

Web development and design often collaborate regarding website construction. This is because designers create concepts and ideas, while web developers construct them by coding.  

There are three types of web developers with different scopes of work and correspondent coding languages: front-end web developers, back-end web developers, and full-stack web developers. Here are the simple instructions for their positions and what skill sets they must attain to become skilled web developers. 

1. Front-end Web Developer 

Front-end web developers are engineers using CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and CMS platforms like WordPress. With these tools, front-end web developers create an entire website from their coding.   

Front-end web developers’ coding process is usually referred to as Front-end development. Also known as client-side development, it is primarily concerned with coding and programming the visual parts of a website that visitors will see. As a result, front-end web developers tend to collaborate regularly with web designers and crossovers. 

2. Back-end Web Developer 

Back-end developers use complex programming languages such as PHP, C#, Java, Ruby, and SQL, as well as NodeJS and other server-side frameworks. The database and server of a website will be created by them using one of these languages.  

Also known as server-side development, back-end development covers a website’s “backstage” components that are not visible to visitors like the front end. 

3. Full stack Web Developer 

We can tell from the name that full-stack web developers are the ones who cover both the front and back end of a website. This position requires the employee to thoroughly understand each fragment’s functions and the website as a whole.  

Full-stack web developers also use CSS, HTML, and JavaScript like their front-end counterparts. In addition, they set up servers, query databases, and write Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). 

4. The skill sets of a good Web Developer 

Each web developer needs to attain certain technical and non-technical skills. They must be proficient, or at least acknowledgeable, in the following areas:  

• One or more programming languages. For example: HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript.;  
• Testing and debugging;  
• Database querying;  
• Content Management System. For example, WordPress, etc.;  
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  

Along with technical knowledge, they should also develop these handy soft skills:  

• Problem-solving (useful for debugging process);  
• Analytical thinking (useful for debugging process);  
• Communication and collaboration skills (good for working with clients and other parties). 

What Is Web Design

Web designs refer to the looks of online landing pages and the creation of user experience when surfing through the web. Web design used to focus solely on designing websites for desktop browsers. When cell phones became more ubiquitous in the 2010s, mobile web design developed and became an integral part of present web design.  

Web design aims for a coherent website layout in which information is well-structured and categorized. Unrelated information and unsystematic layout are heavily avoided by web designers, as they can confuse users. 

The roles of Web Designer

The tasks of web designers are making layouts and producing visual features of a website. Moreover, they ensure the site’s visual appeal and user-friendliness to keep users engaged for longer dwelling times. While they should be usual with a web framework and layout structure, their jobs also include briefing and constructing conversion-generating elements. In other words, they must ensure a smooth website layout transformation between platforms.  

Web designers should consider not only the design but also its functionality and effects on web coding. As a result, there might be overlaps and collaborations between web designers and web developers. Post-launch services are other web designers’ responsibility, although not much compared to developers. After publishing your website, optimizing your UX/UI is necessary for better user engagement.   

The position requires its employees to do a lot of research, constantly update trends, and have a good sense of creativity. They mainly deal with brand imagery, color palette, fonts, and other visual aspects of the website. Therefore, these skills will help the website improve, meet users’ expectations and clients’ requirements.  

Web designers are divided into three different roles. Each role has its specific tasks and goals. Regardless of their division and specialty, web designers must have particular skill sets to ace web design. Let’s get into each role: 

1. UX Designer 

UX designers investigate data and use that insight to create human-centric design. To achieve the final choice, UX designers must conduct a lot of research to gather and analyze data for their decision. Moreover, they help ensure the customer-engaging website structure; therefore, customers can give feedback on a positive experience on the website.  

2. UI Designer 

UI Designers focus on providing and optimizing customers’ on-site experience. They also pay attention to on-site interaction, website usability, and how to optimize it for a more significant conversion of the website. 

3. Visual Designer 

Visual designers have the work of both UI and UX design, as they work on a website’s layout and other visual features. Their mission is to check and guarantee the interface’s visual aesthetic and intuition. 

4. The skill sets of a good Web Designer 

Some basic skill sets that one web designer should achieve include: 

• Design tools and software; 
• Principles of web design and web accessibility standards; 
• Prototyping and wireframing; 
• HTML and CSS knowledge; 
• User journey mapping; 
• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO); 
• Responsive and interactive design; 
• Branding, color theory, typography. 

Aside from technical skills, it is advised that they should improve soft skills, namely: 

• Customer communication; 
• Teamwork and collaboration; 

Similarities & Differences Between Web Design And Web Development

Web development vs web design are two components of website building. They work together to bring out the most optimal customer experience on the website. Despite differences in process, they all bear similarities. Both require their employees’ knowledge and skills related to coding to be well-qualified for the task. Also, analytical and problem-solving skills are necessary, as web workers must design, test, and maintain web functions. Finally, these two roles must stay updated with news and trends in the field.  

As similar as they are, there are a few distinctions between them. Web design prioritizes the visual experiences and aesthetics of the website. Therefore, designers must deeply understand visual art and how it impacts users. In Adobe Weaver, JavaScript, etc., proficiency in design software is also required. Their position also covers scripting frameworks for front-end applications. Lastly, web designers must ensure that the things they generate and optimize for branding are consistent with a company’s identity, from logos to color schemes. 

In contrast, web development brings functionality into aesthetic and visual elements set out by designers. They are the ones who put those designs into real work through advanced coding. Instead of designing software, web developers must master multiple programming and software languages to be considered fit for the position. Some skills and languages are needed: JavaScript, C++, Python, machine learning, APIs, database tools, etc. 

Hire Qualified Web Designer & Web Developer With Synodus

By understanding the differences between web design and web development, you can determine which part you might need for your website. Some businesses already have designers to build the layout, but no developers. While others have developers, yet they lack of someone with UX/UI expertise.  

Many businesses choose to hire a web agency instead. One of the leading IT Outsourcing in APAC – Synodus – provides full-cycle Web Development Services. You share your web idea and our expert teams of developers (ReactJS, Java, PHP, HTML, etc), UX/UI designer and tester will do the back work. View our Web Development portfolio

Synodus has successfully developed thousands of web pages throughout the span of 3 years. With a competitive rate, we aim to provide a client-centric IT services that prompts results and on-time delivery.

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