Web design and development
Ever since the inception of websites, the concept of web development and web design has been at the heart of every single website.
As you would expect, the definition of these roles used to be much simpler at the beginning of websites, as websites were much simpler to create. It was very common for one web designer to also possess the skills needed to develop a website and vice versa.
However, in today’s web, things have changed significantly. Now, it is much rarer to find anyone with the skill set required to design a stunning website and make it functionally sound. It is also just as impossible to find someone who can build a great website and design it to look and feel modern.
This article will look at what web design and web development are, what their current roles are, and how to get the best out of each role.
What are web development and web design?
Web design and development is a generalized term used to describe how websites get created. As the name suggests, building a website requires two essential skill sets: web development and web design.
Web designers focus on the look and feel of your website, and a web developer looks at the functionality aspect.
As there is no clear line separating web designers and developers, the titles tend to get used interchangeably. But as the web continues to develop, so do the roles of these jobs.
Design, front-end development, back-end development
Let’s start by comparing design to front-end development and back-end development. To keep things simple, let’s break up website creation into two simple categories: what your customer sees and what they don’t see.
What the user sees
What the user sees is anything that takes place within your browser and is the focal point of any designer or front-end developer. Design covers a website’s layout, images, font, and colours. Essentially anything that makes up your website’s usability and on-site branding.
Your web designer will need access to tools like Fireworks, Sketch, Illustrator, and Photoshop for the best design results. These tools can start to add up to a hefty bill, so we provide it as a built-in cost as part of our agency service.
As for front-end developers,’ their role is to use coding languages such as Javascript, CSS, and HTML to take these designs and turn them into a functioning website. These coding programs allow users to interact with your website. It’s all well and good designing a beautiful image or button for a website, but if clicking on it doesn’t go anywhere, your users will be stuck on your main page.
Front-end developers help bring images, contact forms, text, navigation menus, and buttons to life. It is an essential role in creating a responsive and adaptive website.
There can be some crossover between what a designer and a front-end developer can do. Some front-end developers can design, and some designers can code, but this tends to be quite rare due to the complexity of modern-day websites.
What the users don’t see
Anything the user doesn’t see occurs on a server and gets overseen by a back-end developer. A website must have a back end, as this is where data is stored and organized and then sent to the front end.
So, for example, if a customer purchases something from your website or fills out one of your contact forms, they are putting their information into the front end of your website. That information then gets stored within a database on the server.
A website only works the way you want it to when the front and back end is working in harmony. Think of the back-end developer as the boat’s rudder. Their job is to ensure all databases, servers, and applications work in harmony to keep everything working.
Web design: A definition
Web designers focus on developing the layout and graphical elements of a website. Designers tend to be in charge of ads, logos, and infographics, but their main role tends to be the visual look and feel of websites.
Here are some aspects that web designers tend to handle:
- Develop home pages, landing pages, and sub-pages
- Work closely with web developers to create or redesign websites.
- Wireframe design mock-ups
When a web designer works on a website, their main priority tends to be user experience (UX). To achieve the best user experience, they will likely need access to tools like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.
Some designers may grasp basic code, such as CSS or HTML, but their main focus is a website’s appearance.
Web development: A definition
Now that we have touched on what web designers focus on, let’s look at what web developers bring. Web developers aim to bring the web developers’ visuals to life.
Web developers are skilled with different coding formats, such as JavaScript, PHP, or HTML, and use these tools to develop the core functionality of a website.
The term functionality covers what happens when a customer clicks a button or how the navigation loads based on certain clicks and scrolls.
A developer will often use some of the following systems to get your website up and running:
- Joomla
- WordPress
- Drupal
- Magento
Most of what a web developer will focus on is maintaining the website. If you are interested in updating or creating a website, you should see web design and web development as two separate jobs that work closely together.
The Qualities a Web Designer Must Have
Industry experience
A high-quality web designer must have previous experience designing websites for clients within your industry. This experience will ensure that they are familiar with the sort of design that you are after and will help you work more collaboratively.
Knowledge, techniques, and strategies
Regardless of who you hire, you must understand their preferred strategy, techniques, and knowledge level. The top professionals will know what they are doing and find it easy to articulate it.
Expansive portfolio
It’s fine to hire a relatively inexperienced web designer, but it is also a gamble. Experienced professionals will offer a detailed portfolio of work for you to check through.
A clear and organized development process
Great designers have built many websites before and have a clear set of processes that they follow for the best possible results. They can see potential issues a mile away and rectify them before they become big issues.
Well-versed web technologies and internet
Top web designers are knowledgeable about the various web technologies and web design tools on the market. They understand the pros and cons and work out which ones are right for your business.
Set and meet deadlines
You need to work with a designer that sets clear deadlines for creating your website and then ensure they do everything in their power to hit those deadlines.
Sometimes unavoidable delays occur, but the best designers will inform you as soon as possible and keep you in the loop if this occurs.
What does our agency offer you?
When you work with an agency like ours that focuses on web development and design, you will get the best results.
You will be working with a team of workers focused on ensuring your website looks and feels modern and shows off your brand personality.
Secondly, you can be confident that the website will also be functionally sound and easy to use.
Working with an agency that offers both of these services ensures that the website will look good and create an incredible user experience. As both teams will work so closely together, you can ensure that this collaborative approach will achieve the best outcome.
A good design and development team always makes sure your criteria get met, which is one of the fundamental focus points we have built our agency on.
Your web design team, headed up by a project lead, will work closely with you to understand your desires and needs to ensure your website meets your expectations.
They will be sure to take time to get to grips with your wants and needs and what your competitors do well or poorly, so you can be sure your website is the best on show.
If you consider working with a designer or a developer, why not work with both?
Web Design and Development: Summary and Key Takeaways
Now you have all of the information you need to decide what support you need for your business!
Remember, hiring a web developer will not necessarily mean you have hired someone who can design a website as you need it and vice versa.
If you need any support with your web development and web design needs, be sure to reach out, and we will be happy to discuss how we can support you!
The world of web development and web design is constantly evolving, and with the next iteration of the web just around the corner, there has never been a better time to get your website up and running.
Frequently Asked Questions
Web design and development: How do they differ?
Web design and development is a generalized term that is used to describe how websites are created. Similar to what the name suggests, building a website requires two essential skill sets: web development and web design.
Web designers focus on the look and feel of your website, and a web developer looks at the functionality aspect.
What do a web designer and developer do?
A web designer is in charge of designing the usability, visual appearance, and layout of a website. On the other hand, a web designer tends to focus on building and maintaining the fundamental structure of a website. To be a successful web designer, the person in question must contain a range of graphic, creative, and technical skills.
Is web design and development easy?
In truth, web design can be rather complex and time-consuming and will often take up a lot of your time. Instead, our agency can take that time and stress off your hands and allow you to focus on other pressing aspects of your business.