In today’s digital world, website design and website development are interchangeable terms. In reality, they represent two different stages of building websites.
Website design and web development require two distinct skill sets. If you are building a website, you should be able to differentiate between them.
Web design concerns the usability and aesthetics of a website. Web designers use several applications such as Adobe Photoshop. The designer uses web programs to build the layout and visual components of your website.
Web development involves employing the skilled services of a website designer to create a functional site. Developers use programming languages to bring the design to life. The languages include CSS, PHP, Javascript and HTML.
What is Web Design?
Web designers channel their talents towards designing the layout and appearance of your website. Web design includes the arrangement of pictures and content displayed on the website. It entails organising elements of the user interface and adding brand details.
A web designer should be able to build a site which is attractive and works well. A good design holds a visitor’s attention and provides a pleasant experience. The visitor should be reluctant to leave and eager to return.
Similar to choosing a UK or New Zealand Domain Name (for local market relevance and targeting – if you live in that region, for example), the design too should be purposeful. The elements must be engaging and direct. Making it easy for visitors to get your message.
Designers have a difficult role, which people often underrate. They transform the ideas of the website owner into a practical design and interface, engaging viewers. Web designers are just as valuable to the website building process as web developers.
They start by evaluating the client’s intentions for the website. The next step is to set the hierarchy of information using IA (Information Architecture). Afterwards, they create wireframes before progressing to the design stage proper.
Web designers adopt several essential principles to produce an engaging layout and exceptional user experience. These principles include:
- Balance
The final product must have a well-balanced layout. Web designers blend heavy and light elements to produce a balanced design.
- Simplicity
It is possible to over-design a website. Irrelevant elements will distract visitors from the primary message on your website. Simplicity is the staple of a practical web page design. A clean page design makes the site engaging and aids user navigation.
- Consistency
Consistency is a vital part of website design. The ideal website design uses consistent design elements on each page.
A web designer should be consistent with font sizes, headings, and subheadings.
- Compatibility for Mobile Devices
The design must be adaptable to a range of mobile devices. Your page design must support screen sizes for tablets and smartphones.
- Fast Loading Speed
Websites with slow loading speeds lose traffic. Web designers increase loading speed by compressing images to reasonable sizes.
Web Development
A web developer builds the infrastructure supporting the aesthetic features of your website. The developer’s chief duties are site building and maintenance.
Web developers convert the designs into a live project. They use software tools and web languages to improve functionality. Web developers fall into two categories; front-end and back-end developers.
The front-end developer handles the layout and builds the interface. Front-end developers connect web designers and back-end developers. They use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), JS (JavaScript) and HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) for coding.
Using these web languages, the front-end developer makes your website operational. They insert images, add animations, and use several font types.
Back-end developers control data and requests on your server. You require back-end services if your website receives dynamic information such as user forms with personal information.
Your site needs a database connection if it collects data and creates access for future use.
A back-end developer creates database queries with MySQL and SQL. They use server languages such as ASP. NET and PHP.
The responsibilities of web developers include:
- Creating the interface for user interaction. Front-end developers build the interface with JS, HTML, and CSS web languages.
- Front-end developers give back-end developers markup designs to produce a practical website. They give essential data on the databases and server.
- Back-end developers create the support system of the website with MySQL and PHP server languages.
- Front-end and back-end developers use Integrated Development Environment (IDE’s). IDE’s are software tools for coding and building your website’s architecture.
- Web developers use versioning tools to save the earlier website builds. It provides access to the earlier versions.
How Do You Make Your Choice?
By now, you should understand the roles of web designers and developers in site-building. Still, deciding which one best suits your next project is tricky.
If you have issues with your website’s performance, your hosting package is the likely culprit. A web developer is your best bet to solve the problem.
If you want to update your homepage or add multimedia content, a web designer is the right choice.
You need design specialists and web developers to build an engaging site.
Key Takeaway
It’s difficult to distinguish between web design and development. Many small businesses face this issue when building a new website or redesigning an existing one.
Several specialists offer both services. Web service companies often use both web development specialists and web designers.
Web designers create your website’s layout. Afterwards, they send design files to the developer, completing the building process.
Remember designers and developers play essential roles in website building.
