Distinguishing Web Development and Web Design
What is Web development?
Web development is the process of building mechanisms to ensure the functionality of a website. A web developer will usually work with web designers to ensure their designs are implemented on the website. Web developers bring web designers’ ideas to life by making sure that it’s functional through coding.
There are two types of developers known front-end developers and back-end developers. Front-end developers usually focus on visual elements on the websites by writing code and allowing web designers to display their design concepts. The back-end developers focus on the functionality of the entire website and manage data and databases to display elements on the front end of the website.
Key Elements of a Web Developer
As web developers, they are knowledgeable about several different programming languages from HTML and CSS to much more complex languages such as Python and Ruby. Web developers are also responsible for working with web designers to help them bring their design concepts onto the website. Here are some key elements that web developers work on:
Programming
Web developers need to be familiar with certain coding languages depending on their roles and responsibilities. Usually, a front-end developer would need to be well-versed in programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript while back-end developers usually focus on languages such as Java, Ruby, and Python.
SEO
Web developers are not limited to knowing about programming languages but they are also familiar with search engine optimization. It is best to be familiar with SEO tactics so that you can rank your website much higher on search engines. This can be done by optimizing your web pages so that is easier for Google to crawl through. A well-optimized website would appear on the first few pages of a search engine.
Optimization
Optimizing is another key component that web developers will need to perform for the best user experience. Optimization allows for a faster loading time as well as helps with search engine optimization to get rankings for your website. Developers do this by removing unnecessary code and only using what’s best for the website. They also ensure that the websites are optimized for all platforms and browsers so that people from multiple devices can access the website.
Structure
Similar to optimization, web developers need to ensure that the website code is optimized in a way that it is structured properly so that it allows the website to load much faster. It doesn’t matter how big the code is or how large the website is, as long as the code is spaced out correctly the website will significantly boost loading speeds and help with reducing bounce rates.
What is Web Design?
Web Design on the other hand consists of ensuring the usability of their design concepts as well as the aesthetics of the website. The layout and the visual elements of the website are what web designers usually focus on. The main purpose of a web designer is to ensure that the website is visually appealing to the eye and can create engagement with the visitors to the website.
Overall, a web designer focuses on providing the best user experience for all their visitors. A good web designer will usually create an aesthetically pleasing experience, easy-to-navigate web page, and designs that fit the brand and customer base
Key Elements of a Web Designer
Web designers are usually working on visual aspects of websites by creating visual assets and sending design concepts to web developers. Their main focus is on the layout, graphic design, color scheme, logo building, and other visual elements present on a website. It is also possible for web designers to have coding experience but it is not necessary to possess those skills but it does improve the overall efficiency of website development. Here are some key elements that web designers work on:
Layout and Design
The layout and design of your website is the first visual aspect that visitors will see and will base their first impression on that design. First impressions matter since they will eventually decide whether the visitor will further engage with your website or not. To improve first impressions web designers ensure that elements such as the logo, navigation bar, header, and footers are all strategically placed and well-designed. They are also responsible for updating website designs to match trends in the market. It’s also important to note that web designers should also make sure that their designs are compatible with all devices.
Branding and colors.
Choosing the right color for your website is dependent on your business logo as well as the audience of your website. Choosing the right color will help you brand your website and it can provide an aesthetic feeling for your audience.
Navigation
To improve your website’s ease of use web designers should focus on improving the navigation bar so that visitors are easily able to navigate through the website to find what they are looking for. The navigation bar should be always immediately visible for easy accessibility. It also needs to be responsive and mobile-friendly so that visitors on other platforms have no issues. It also needs to be responsive and mobile-friendly so that visitors on other platforms have no issues.
Accessibility
Web designers need to ensure that their designs are accessible from any platform. This is because as technology advances, more and more people are viewing websites through mobile devices. Web designers need to ensure that their designs are compatible with all viewing platforms and not just target one platform.
Key differences between Web Developers and Designers.
There is considerable overlap between web design and web development, so it’s typical to find developers who have a solid understanding of both. To offer a remarkable user experience, investing in each of these components is necessary because they are different from one another. Together, they design an appealing, useful, and understandable website. Here are a few of the biggest differences between the two:
Web developers are not responsible for creating visual elements.
One of the biggest differences between web designers and developers is that web designers work on visual elements and asset creation for the website to improve the appearance of the website and overall user experience. There are instances of web designers using code but they don’t necessarily need to know coding languages.
Web designer’s responsibilities include using Photoshop to edit images and designing mockups and layouts. Coding is rarely involved in designing so after the web designers create a design that’s when the web developers come in to ensure the functionality of those websites.
However, certain companies have been adopting no-code websites which allow web designers to directly implement their designs onto the website without the need for web developers.
Web developers are more expensive to hire compared to web designers.
Web designers usually cost more to hire compared to web developers. According to statistics developed by ZipRecruiter, web developers usually cost around 36$ an hour whereas web designers cost $29 an hour.
The reason for this is that web developers need to learn multiple programming and coding languages to perform their tasks. Another reason is that there are significantly fewer web developers than designers and the supply of web developers is low meaning that the demand for them is higher.
Web developers ensure functionality whereas web designers ensure aesthetics.
Web developers and designers each have a certain role and responsibility in the entire development of the website. While website developers focus on functionality through coding, website designers enhance the overall user experience and graphical interface of the websites that customers will be willing to view. This shows how equally important each of the roles play in the development of a website although they are quite different.
Similarities between web developers and designers.
There are some similarities between web design and development because both endeavor to give users a useful internet experience. You may better appreciate why web design and web development are essential to creating a great website by looking more into the commonalities between the two.
Both designers and developers have a role in creating engagement
To ensure that customers keep revisiting your website, web developers and designers ensure they work together to make the website engaging. Trying to create a positive reaction with your visitors would allow your website to have consistent growth and achieve your objectives over time.
Web designers will ensure that the site looks aesthetically pleasing while also ensuring that the content on the website is easy to navigate for the experience of visitors. Web developers on the other hand make sure that everything is accessible and functional on the website since a website that doesn’t function properly would only frustrate visitors and move them away from the website.
Designers and Developers need to work together for a completely developed website.
Both web developers and web designers need to work in unison to ensure the best possible results while developing websites. Without a web design, the website would lose its appeal and brand identity and also making the website feel impersonal to the visitors. Without web developers the website would not be functional and web designers wouldn’t be able to implement their design concepts on the website. Working together, design and development provide an amazing web experience.
FAQs
How long does it take to build a website?
On average, we aim to complete the entire project within two to five months. However, the pace of the project is directed by the client itself. Many factors contribute to building a website like availability of content, quality of input from clients, and complexity.
What is a responsive website?
Responsive Web Design (RWD) is a web development approach whereby the website alters its appearance according to the screen size and orientation of the device it’s viewed on.
What are the advantages of a responsive website?
Key benefits of responsive web design are:
- Higher Mobile Traffic
- Faster Mobile Development at Lowered Cost
- Lower Maintenance
- Faster Loading
- Lower Bounce Rates
- Higher Conversion Rates
- Simplified Monitoring
- Improved SEO
- Better User Experience
What services are included in the web design and development package?
We offer a wide array of web design and development services, thus making us the best one-stop destination for all your web needs. We offer:
- Website Development
- Website Design & Redesign
- Responsive Design
- Laravel Development
- eCommerce Development
- User Experience & Design
- Development, Integration & Platform Engineering
- Content Management System
- SEO Services [Basic]
- Digital Strategy
- 24/7 Support & Maintenance
When can you start?
We are ready when you are! Just give us a call or drop a ‘hey’ on WhatsApp and we will be with you right away.
