Oftentimes we tend to confuse the role of a web designer with a web developer. I have seen a company that employed a web developer for their website and they were expecting the developer to perform the role of a web designer.
Before you can start talking about web designer vs web developer and who you should hire for your company, it’s important to clear up the mist of confusion surrounding the job itself.
What is web design?
Web designing deals with the design and display of your website on the internet. The focus of web design is on user experience. It deals with the layout, appearance, and content of the website.
What is web development?
Just as the name suggests, it’s simply building and developing a website for the internet. They involve non-designing aspects of the website. Some aspects of web development include web engineering, web server, web security configuration, and so on.
Now that you have an idea of what web designing and developing means, let’s move to the aspect of the web designer, web developer, what they do, and the tools they work with.
Who is a web designer?
A web designer is someone that focuses on the appearance of your site. Their goal is to make it aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly.
A web designer is focused on the user experience of the website, making sure the appearance of the website is appealing to any visitor. They determine the kind of color, font, images, and design a website would carry.
They also deal with the content structure and arrangement of the website, how information is arranged on the website to make it user-friendly and less distracting for visitors.
Who is a web developer?
A web developer builds the foundation from the ground up, i.e. they lay the foundation on which your website would be built and then build the website.
A web developer’s work involves a whole lot of technicalities and complex coding techniques.
There are 3 main specializations in web development:
Front end development
This specialization makes an easy interaction with the page possible. They make sure users are not faced with bugging issues on the website. They deal with web technologies such as CSS, DOM, HTML, and JavaScript.
Back end development
They are the ones that are in charge of the servers. They combine both programming and technology to power the website
Full-stack development
A full-stack developer is someone that has a knowledge of both the front and backend developing skill. They can also apply software programs for specific devices.
Web designer tools
Here are some of the tools a web designer use:
- Content Management System
- Graphics editor
- Screen design tools
- Project management software
- User testing tools.
Web developer tools
Here are the most common tools that a web developer use:
- Code editors
- Version control systems
- Web application frameworks
- Front end application frameworks
- API tools.
When to Hire Web Designer vs Web Developer
Having both a web developer and a web designer can bring a lot to the table when it comes to building a website. Each position can play an important role in site development and both can make your site stand out in different ways.
When you have both positions working on your website, they give you a competitive advantage of having a quality working website.
| PROJECT | WHAT YOU NEED |
| Design a new homepage layout |
Web designer |
| Build a new contact form | Web developer |
| Creating a mobile app | Web developer |
| Conceptualize new website branding | Web designer |
| Fix server/ hosting issues | Web developer |
| Edit photo and videos | Web designer |
For a fully functioning website support system, you need both a web developer and a designer. At Ducehost our team has the most creative, talented, and attentive designers and developers. Schedule a meeting here and let’s make your next website project a reality.