Tomato, Tomatoe, or Neither?
Do you want a Web Designer, or a Web Developer?
Like any mature system, there are a number of roles in creating and maintaining any website that goes beyond a simple static “brochure site”. This can easily cause confusion with business owner who wants to update their site.
The two primary divisions in web projects are Web Design, and Web Development. To complicate the situation, the term “Web Design” is often used as a general umbrella term to describe the entire process because the terminology is already familiar to the marketplace and since the design aspect is the most visible piece of the iceberg. However, the two terms really have very different meanings. If you’re looking for help with your website, then knowing the difference is critical.
Web Development
Web development consists of the work required on the infrastructure, or back-end of the site, and the programming logic to drive the interactions on the visible pages. Web developers are concerned with the function and structure of how a website works and how the visitors or prospects interact with that website. Web development requires the knowledge of programming languages such as Ruby, Python, PHP, JavaScript and ASP or Coldfusion. Development may also consist of database administration, dynamic page design, content management or integration with back office systems. In the ongoing maintenance role, web developers can help optimize and tune the site for increased performance, integration with other services such as social media, and search engine optimization.
Web developersdeal with how to handle client data, working website navigation, information architecture, and databases. These are “functional requirements” which can be outlined by writing down a step by step process.
Web development is also used to described the programming required to construct the “back end” of a website. The back end is the area of the site that isn’t seen by visitors, but which does the work required in order to present the right information in the correct format to the visitors such as in a content management system like Drupal, WordPress or Joomla.
Web Design
The visual appearance is the visible part of the website, the virtual “paint job”. Web designers provide the function of determining how a website looks and may participate in designing how users of the website interact with it. Good web designers know how to marry the principles and rules of good artistic design with the unique requirements of the web and usability to create a visual presentation that is effective and looks good. Web design consists most prominently of the graphical elements of the page. This is often developed graphics program such as Adobe Photoshop, and provides the framework for the look and feel of a web page.
The finished product of the design does not typically consist of functioning code, but is a pattern the code is built to.
Can I have Both In One Person?
Whilst the two roles work togeth, web development is a functional focus, and web design is an aesthetic focus. Many developers and designers have some level of overlap to the other side of the profession. Many designers have some experience with some PHP or HTML skills, and often can use simple JavaScript or modular components to provide interaction with the visitor. Most good developers are also keenly aware of the value of good design and how it affects the user experience and perception of a website.
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