Web Designers Vs Web Developers

Web Designers Vs Web Developers

Web development is one of the most in-demand skills today. Newbies in web tech often interchange the terms "web designer " and "web developer" for one another. This article is for newbies who are about to begin their web tech career but struggle to choose between being a web developer or a web designer. In this article, you will understand the differences between a web designer and a web developer and be able to choose a career path.

Who is a web designer?

A web designer is a professional who designs the visual aspect of a website. The visual aspects of web design are fonts, colors, shapes, layouts, space, images, and icons. Web designers make designs of website designs using design software like Adobe Photoshop and Sketch.

What Does a Web Designer Do?

Web designers design, plan, and arrange all of the content a user views on a website. A web designer's primary goal is not to know how to code. However, a web designer can use programming languages like HTML and CSS to create designs and layouts. Web designers focus on creating a positive user experience by designing user-friendly interfaces and clear navigation.

Types of Web Designers

It is important to understand the three basic types of web designers:

  • User Experience (UX) Designer

A UX designer is a web designer who designs websites and digital products with the user's interests and needs at heart. A UX designer aims to improve user experiences by designing user-friendly interfaces and clear navigation that make websites and digital products simple to use and understand. UX designers decide how the user interface works and functions.

  • User Interface (UI) Designer

A UI designer is a web designer who designs the visual user interface of a website or digital product that a user can interact with. The user interface is the graphical layout, like the images, the button a user clicks on, the text entry field, the text a user reads on a website, and a digital product. UI designers decide what the user interface looks like.

  • Visual Designer

A "visual designer" is a web designer who works with a website's layout and design elements. This work includes elements of both UX and UI design. A visual designer ensures that the interface is both neat and easy to use.

Skills web designers should have

Here is a list of the top web designer skills:

  • Typography: This refers to the text's style, appearance, and structure. Good typography makes written content exciting to read.

  • Color Theory: A web designer should know when to use and apply light, dark, contrast, and saturated colors.

  • Basic HTML and CSS knowledge: Not all web designers have basic knowledge of HTML and CSS. However, having basic knowledge of HTML and CSS is a boost for web designers in the industry today.

  • Design Software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or XD, Affinity Designer, and Figma are among the most popular design software tools, amongst others. A web designer's choice can be based on personal preference.

Who is a web developer?

A web developer is a programmer who creates, develops, and maintains web applications, software, and websites. Web developers create websites by writing code in programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. In addition, Web developers create dynamic websites that interact with databases by using server-side programming languages like PHP, Python, and Ruby.

What does a web developer do?

A web developer is essential to the development and maintenance of websites and web applications. Web developers ensure the website and web application meet the needs and expectations of the users. In addition, web developers ensure the website and web application are optimized for search engines, load with ease, and run smoothly across different media devices and browsers.

Moreover, a web developer is responsible for the cyber-security and maintenance of the website and web applications. Web developers apply security methods like encryption and authentication to protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorised access. In addition, a web developer checks the website and web application for bugs, breakdowns, and errors that can harm the functionality of the website and web application. Web developers ensure the website and web application are current with the newest technologies and standards, like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, to enhance their functions and user experience.

Types of Web Developers

It is important to understand the three basic types of web developers:

  • Front-End Developer

A front-end developer is a web developer who designs the user interface and makes sure the website and web application appear and work well in a web browser. In addition, a front-end developer creates the client-side of the website and web application with programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—everything a user sees on the website. Front-end developers ensure that the website is compatible with all devices, making it responsive (to mobile phones, tablets, and other computer screens).

  • Back-End Developer

A back-end developer works on the server-side of the website and web application—the part a user cannot see and interact with. Back-end developers build the website’s logic and connect it to databases with programming languages like Python, Ruby, and PHP. Back-end web developers can also focus on creating mobile applications, primarily for the Android and iOS operating systems, with programming languages like C, Java, and C++.

  • Full-Stack Developer

A full-stack developer is a web developer who can create both the front-end (client-side) and back-end (server-side) of a website. A full-stack developer ensures that the front end and back end are in sync and run smoothly together.

Skills web developers should have

Each web developer's skills can be different from others'. At the least, a web developer should be skilled in:

Coding and programming languages: For the front-end, a web developer should know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Back-end developers should know one or two programming languages like PHP, Ruby, Python, and Java.

Testing and Debugging: Web developers must be able to check codes, ensure they're bug-free, and fix any errors they discover.

Libraries and Frameworks: Libraries and Frameworks do have one primary aim in common: they are both used to simplify and accelerate development.

Version Control: Web developers should be able to track and control changes that are made in code. Version control is the process of controlling and tracking changes made to code. Git is the most widely used version control system.

Conclusion

Web designers and web developers are both involved in the task of web development. As a newbie in tech, you first need to ask yourself whether you want to work as a web developer or a web designer.

To help you decide which career path is best for you, consider which aspect of web development you are most interested in. For example, do you prefer graphic designs or are you interested in coding a website? If it's the graphic design aspect, a role as a web designer will suit you, while for coding, a role as a web developer will suit you.

Moreover, another way to choose a career path between being a web developer or a web designer is to consider the skills and attributes required by each role, which I have discussed earlier. Compare those skills to the ones you currently have.