In today’s modern era, a vast majority of the population have had exposure in some way to the Internet and through this exposure the terms “Web Designer” and “Web Developer” have been used interchangeably.
This blending of the terminology between the two has unfortunately caused confusion for those building company Websites, as the disciplines of a Web Designer is in fact quite different from that of a Web Developer. Before building a Website it’s important to learn and understand basic terms such as these, so as to avoid project delays and costly mistakes.
Here is a description of a Web Designer:
Web Designers are essentially responsible for the “look” and “feel” of a Website. Typically, Web Designers are creative in nature and their skill sets weigh heavily with the overall style and development of graphical objects for the purposes of drawing in the attention of online users and boosting the company brand. Much of the work a Web Designer does is at the front end of the Website and they utilize a variety of design tools such as Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, CSS etc.
Here is a description of a Web Developer:
Web Developers are critical to developing the applications and overall functionality of the Website. Unlike a Web Designer, a Developer is much more technical and analytical in nature. The skill set for a Web Developer involves analytical thinking, problem solving and thorough understanding of programming languages such as PHP, Java, SQL, ColdFusion, Perl etc. A Web Developer does most of the work on the back end of the Website, transforming the site from static to interactive.
While both disciplines are quite different in terms of skill sets and responsibilities, combined together they make for a powerful team for building a well designed and fully functional Website. Hiring a Website company that has a team of Web Designers and Web Developers under one roof is a great option, as they are able to allocate specific parts of a Web project between their Web Designer and Web Developer, who are both experts in their fields.