It’s common to be perplexed about the differences between web designers and web developers if you want to pursue a career as a web creator. Together, the web designer and web developer work diligently to bring a website to the world. They share several tools and skill sets, so it’s simple to get them confused. However, the jobs of designers and developers are very different, and they work on very diverse aspects of creating websites.
A web designer is a graphic artist who is responsible for designing the layout, usability, and visual appearance of a website. A web developer is someone who builds and maintains the core structure of a website.
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Web Designer
Web designers have a varied set of tasks and responsibilities. A web designer is like an architect who develops a vision of the website, its look, feel, and function. The main tasks of the designer range from user research and information architecture to typography and UI (user interface) design. However, a designer’s role revolves around creating the layout and visual aspects of a website.
The main responsibility of Web Designers is to focus on the style and overall feel of the website using different software like Photoshop, Corel Draw, etc to make the website more attractive. A successful web designer must possess an array of creative, graphic, and technical skills.
Types of Web Designers
There are different types of web designers, each focusing on a unique and specific type of work. These are:
- User Experience (UX)
- User Interface (UI)
- Visual
User Experience (UX) Designer:
UX designers help ensure the website is structured in a way that engages visitors and delivers a positive experience. Their role is to create human-centric designs that are based on data-driven decisions. This involves conducting a lot of research and testing to gather and analyze data, which is used to inform their final design choices.
User interface (UI) designer:
UI designers also play an important role in the design of a website. In addition to the experience it provides, they also prioritize interactions. More specifically, their role is to enhance the usability of a website and optimize it in a way that helps encourage conversions.
Visual Designers
Visual designers, as the title suggests, work with the layout and visual elements of a website. This work combines certain aspects of both UX and UI design. The duties of a visual designer are based on ensuring that the interface is both aesthetically pleasing and easy to use.
Skills Required for Web Designer
Depending on their particular responsibilities and specialties, web designers require distinct skill sets. However, in order to succeed, web designers often need the following abilities:
- Knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- Understanding the Principles of website design and web accessibility standards
- Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
- Understanding responsive and interactive design fundamentals
- User journey mapping
- Wireframing and prototyping
- Strong Communication and Collaboration skills
- Branding, color theory, and typography
- Ability to design tools and software
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Web Developer
Often, programmers are referred to as web developers. A web developer acts like a construction worker, turning the architect’s vision into a functional website. A developer uses programming languages like HTML, JavaScript, CSS to build the website’s framework, fix bugs, and make it functional. Developers have to cover a wide set of tasks, from programming the UI to maintaining the server-side of websites.
More specifically, the duties of a web developer involve constructing the website itself. This includes coding and configuring the server and databases on the back end, as well as incorporating user-facing features and functionality. They also perform testing and debugging and may handle an array of post-launch services, such as providing ongoing support and maintenance and fixing server or hosting issues.
Web developers are responsible for collaborating with UX designers, UI designers, and visual designers to create web pages based on the design provided by the designer.
Types of Web Developers
Web developers typically concentrate on a handful of programming languages. However, the languages they employ will vary depending on the web development work they conduct. There are three major kinds of web developers:
- Front-end developers
- Back-end developers
- Full-stack developers
Front-End Web Developers
Front-end developers code the actual website using CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and other languages, as well as Content Management Systems (CMS) such as WordPress. Front-end development, also known as client-side development, largely involves coding and programming the visual elements of a website that users will see. As such, there is a fair amount of overlap and collaboration between front-end developers and web designers.
Back-End Web Developers
Back-end developers code the database and server using advanced programming languages such as PHP, C#, Java, Ruby, and SQL, as well as NodeJS and other server-side frameworks. Back-end development, also known as server-side development, mainly encompasses the aspects of the website happening ‘behind the scenes’, which visitors don’t see from the front end.
Full-Stack Web Developers
Finally, full-stack developers code both the front and back end of a website. They have a solid understanding of how these parts work and function together. In addition to coding web pages using CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, full-stack developers also set up and configure servers, code Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), query databases, and more.
Skills Required for Web Developer
- Coding and programming languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP
- Ability to work with JavaScript frameworks like jQuery
- Testing and debugging skills
- Back-ends and databases
- Understanding of Content Management Systems like WordPress etc.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Problem-solving and analytical thinking
- Communication and collaboration skills
Tools Used for Web Designing and Web Development
Web development tools
Web developers work with programming languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript to create websites and web applications.
They will also most likely utilize other languages to set up email services, user authentication, databases, and other technical aspects of websites.
To do this, developers use several essential tools like text editors, command line interface, and version control systems to build the technical information (the code) that will present the data.
Web design tools
Web designers are not primarily responsible for knowing how the code works—but making sure it’s aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly for website visitors.
They will utilize graphics design software—including products like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Inkscape (an excellent alternative to Photoshop), and GIMP.
Ultimately, they will design the layout of the website through constructing prototypes and wireframes. Designers control the flow of information and can even be responsible for website analytics.
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Difference between Web Designer and Web Developer
| Web Designer | Web Developer |
| Web Designers are very creative. | Web Developers are more technical. |
| Web designers are the aesthetic element. | Web development refers to building user-friendly websites based on clients’ specifications. |
| They transform the ideas into visually appealing designs. | They transform designs into fully functional websites. |
| Web designers refer to how the website looks and feels on the outside. | Web development refers to the functionality of the website on how it works. |
| Web designers create the idea and style of a website, creating a mockup based on visual, UX, and UI features. | Web developers decide whether the concept is financially and technically feasible, and then only starts with further step of coding the site.. |
| The function of a web designer is concerned with the website’s visual and creative aspects and less concerned with technicality. | Web developers must be technically savvy. This includes comprehending sophisticated programming languages and frameworks. |
Types of Web Designers-
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Types of Web Developers-
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| The hiring cost of a web designer is comparatively less than a web developer. | The hiring cost of a web developer is more than a web developer. |
| Most web designers learn about typography and the visual features of a website. | These are responsible for converting those designs into real websites. They use web tools and programming languages to create the design and functionality of a website. |
| The main role of Web designers is to manage design and layout of a website that implies the graphical components of a website. A web designer is responsible for keeping a balance between a website’s visual components and its usefulness., | The main role of a developer is to keep check on the functioning of a website and to see how it works. Web developers manage these aspects of a website-developing, coding, and modifying websites. |
| Web designing tools include Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Sketch etc. | Languages used are HTML, PHP, JavaScript, CSS, Python, Ru |
Web Designer and Web Developer Salary
Web Designer Salaries:
Web designer salaries can vary depending on web designing job role, location, and years of experience.
According to Glassdoor.com,
- The average annual web designer salary in the US is about $53k.
- The average base pay of a web designer in India is ₹3,23,643 per annum.
- The average annual web designer salary in the UK is about £33,802.
Web Developer Salaries:
Web developer salaries tend to be higher than web designer salaries primarily because of the coding skills of developers, which is highly valued in today’s increasingly digital world.
According to Glassdoor.com,
- The average annual web developer salary in the US is about $77k, with senior developers earning up to $131k
- The average salary of a web developer in India is ₹ ₹4,00,000/year
- The average annual web developer salary in the UK is about £40,319
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