You may have noticed that there’s still confusion between a web designer and a web developer. If you are thinking to start a web project, it can be hard to know where to start. Many professionals identify themselves as either one of them, but what does it mean?
A designer’s job.
A designer’s job is to create an aesthetically pleasing and usable website. They use graphics and graphic design software like Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch and many others to create a website for your online adventures.
While some designers know the basics of HTML/CSS is more important for them to have a strong grasp on a variate of concepts including typography, color, space, audience and user experience.
A developer’s job
Many aspects of a developer job resemble that of a designer but are quite different.
A developer builds your website, usually from the ground up or by modifying an existing theme or kit. He/she knows languages specific to the web, HTML, CSS, Javascript/jQuery, PHP, Ruby, Python, and many others. They don’t always focus to make visually pleasing websites but to make sure they write clean code and bug-free.
The best developers are detail-oriented and keen on specifics.
Working together
As a web developer, one of the best decisions I made was to pair with a designer. It was tough in the beginning to communicate in a way that both parties understood the goals since there is so much jargon on each side. Here are some tips to close the gap.
- At all cost, avoid jargon.
- Show people how things should look or work.
- Be open to ideas. Sometimes designers love to go overboard with their creativity and might make things hard to achieve. A developer can help a designer understand what can be done and can’t in the time available.
- Learn about each other’s job. Read the basics, asks lots of questions and try to understand your peer.
Conclusion
If you are looking to hire a web designer or developer, hopefully, this article helped cleared the misconception between a web designer and web developer.
Have more questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us and we will gladly help you.