Web Design Vs Web Development: The Major Differences

It’s no surprise that there continues to be a lot of confusion between two critical positions in the website development and design industry. There are several differences between a website designer and a website developer. For the last time, a developer and a designer can be the same person, but the two roles are very different from each other. 

If you have been contemplating a career in website designing or development, understanding the difference between the two roles is essential. Thus, without wasting any time further, let’s discuss the two roles in detail and highlight the most striking differences between the two roles!

Web Design Vs. Web Development: The Major Differences

In another decade, both designers and developers will continue to stay in high demand, but the no-code movement is here to redefine the job roles of both designers and developers. With the arrival of the no-code movement, the job landscape in website creation is undergoing massive changes. 

This creates more reason to understand the primary differences between the two roles. Scroll down and find out the differences between the two!

Suggested Read: How a Responsive Website Helps in Growing Your Business

1. Definition

The web design trends of 2022 will explain this better! Simply put, a website designer is responsible for two things – the visual aesthetics and the convenience experienced by users. Similarly, a website developer is responsible for all the technical aspects of the site, from coding to complete development. 

For example, let’s compare building a website with building a car from scratch. In that case, the developer will work with technical components like the engine and the wheels. Designers, meanwhile, will work on the look and feel of the car. The motive of both roles here is to build a car from scratch that looks good and has no technical issues. 

2. Salaries

Of course, a website developer’s salary will significantly differ from that of a website developer. In fact, website developers are paid a lot more money than website designers. This is because a developer’s role demands more technical expertise. However, with the no-code movement here, things are about to change. 

For instance, in the United States, the average salary of a website developer is 70,863 dollars annually, while that of a website designer is 58,000 dollars annually, on average. However, the rates can obviously differ on the basis of factors like skills, expertise level, location, and experience. 

3. Tools

The advantages of web design and development are several. However, to fully understand the benefits of both, you need to understand the difference between the two. And what is better than differentiating on the basis of tools used by a website developer and a designer. 

The tools used by a website developer:

HTML, Javascript, and CSS are a few programming languages, website developers most commonly work with for building websites and web-based apps. Naturally, for building other aspects of a website like databases, user authentication, email services, and the like, developers use other programming languages as well. 

Website developers take the help of tools like version controls systems and text editors for creating the code that will display all the information on the site. 

The tools used by a website designer:

If you are looking for website design tips for small businesses, you have come to the wrong place. More than tips, we are focussing on the tools used by a designer. A website designer does not need to know how a code functions. They are just responsible for making the code user-friendly and visually pleasing. 

A designer uses Adobe Photoshop, Inkscape Adobe Illustrator, and GIMP for designing purposes. In addition, designers usually monitor data movement and are sometimes even responsible for analytics.

4. Portfolios

A portfolio is a crucial component in your career, whether you are a website designer or a developer. Website designers usually flock to popular sites for designers like Behance.com, Dribble.com, and Upwork for publishing their portfolios. Remember, as a designer, your portfolio must showcase your expertise and creativity in designing websites. 

Website developers, on the other hand, depend upon sites like Github for showcasing their talents in coding and developing websites. In addition, there are other options for website developers, like Amazon Web Services (or AWS) and Heroku.com, both cloud-based services dealing in website hosting.

5. Right-Brained Vs. Left-Brained

It is known that people who are more logical in life are dominated by the left side of their brains, while the right side of the brain dominates creative people. From this, it can be concluded while a website developer is left-brained, a website designer is right-brained. But then again, this seems constrictive. 

An artist can be creative and logical, just like a computer engineer can be creative while working in software technology.

Conclusion

There are several web development challenges that only expert developers can solve without any hassle. Similarly, only experienced designers can provide the look and feel of a smooth functioning and visually appealing site. 

Thus the roles of a website developer are very different from that of a designer, but the relationship between the two is one of a kind – one can’t function without the other!