If you are wondering what the difference is between a website designer or what is a website developer, look no further.
There are specific differences between web designers and web developers and often times, especially if you need a new website created, utilizing both is better.
A website designer helps create a site a visitor will be attracted to, want to return to, and refer to others to. They research, plan, conceptualize and arrange content or design elements for online use. A website developer builds, creates, and maintains websites or web applications. They make sure the website runs smoothly, loads fast, and delivers a seamless experience to the user or visitor.
What is a website designer?
A Website Designer
Makes your website look attractive and appealing to your audience. They are well versed in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and more. A web designer will focus more on the aesthetics through style and overall feel of the web pages within a website. Many web designers also have niches. They might be a UX web designer, UI web designer or a mix of the two – a visual designer. Here are the differences.
A User Experience Website Designer
Also known as a UX website designer, looks for ways to keep website pages sticky or attractive to a visitor. So, when they visit, they stay for a while, they return, and they promote your website to others. How does a UX web designer know how to do this? Usually through in-depth research about your company, your target market, your competition, and website needs.
A User Interface Website designer
Also called a UI website designer, helps improve the way a visitor interacts with elements on your website. The designer does this by translating complex information into bite size, easy to understand, and navigable information. User interface website designers focus on appearance of the website, whereas, User experience designers focus more on the research involved in building a solid foundation for a positive visitor experience within that website.
A Visual Website designer
Marries both UX and UI disciplines into one. They improve the user journey through their creative hand and coding skills. Plus, they also solve design issues and tell a brand’s story through content and images.
What is a website developer?
A Website Developer
Builds out a web designer’s concept for a new website. They build the programming that makes a website work. Think of the website designer as the visionary and the website developer as the builder. Similar to designers, there are specific fields for developers as well.
A Back-end Website Developer
Is an expert in programming and using complex software languages such as HTML, Javascript, SQL and CSS for the website’s core structure. A visitor to the site doesn’t see this coding because it is housed on servers and within databases. They create logical, functional websites using various programs and they test for bugs and fix problems.
A Front-end Website Developer
Is an expert with HTML, CSS and Javascript to create what the visitor or user can see. For example, a contact form. They have coding skills, but they build frameworks users or visitors interact with.
A Full- stack Developer
Are website developers that work across different layers (or stacks) that cover both back-end and front-end creation. Full-stack developers are very helpful because they cover all areas of development from back to front.
Do you need a website designer or a website developer?
Since the definitions were covered above, understanding which you may need for a particular project should be easier. Here are some examples:
Hire a Website Designer if you need someone to help…
- Provide concepts of your new website branding.
- Edit photos and videos.
Hire a Website Developer if you need someone to help…
- Design a new home page layout.
- Build a new contact form.
- Fix server or hosting issues.
- Create a mobile app.
And you may need both when…
- Building a new website from scratch.
- Revamping your old website with new functionality and fresh design.
Have questions? Need help? Your iKANDE team is ready to support you! Contact us here…
