Web Design vs Web Development
Whether you are interested in web design or web development, there are many different factors that you need to consider. These factors include the type of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) that you are looking for, the scope of your project, and your budget. These factors will help you make an informed decision about whether you need to hire a web designer or web developer.
UX Design
UI UX design and web development are two professions that can be very rewarding. They are both creative and fast-paced and require much attention to detail.
UX design focuses on the customer’s needs, while web development is concerned with building the structure and design of a website. Both are necessary for building a quality user experience. However, the differences between the two can be confusing.
UI UX design involves designing a visually appealing user interface. This includes adjusting images, fonts, and other colors. Web developers create the underlying code that makes an interface work.
UX design uses various tools, such as information architecture, content curation, and usability testing, to create products that solve specific needs and meet user expectations. It’s also concerned with eliciting emotions from users throughout the entire experience. The key to a successful UX is foresight.
UX design is a multidisciplinary field and requires extensive knowledge of psychology and visual design. It also requires an understanding of human behavior and a deep understanding of the client’s needs.
UI Design
UI design and web development have some similarities, but they also have some differences. Understanding their differences can help you make better design decisions and communicate better with your team. If you’re considering a career in both UI design and web development, consider these differences before making your final decision.
While web development is a more technical profession, UI design is a more artistic profession. UI design involves creating the aesthetics and feel of an interface. UI design involves creating screens, typography, and sounds.
UI design also involves a user’s experience, whereas web development involves creating the underlying code that makes an interface work. Understanding the differences between these two areas can help you create a product that’s both beautiful and intuitive.
UI design and web development have similar areas of knowledge and skill, but they have different uses. For example, UI design can include elements like gamification. Gamification is a type of design that helps make your product more fun to use.
Front-end vs. back-end
Unlike the back end, the front end is what the user sees in the browser. It is the structural skeleton of a website, and it establishes its structure. The front end also provides the user with information. Its interface should be user-friendly. Ideally, the front end should load quickly and respond to the user’s action. If the front end is unfriendly, users may leave the site.
The back end is the programming that is hidden behind the curtain. It includes the server, the database, and the application. The back end also includes complex logic that helps the site perform certain tasks. These developers use APIs, which allow the website to communicate with other services and resources. The back end of a website includes the database, which is like a huge Excel spreadsheet.
Back-end development is important for the overall performance of a website. The back end works hand in hand with the front end to ensure that the website works properly and can be accessed efficiently.
Specialties
Choosing the right specialization in web design vs. web development can be a daunting task. You must choose wisely. The wrong choice can set back your professional development timeline. Choosing the wrong specialization can also cause you to miss out on a valuable career opportunity.
A web designer creates a website’s overall look and feel. They may also be responsible for maintaining the site after it launches. Web designers use various tools such as visual editors like Photoshop or InVision Studio. They may also use templating services. They work closely with web developers. Web developers use coding libraries, frameworks, and code versioning to build a website. Web developers are also responsible for identifying problems with functionality and layout. They can also fix technical issues in the product.
Web designers focus on the visual aspects of a website. They are responsible for creating icons, interface buttons, and call-to-action layouts. They also create mockups and prototypes to test ideas. Then, they send prototypes to developers for coding.
The difference between web development and web design can seem confusing. From a business perspective, the two may seem synonymous. However, these two terms have very different and distinct roles in the website-building process.
Web design includes the usability and the aesthetic portion of a website – the “carpet and drapes” of the site. A designer will use a variety of design programs to create the visual elements and the layout of the website. On the other hand, a web developer will take a website design and produce an actual functioning website. A website developer will use CSS, HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and many other programming languages to provide life to the design files.
Let’s begin by taking a closer look at web design. A web designer will begin by taking a client’s website objectives into consideration. The designer will then proceed on to an information architect, which will set up the informational content of a website and help to guide the design process. He/she follows this up by creating “wireframes” and, finally, go on to the design stage. A web designer uses a variety of basic design principles to achieve an aesthetically pleasing layout.
There are specific design principles required for any website design. These principles include balance, contrast, emphasis, consistency, and unity. For example, with balance, it is important for the designer to create a layout that has balance both in visual weight and contrast. The designer will often use a combination of heavy and light. “Heavy” refers to dark colors and large portions, while “light” refers to lighter colors and smaller portions. Achieving a balanced website design using the correct proportion of both heavy and light is critical to thematic consistency.
Additionally, the designer will look at contrasting textures, sizes, and shapes to draw specific attention to various website sections. This consistency is also called “rhythm” or “repetition,” and it is a critical web design principle that will help to provide an exceptional experience for any website visitor. Unity brings the various parts of a website layout together and helps the human brain to visually organize important information by grouping various elements into understandable and relatable categories.
Let’s now continue by taking a closer look at web development. A web developer may often be referred to as a “programmer.” It is he or she who will take the creative design and construct a fully functioning website. It may be easier to understand this by imagining that the design is the website’s picture. A web developer will then take that design or picture and dissect it into components. Finally, the programmer will finish by using a programming language to develop the website pages, allowing them to communicate effectively with one another and the user.
Having both web design and web development experience, Salterra Digital Services is uniquely qualified to help you achieve your maximum potential through your web presence. Contact us today to set up a consultation and review our portfolio!
