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A comparison of web design and website development will be the first step. What distinguishes a web designer from a web developer? That was an easy question to answer in the early days of the internet: designers design, and developers code.
You’d be hard pushed to find a web designer nowadays who didn’t know at least a little HTML and CSS, and you won’t have to seek long for a front-end web developer who can whip out a storyboard.
Today, that question demands a bit more complexity. However, the contrast is a little clearer when discussing web design vs. web development in terms of broad notions. Let’s examine these two ideas and the parts they play in creating the working websites and applications that we are all familiar with. So keep reading!
What is Web Design?
Different graphical components are explicitly created for usage online as part of web design. Infographics, advertising, and logos may all be made by designers. However, a lot of attention is paid to a website’s visual aesthetic, which is also the subject of this film.
Some everyday tasks performed by web designers include:
- wireframe prototypes for designs
- Create landing pages, internal pages, and homepages.
- Develop and redesign websites in collaboration with developers and project managers.
When creating websites, designers frequently concentrate on how to provide users with a positive user experience (UX). The components of your site may be made by them using programs like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.
Ensuring the user is at the forefront of everything you produce is the focus of the burgeoning web design discipline, UX design. UX designers ensure websites are responsive to multiple devices and have a clear, usable layout.
Designers may be familiar with coding languages like HTML and CSS, but a large portion of their job is concerned with how a website looks.
What is Web Development?
Web developers, therefore, work on making those graphics come to life while web designers concentrate on the aesthetics of a website. The main functionality of a website will be develop using several computer languages, such as HTML, PHP, and Java. Functionality can include what occurs when a button is click or how the primary navigation loads when a user scrolls or clicks on it.
- WordPress
- Magento
- Joomla
- Drupal
A significant percentage of a web developer’s job is dedicated to maintaining websites, monitoring security, upgrading the CMS, and providing web support for any problems that may emerge.
Web development and design should be interdependent, crucial areas if you wish to improve your website. Most of the time, it is not designer vs. developer. For a contemporary website to function successfully for users, you need both.
What Do a Web Design and Web Development Agency Do?
You get the best of both worlds when you work with an agency specializing in web design and development. To start with, you have a team of individuals working to ensure that your website reflects your corporate identity and appears contemporary.
You want a video on your homepage. On that, designers and developers can collaborate. Do you want to make interactive narrative graphs? The same is true for designers and developers.
For more people to find you when they use Google, Bing, or another search engine, your team will probably include search engine optimization (SEO) in your web design package if you select a full-service firm. Since organic search is thought to account for more than half of all website traffic, SEO is crucial.
Your website must be attractive, offer a positive user experience, and be search engine optimize to be successful. A competent design and development team will ensure all of these requirements.
To create the website you’ve always wanted, your web design team, often led by a project manager, will consult with you to determine your goals and preferences. They’ll take the time to learn about your industry and its rivals, so you can be sure that your website accurately represents your firm.
Why not employ a designer and a coder if you’re debating which to choose? Alternatively, you might hire a group of accomplished web design and development experts to do the task.
Elements of Web Design
The renowned designer Paul Rand stated, “Design is a problem-solving activity,” in his article The Politics of Design. It gives a way to make a phrase, a picture, a thing, or an event clearer, more concise, and dramatic.
Users should be able to navigate websites efficiently and carry out their desired actions. A disgruntled user is less likely to remain on a website, much less return.
Layout:
A website’s header, navigation bar, footer, content, and images are arrange according to its layout. The layout is determine by the website’s goal and how the web designer wants the user to interact with it. A journalistic website would emphasize text and letter spacing, whereas a photographic website would prioritize large, attractive photographs.
Visual Hierarchy:
A user should be able to find the data they require on a website quickly. Visual hierarchy enters the scene at this point. Choosing which aesthetic elements of the website should stand out utilizing size, color, spacing, and other factors are known as a visual hierarchy.
This article’s headers serve as a simple illustration of visual hierarchy. They rapidly explain the subject of this post to you, the reader.
Navigation:
Users may move from point A to point B using navigational elements like site layout, menus, and search bars. Thanks to simple, effective navigation, users may quickly and easily access the information they’re seeking.
Color:
A website’s color scheme gives it individuality, helps it stand out, and instructs visitors on what to do. The current identification of a business or a website’s content may influence the color scheme (like how this plant website uses hues of green). An organized color scheme lends structure to a website.
Graphics:
A website’s pictures, symbols, and logos are known as graphics. They ought to harmonize with the style, content, and color scheme.
Speed:
The time it takes for a website to load determines a user’s initial impression. The likelihood is that the user won’t remain if it takes too long.
Accessibility:
The accessibility of a website determines who may and cannot use it—prioritizing accessibility guarantees that a website’s features are equally accessible to and usable by all users.
Final Verdict
For modest projects, when one or two individuals can handle both the back and front of an application, feel free to depend on the “unicorn” as a general guideline. More precisely define responsibilities are still needed even if you can find a few “unicorns” for larger projects.
