To improve their online presence, businesses are often looking for both web designers and web developers nowadays. While some components of a web designer’s profession match those of a web developer, the line between the two is becoming increasingly blurred. Almost every second person refers to himself or herself as a designer or a developer. But, what is the difference between these two?

Are these two names equivalent in terms of their functions? Most people confuse the two names, although there is a significant distinction between them. Though the matter is debatable, we break down the two words to help you grasp the two distinct components of the web development process and also how they fit together depending on their respective functions. To attain more clarity, it’s critical that you recognize the differences between the two. Therefore, In this article, we discuss the difference between a web designer and a web developer.

Who is a Web Designer?

• Web design is the primary step in learning the principles of how the internet works, and it involves a wide range of topics and fields in the web development process, from visual design to programming skills.
• A web designer’s job is to create the layout for a visually pleasing website, which includes anything you see on a website page, such as words, colors, graphics, and layout.
• They likewise generate their designs with HTML and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).

But hold on a second – there’s even more. Web designers typically specialize in one area, which we’ll discuss ahead.

UX Designer

• The role of a User Experience (UX) web designer is to keep the viewers engaged on the website.
• Since they’ve conducted extensive research into the demographics and web demands of your target audience, they already understand how to design a website that your target audience will appreciate.

UI Designer

• A User Interface  (UI) web designer shapes the way users interact with features on your website, or perhaps the interface.
• This is achieved by translating complicated brand principles and ideals into a webpage that’s delightful and easily navigable.

Visual Designer

• A visual designer is a cross between a UX and UI designer. It’s therefore their responsibility to not only enhance the user experience through their creative and coding abilities but also to resolve design difficulties.
• They also assist in the development of a brand’s own style or tone. In fact, they’re the jack of all trades when it comes to web design, and their exact tasks can vary greatly based on your needs.

Tools Used by Web Designers

• As previously stated, web designers mostly work with visual and graphic tools such as Illustrator, Sketch, Photoshop, and many others.
• To ensure that a person knows how to handle at least basic tools, search them up inside the designer’s résumé.
• Dealing with various prototyping platforms (UXPin or Mockplus), for example, will be a major plus.

Who is a Web Developer?

• Web developers seem to be more technical in nature and are known for their problem-solving abilities. For writing scripts, programs, and apps, they need solid programming skills.
• Developers strive to develop websites that aren’t just aesthetically pleasing, but also completely functional and coded cleanly.
• HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the three main languages used by front-end developers. A web developer’s role includes helping a web designer achieve his or her ideas.
• There are specific jobs for web developers, just as there are for designers, which we’ll go through next.

Back-End Developer

• The core structure of a website is developed on the back-end. Users are not aware of their work since it includes coding on web servers and databases rather than on the browser.
• Their role is to make websites that are logical and easy to use. You will have to learn python, Java or any other programming language to be back-end developer. To learn python, you can use websites likes python for beginners.
• They also devote a significant amount of effort to test and fix bugs.

Front-End Developer

• Client-side developer is another name for this.
• Because it uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to develop elements that the user can view, such as client lead forms, it’s much more closely related to web design than back-end development.

Full-Stack Developers

• A full-stack developer works on multiple layers – or stack – of software, covering the front and back ends. Since they are experts in all areas, it is practically the whole package whenever it comes to web development.

Tools Used

• Professional developers ought to be familiar with IDE software in addition to front-end development tools plus programming languages such as CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.
• They usually include well-known apps like Sublime or WebStorm.
• Working with additional frameworks like Bootstrap or JQuery would be a great benefit for the individual.

Difference Between a Web Designer and Web Developer

Web Designer	Web Developer
Feel and Appearance	Internal Structure
Scheme of colors	Emphasis on the User Interface
Imaginative and Creative	Logical thinking and analytical skills
HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT	Java, C++, .NET

Do You Need the Assistance of a Web Designer or a Web Developer?

The differences between a designer and a developer are now clear. This is crucial data to know because understanding when to hire each of them will make your website live a lot easier. Take a glance at our list below for a short overview of when to use each one.

1.       Create a new homepage design – Web Designer

2.       Create a brand-new contact form – Web Developer

3.       Develop a mobile application – Web Developer

4.       Develop a unique website branding concept – Web Designer

5.       Issues with the server/hosting to be resolved – Web Developer

6.       Photo and video editing – Web Designer

While some components of a web designer’s job resemble those of a developer, there is a fine line between the two. A web designer interprets a client’s requirements to create a website’s layout as well as other visual aspects, whereas a web developer creates the website’s backbone, generally from the ground up, utilizing various technologies such as HTML, JavaScript, CSS, jQuery, Python, and others. Because a website must appear beautiful and function effectively, both designers and developers must work together to create a website that is both visually appealing and fully functioning.

However, as more designers learn to code, the distinction between the two is becoming increasingly blurred.

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