Web design and web development are two different but complementary disciplines, which are used together to create a professional website.
They can overlap in some areas, but there are also many differences between the two.
What Is The Difference Between Web Design and Web Development?
If you’re wondering about the differences between web design vs web development, this post will help you understand how they differ and why you need both.
Web development is the process of developing websites. It can involve coding in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build a fully functional website. It can also involve the use of tools such as WordPress, Shopify, and Squarespace.
Web design, on the other hand, is the process of conceptually designing the appearance and content of a website.
Web design is focused on the look and feel of a website, while web development is focused on the functionality of a website.
In most cases, you start with web design to create a mockup or a visual representation of the website before moving into web development.
The web design process usually looks like this: Research & Discovery -> Planning (Sitemap & Wireframes) -> Website Design (Mockup & Design) -> Web Development (converting design into a working website).
Web Design Stage
The web design stage is the process of creating a visual layout for the content of a website. This includes selecting fonts, picking colors, finding images, and integrating branding guidelines, along with the arrangement of those elements on the page.
During this stage, website designers also decide on the layout of the website, including the use of the main navigation, the sidebars, and the footer. While the process of visual designing a website is straightforward, making it work is a different matter.
Next Stage: Web Development
Web development is an umbrella term for creating and maintaining websites. There are many aspects to web development. For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on web development as a process for building a fully functioning website based on the mockups created during the web design stage.
As we mentioned before there are many technologies and frameworks that can be used to develop a website. When the web started, most websites were built mostly using HTML and CSS. Now there are countless tools available for building websites. Many developers prefer to create websites using Content Management Systems like WordPress. WordPress makes it easy for anyone to build a website, even with minimal technical skills. This is one of the reasons as many as 37% of all websites are using WordPress.
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However, there are numerous other methods and tools for creating websites. They include using the Bootstrap Framework or Visual Website Builders such as Wix and Squarespace.
When you code or use visual builders to create a website, it usually falls under Web Development. Web Development typically follows the web design stage after the design mockups have been completed and approved. Occasionally web designers chose to design websites while they’re building them out and in those instances, web design and development might be done simultaneously.
The developer and web designer are two different roles that play an important part in the process of creating a website. Both roles are crucial to the success of your project.
Both web designers and web developers need to be technical savvy. However, web developers might need to have a more advanced set of computer skills. While web designers must be experts with graphic design and UX tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figment, web developers must be proficient in coding and computer languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and others.
What’s the Difference Between Web Designer and Web Developer.
If you are thinking of pursuing a career as a web designer or web developer then this video is for you.
A web designer is responsible for creating mockups and determining the visual style of the website. He/she typically uses visual design and UX tools and closely works with clients to define the look and functionality of the website. A typical software you need to master to become a designer includes Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma,
A web developer focuses on coding and functionality. He/she writes code that makes websites work. Web developers typically must know HTML, and CSS and also need to master Content Management Systems like WordPress.
Conclusion
As you can see, web design and web development are two different disciplines but work closely together. Understanding the role of each area is vital for building a successful website. To create a good website, the most important thing is to understand the basic difference between web design and web development. Web designers are responsible for the look and feel, layout, and content of a website. Also, they will also define site navigation and usability.
On the other hand, web developers focus on building the website in order to make it look exactly like what the designers have done.
You need to fully understand the role each one plays and how they work together to make sure a website gets built the right way.
