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Web Designer vs Web Developer: What’s the difference?

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Mika, Staff Writer

Friday, 25 June 2021

Web Design

In today’s modern world, crafting your company website is one of the most important stepping stones towards business success. Knowing how to design a website and maintain its contents is not as straightforward as you may first think. Hiring a web designer or web developer is a great way of taking the pressure off and gaining professional results. 

Knowing whether to hire a web designer or a web developer can be a confusing decision if you’re not aware of the intricate differences. Let’s take a look at the differences between these two services, how they can help you and what they can both bring to your company and its website.    

What is Web Design?

  • Creates a website's image and overall look
  • Creates a website that is responsive i.e. compatible on a desktop or mobile (known as responsive design)
  • Decides colour themes, fonts, and layout
Web Design

One of the most common phrases you’ll hear when it comes to building a website is ‘web designer.’ But, what is the role of the web designer and a website design company? Although a web designer’s roles and responsibilities can vary, their main focus is creating the website’s layout, image, and overall look. The designer takes into consideration the whole aesthetic and feel of the website, enabling it to be both what you want as a business and what is best for the eye of the customer visiting the website.

A web design agency will ensure that your website is one that your customers want to stay on, both as it’s pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate. Web designers will also construct website features that will encourage conversion-generating elements, bringing a monetized element to the site. The designer is also key in creating a website that is accessible from both a computer and any handheld device.

Web design jobs also take into consideration the newest trends, be that colour schemes, fonts or the layout of your website. In short, hiring a web designer will ensure your website is physically constituted how you wish and with a flare that will inevitably attract a customer base.

What does a web developer do?

  • Ensures the site runs correctly
  • Creates core components of the website
  • Uses programming language to create the things users see on the website
Web Development

Aside from designing a website, you will also need to employ an employee or company as a website developer. A web developing company is the nuts and bolts of the operation; taking a step away from the attractive colour schemes and new fonts, they are the experts that will be the ones that keep the site online, running perfectly. As we said earlier, a web designer will be the one that creates these ideas of style and approach; the web developer’s job is to make these things physically possible with techniques such as coding and advanced programming languages.

Once these things are in place, your business website will need to be maintained, free of bugs and changes in the user’s experience of the website. Issues such as hosting, servers and connectivity can also be tested and fixed by a web developer, meaning you may need to keep on on speed dial during those early company days.

When you’re hiring a web developer, it’s important to remember there is not just one straightforward version of the profession as it is broken into three different categories. We can take a closer look at these different types of web developers and what they entail.

Frontend developer vs backend developer

The first type of web developer is the back-end developer, i.e. the person who designs the website’s core components. These components sit in the back-end of the website and are not visible or tangible parts of the site. This includes coding on web servers and databases, as opposed to on a web browser. Employing someone who has completed a back-end developer internship is the first step to bringing the designer’s vision to life.

The front-end developer is often known as the client-side developer, showing that this role deals with aspects that customers and users can see and interact with. Front-end developers tend to use interface and programming languages such as HTML, Javascript and CSS. In simple terms, these developers create the things users see on your website, so their employment and work will be kept to the development of your website and business.

What is a full-stack developer?

A full-stack developer is a combination of all the skills required to develop a website in all its manifestations. Drawing on back-end developer skills and front-end developer skills, the full-stack developer is the all-around qualified package. Although full-stack developers have more of an all-around approach to web development, they are far more costly to employ. Employing a full-stack developer may mean paying that extra, but with such vast knowledge, the payment is more than worth it in the end.  

To sum up

Web Design

Knowing whether to hire a web designer or a web developer all depends on the type of task you require. If you need someone to design a homepage layout or format pictures and videos on your site, a web designer will be the one for you. However, if you are creating an app, fixing hosting and server issues or simply need to craft a contact form, a web developer is key. Finding the balance between the two will enable you to create the best website for you and your business. Whatever you're looking for, find the perfect professional for your project on Bark.

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