It isn’t uncommon to hear people interchange the terms ‘web design’ and ‘web development.’ However, they are two different jobs that require different areas of expertise. They also describe two different parts of the web creation process. Curious to know the differences?
Web Design
Web design mainly focuses on the aesthetics and functionality of a website. In other words, they come up with the layout of the website along with its visual elements. The layout of a website should have certain goals in mind when being designed. Once the website’s information ‘hierarchy’ is established, this will help guide the design process. The hierarchy of information is the strategic flow and placement of content throughout a website. This may also be thought of as a ‘conversion funnel.’ The goal of most websites is to turn a visitor into a conversion. A conversion might be as simple as having a website visitor sign up for a newsletter. A conversion could also be a sale, a download, or any sort of interaction with the website.
Web designers use principles of design such as emphasis, balance, alignment, contrast, repetition, proportion, and movement in order to create an aesthetically pleasing layout. Web designers, however, don’t necessarily create graphics like logos and brand symbols. Logos and similar content fall more under the jurisdiction of graphic designers. Graphic designers and web designers will likely work closely with one another to create the design of the website. The design of the website will be finished when the layout, menu, icons, fonts, content, photographs, color scheme, and anything else under the umbrella of design for a particular website is chosen. The web designer will then send the web developer non-interactive stills of what the website should look like. From there, the developer will turn those designs into a dynamic and fully functioning website.
Web Development
Website developers take what web designers give them and create a functional and interactive website. To do so, they utilize programming languages like HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, and more. HTML is a programming language used to create websites. CSS is used to describe the visual presentation of these pages such as the layout, colors, and fonts. Javascript makes the website pages interactive and user-friendly. These are not the only languages used, but rather where most developers start.
Once these basic languages are mastered, libraries and frameworks are then learned. Libraries and frameworks like Bootstrap and JQuery are utilized to speed up and simplify programming languages. Some web developers use content management systems (CMS) programs like WordPress so that they can easily make updates as information about the business changes. There are other CMS programs like Magento, Squarespace, and Wix. However, WordPress is the most commonly used.
Education
While a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field is preferred, it is not required for web developers to have a certain degree or certification, as long as they are able to showcase their skills. With or without a degree, web developers have to be diligent, organized, and constantly willing to learn the next thing in web development.
Need Help with Web Design/Web Development?
The BRMC team has over 15 years of experience in web design, security, and management ranging from small static HTML websites to large-scale e-commerce platforms. We pride ourselves on having seen almost every request and situation preparing us to deliver award-winning products and keep them running 100% of the time. If you are looking for Web Development or Website Management our team is here to help! Or, take a look at the other services that we offer! Contact us today at contact@blueridgemediacompany.com.
