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

Web Designer vs Web Developer: what is the Difference & whom to hire – Do you know, on average, a person spends more than 6 hours of the day on the internet? And after this pandemic, they prefer to explore online for their needs. According to Statistics, “ 94% of the impression of your website depends upon your website looks.

That’s why you need to maintain your website look; for this, you need to hire a professional web designer and developer. Web designers can maintain your front-end and web developers can manage your backend ( we will discuss it in the blog further ). 

But many people can not understand the difference between a Web Designer and a Web Developer.

This blog will discuss the difference between Web designers and web developers, including their primary skills, roles, payment, and many more. So, let’s understand more about them as well as when to hire web designers and hire web developers. 

What is the difference between a Web Designer and Web Developer?

Web designers manage the look and feel of your website frontend. They design the user experience and create an interface that is aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable to use.

On the other hand, Web developers focus on functionality of the website backend. They build the backend of your website to work as it should and provide all the features needed to succeed.

What is a Web Designer and what do they do?

Web designers focus on the appearance of your website. Their goal is to make it aesthetic and, at the same time, user-friendly and search engine friendly.

Web designers create UI/UX for your website, create conversion-generating elements and ensure mobile responsiveness for all your pages. They usually meet with clients before working on a website and discuss what type of website pages they want to create and what features they want to offer.

Once this information is set, web designers create an interface and UX design that is simple and user-friendly.

To ensure their design is effective, web designers will conduct usability tests and survey potential users for feedback. They will also be kept up to date with the latest website trends and technologies to ensure they create a modern and unique website experience.

What is a Web Developer and what do they do?

Web developers can build whole websites from scratch. Their work involves a lot of technical work and experience with complex coding techniques and advanced programming languages.

Unlike a web designer, who is primarily responsible for the look and feel, web developers are responsible for execution. Web designers come up with interesting and creative features for your site, but web developers bring these features to life.

This includes coding and configuring the frontend and backend, user functions, as well as the backend servers and databases that support the frontend.

Once the website is launched, the work for the developer does not end. They conduct post-launch tests and provide ongoing support to websites after they go live. This includes regular website maintenance as well as fixing any bugs that may have been overlooked during the development process.

In the nutshell, web designers are responsible for the look and feel of a website. On the other hand, web developers manage the overall structure and functionality of the website.

Types of Web Designer vs Web Developer 

Both web developers and web designers have various types of tasks. To understand better there are some major types of web designer and web developer. 

Types of Web Designers

It is important to note that not all web designers perform the same tasks. Most of them have unique specialties that narrow their focus to just one or two aspects of your website design.

Here are 3 most common types of web designers:

• User Experience Designer: UX designers are responsible for ensuring that users have a pleasant experience when interacting with your website. They create layouts and designs based on user feedback and data collected about your target audience.

• User Interface Designer: UI designers focus on individual user interactions with your website. They assess various elements on your website and determine how users perceive them as they browse your content. While UX designers make more data-driven decisions, UI designers are more concerned with your website’s overall look and feel.

• Visual Designer: Visual designers work on both user interface and user experience. They ensure that your website has the right balance between aesthetically pleasing features and easy-to-use features. They also address design issues and ensure that the website positions the brand in the right way.

Now, which web designer you need to hire depends on the stage of your website design work. So, according to that you may need to hire one, two, or all three of these roles to ensure their design is attractive and user-friendly.

Types of Web Developers

Here are the most common web developers types that can help you to more understand them.

• Backend Developer: Backend developers work on all the features that occur behind the scenes of your website. This includes server frameworks, coding databases, and advanced programming languages. Their job is to ensure that the site works properly and continues to work.

• Frontend Developer: Frontend developers code everything a user sees when interacting with a website. They use HTML, Javascript, CSS, and other coding languages ​​to create the visual elements that appear on your pages.

Much of their work overlaps with the design team, and they often work with designers to create various features or elements on the site.

• Full stack developer: A full stack developer can pretty much do anything. They can work on both the frontend and backend of your website – depending on where they are needed. They are all-around web developers.

If you’re trying to build a massive website or have a big enough budget, you might want to hire both a frontend developer and a backend developer. However, in some cases, a full-stack developer creates an effective website.

While considering hiring a web developer or web designer—or considering a career in one of these fields—you want to ensure you’re hiring the right person for the job. With that in mind, below are some skills needed to be a successful web designer and web developer.

Web Designer and Web Developer: Skills

Let’s discuss the skills of both web designer and web developer. 

Web Designer Skills:

• Creativity and problem solving
• Understanding design principles
• Content editing and graphic design skills
• Communication and customer service
• SEO friendly design 
• Basic knowledge of various coding languages
• Interpersonal skills
• Understanding of marketing and business strategy
• Project management

Now that we’ve covered what it takes to be a good web designer, here are the skills needed to be an effective web developer.

Web DeveloperSkills:

Knowledge of various front-end coding languages ​​such as HTML, CSS, and Javascript

Knowledge of various backend coding languages ​​such as PHP, WordPress, Shopify, Magento Java, and Ruby

• Analytical skills
• Experience with content management systems (CMS) and e-commerce platforms
• Communication skills
• Creative problem solving
• Experience with APIs
• Project management
• Interpersonal skills
• Ability to multitask
• Delivery work on time

Mastering all these skills is part of being a great web developer or web designer. Another part is being able to use the tools at your disposal effectively. Let’s look at a few of the most common tools that web developers and web designers use daily.

Web Designer vs Web Developer: Major Tools 

To understand the difference between web designers and web developers let so their tools that they use during their work. 

Tools for web designers

Here are some tools that web designers use:

• Content management system (CMS)
• Graphics editor
• Screen design tools
• Project management software
• Wireframe tools
• Debugging tools
• Software for internal communication
• User testing tools

There are different providers for each of these tools. The ones web designers use will depend on the organization they work for, their experience with certain tools, and their budget for the project.

Tools for Web Developers

Here are the most common tools that web developers use:

• Code editors
• Version control systems
• Web application frameworks
• Front-end application frameworks
• API tools
• Prototyping tools
• Project management software
• Software for internal communication

It’s important to note that web developers can use some of the same tools that web designers use. With that in mind, it doesn’t hurt to hire a web developer who also has experience with web design tools and vice versa.

Web Designer vs Web Developer Pay

It depends on the country where they are from and what the basic payment scale is as per industry payscale. The average salary for a web designer is approx $51,000 per year, and the average annual salary for a web developer is $73,708/ year in the USA.

When it comes to calculating how much it will cost to build your website, you need to consider that designers and developers are usually paid by the hour. In the United States, the average web designer is paid around $24/hour, while the average web developer is paid $36/hour.

So if it takes 30 hours to build your website, it will cost you $1,080. Depending on how big or complicated you want your website to be, this estimate can go up or down based on your designers’ and developers’ time on a project.

However, if you are unsure who to hire as a web designer or web developer, let’s continue to the next section. Here you learn about the tasks and timing of when you should hire a web designer and web developer.

Web Designer vs Web Developer: When to hire?

Having both a web developer and a web designer can go a long way when it comes to building your website. However, you don’t necessarily need to hire both to create a successful website.

Depending on your goals and vision, you may need to hire a web designer to customize your website. For example, suppose you only want to create an essential website. You may want to hire a web designer who can test its usability and provide feedback on the layout and design of your website.

On the other hand, if you want to create a highly complex website with advanced features, you will probably need a web developer who can bring your ideas to life. 

If you are still confused about whom to hire, let’s explore our next section of this web designer vs web developer guide. 

Do You Need a Web Designer vs a Web Developer?

The answer to this question totally depends upon you and your requirements. If you have a do-it-yourself mentality and need help making your site look and feel great, you may want to hire a web designer. 

On the other hand, if you have a large and complex proposal that requires a lot of time and effort, you’ll probably want to hire a developer to lead the construction of your site. And in some cases, you’ll want both to ensure your site looks great, works as designed, and is finished on time.

Both positions play an important role in web development, and each can make your site stand out from the rest. To hire them for your business, consider what you want to do with your website and the information above and find someone who understands your goals and can bring your vision to life.

Conclusion:-

After this in-depth discussion, you get clear about which one you need to hire, a Web designer vs Web developer. But if you still have any doubts, then you can contact India’s leading Web Design and web development company Pixlogix Infotech Pvt. Ltd. They have professionals and experienced web designers and web developers who are able to build your dream website.

This is the best place for hiring a professional web developer and web designer. They have an experienced team who can solve all your queries and provide you with a top-notch solution. So, feel free to contact them today and hope you enjoy a lot and get the idea between web designers and web developers.