What is the difference between web design and web development? If you are trying to build a new website, then you are probably asking that question. While the two concepts are different, there is a cross-over in skills that web designers and developers use. It would be hard to find a web designer that doesn’t do some front-end development or a web developer that can not build a site mockup. Let’s look at the differences and their roles in building websites.
Web Design
The two main components of web design are visual aesthetics and usability. The primary focus of web design is what users see on their screens, not the mechanisms that make it work. The website’s design will bring a pleasant digital experience using color, typography, images, and layout.
Common skills and tools used in web design are:
- Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator)
- Logo Design
- Layout/format
- Branding
- Wireframes & mock-ups
- Color palettes
- Typography
Web Development
The primary focus of web development is how the website works. Developers focus on writing the code of a website that makes the website function. Web development has two categories called front-end and back-end development.
Front-end web development focuses on how the website displays to users based on the design mockup. Back-end web development manages the data within the database that serves data that the front-end presents. Front-end development has some overlap in responsibilities with web design.
Common skills for web development are:
- HTML/CSS/JavaScript
- CSS preprocessors
- Libraries (jQuery)
- Git and GitHub
Why Web Design and Web Development are Important
Technology has expanded in many ways over the years, pushing a lot of business online out of convenience or necessity. Whether it is the lack of supply or just the convenience of shopping online, people have utilized the internet for purchasing goods and services. The increase has allowed companies to compete at a much higher level by building an online presence.
With an increase in demand for online shopping, there has also been a saturation of the market. Therefore, it extremely important to have a website with visual appeal and a pleasant user interface. If users find your site hard to use or not visually appealing, they won’t come back.
What You Can Do to Improve Your Website
There are many things you can do to improve your existing website. You can focus on SEO (Search Engine Optimization), redesign pages, or expand on the content you currently have. These improvements are all based on the current quality of and how user-friendly the site.
SEO is an essential tool that website owners should use but should not be prioritized over a website’s functionality and design. The ability for users to find your website is crucial, although if your website’s user experience is lacking, you won’t see an increase in sales.
Do you Need Web Design or Web Development Done?
Are you looking to launch a new website, web development, or great hosting? Nextfly Web Design can help you with this and a lot more. Contact us now and set up a site audit with one of our specialists today!