Websites are used in virtually every facet of our everyday lives. All social media sites have websites and or apps. Most workplaces have an intranet which is accessed via the internet. And mostly every mobile device has a link in someway or another to the web.
Users choose sites that make it easier for them to identify and complete their goals, whether they are looking for plain information, amusement, or to do their jobs. Everyone expects a quick and easy web experience, and site owners want websites that reflect their brands and help them achieve their business objectives. And with the surge in home working since Covid 19 hit, it’s no wonder so many people have decided that they wish to have careers that offer a better work-life balance. Both web designer and web developer roles can offer the flexibility that people want, however, is it better to be a web designer or a web developer? Let’s take a closer look.
Is it better to be a Web designer or a Web developer? A Brief Overview
You may think that working as a web designer is ideal because you get to create beautiful things for the Internet and channel all of your creative juices into typography pairings, colour schemes, compositions, building wireframes, and giving website designs that certain using your Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and WordPress skills.
However, web development may sound like a tempting career as well as we frequently hear students comment that being a developer sounds like the “smarter” choice in tech due to the huge pay that web developers can command. And that in some cases it doesn’t even matter if the person obtained a professional qualification or not!
Plus learning to code allows you to still create amazing websites and online apps using a variety of programming languages, and there are numerous work opportunities for software engineers.
Notwithstanding, whether you eventually decide on design or development, both career paths include an HTML and CSS course, which contains HTML projects and CSS for beginners. After you’ve gotten your feet wet, it’ll be much easier to decide whether web design or web programming is a better fit for you.
A Web Designer’s Role
Web developers are responsible for a wide range of tasks coding tasks. A designer’s role, on the other hand, is to create the layout and visual features of a website.
Their goal is frequently to ensure that the site is both visually appealing and user-friendly, encouraging visitors to stay as long as possible. This includes, in addition to the fundamental foundation and layout structure, thinking about and building conversion-generating components, as well as creating web pages so that they translate smoothly across multiple devices.
Web designers must keep up with the current Web design trends while adhering to certain standards and best practices. They frequently work with brand imagery, color palettes, fonts, and other design elements. Many will even produce a web design style guide to ensure that all of their websites appear to have the same high standards.
What Is the Difference Between a Web Designer and a Web Developer?
Hopefully, you now understand the major distinctions between a web designer and a web developer. To tie things together, here’s a quick explanation of the main differences between these two roles:
- Web Designers are concerned with aesthetics and usability, whereas developers are concerned with functionality and structure.
- Web designers create a mockup based on visual, ux, and UI elements to envision the idea and style of a website. Web developers assess whether the concept is financially and technically viable, and if so, they program and build the site.
- Web developers must have a strong technological foundation. Understanding sophisticated programming languages and frameworks are part of this. While some research and analysis is required, the function of a web designer is less technical and more concerned with the visual and creative aspects of a website.
- Web developers are classified into three types: front-end, back-end, and full-stack.
- UX, UI, and graphic designers are the three main types of Web designers.
- Coding libraries and frameworks, code versioning and issue tracking platforms like GitHub and Jira, hosting control panels and FTP clients, and CMSs are all common tools and programs used by web developers.
- Web designers often employ design software like Photoshop, a CMS like WordPress, and a website builder like Elementor, as well as wireframing and prototype tools.
Web designers and web developers both play important roles in the creation, construction, and upkeep of websites. Finally, the two jobs rely on one another to produce a high-quality output.
The key distinction is that developers concentrate on the project’s technical aspects, such as programming and coding. Designers are in charge of the aesthetic and conceptual work required to ensure a good UX and UI.
Step 1: Dispel web design vs. web development myths.
Before you can make any decisions about what type of IT career you want, you must first understand what web designers and developers do.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably been socialized to define “web designer” and “web developer” in ways that don’t accurately depict what it’s like to be either, and you’ve never actually spoken with a real-life web designer or developer.
Main misconceptions about designers and developers revolved around how much money they make, how difficult the learning curve is, and what kind of job they do. Most people had incorrectly assumed.
MYTH: LEARNING TO BE A FRONT OR BACK END WEB DEVELOPER IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN LEARNING TO BE A WEB DESIGNER (OR THE OTHER WAY AROUND).
Some people believe that because front end and/or back end development require higher-level programming than HTML, it is more difficult to master than web designing. Others consider web design to be more challenging because they believe it involves more intrinsic (rather than acquired) creativity and knowledge of design software.
In truth, mastering a new skill set is difficult when you’re starting from scratch. Web programming and web design are not intrinsically more or less difficult – your own talents and weaknesses will determine which route is of least resistance and best for you.
MYTH: WEB DEVELOPERS MAKE MUCH MORE MONEY.
How much does a web designer make compared to a web developer? Well, when looking at average web developer salaries, it appears that a web developer salary is a lot more money than a web designer’s salary: web designers make an average of $47,590 per year, whereas web developers make an average of $71,497 per year.
However, if you look into more specific areas of a web designer’s income, you’ll find that two are competitive: interactive designers can make upto $80,445 per year and user experience designers can make up to $94,454 per year.
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Web Designer | $47,590 |
| Web Developer | $71,497 |
| Interactive Designer | $80,445 |
| User Experience Designer | $94,454 |
It’s true that a software developer’s compensation has a higher average than a web designer’s, but as a novice, you won’t have to worry about this. Whether you start studying how to be a web developer or a web designer, you won’t be a senior full-stack developer (and earning the top income) in a matter of months, as that normally takes years of expertise.
Web designers are well compensated and both have good entry-level salary levels. Given that both possibilities are lucrative, it is wiser to choose what will make you happier rather than what you believe will pay more.
MYTH: WEB DESIGNERS DO NOT NEED TO KNOW ANY CODE.
While web designers generally do not need to be coding experts, Dean Jones, CEO at tennerr, says, “It’s good for designers to understand how to code, but I wouldn’t say they have to.” They can produce a design that a developer can build up if they understand basic HTML and CSS. So they know what works and what doesn’t, they organize design files so developers can readily find the information they need, and they are aware of best practices.”
Jones also mentions that “these days, some designers may perform both design and development, and many freelancers do both.” Having coding abilities is really advantageous.” If you want to be a web designer who can also code, study HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as a CSS preprocessor like Sass or LESS and how to use jQuery, a JavaScript library. To get your feet wet, start with HTML beginning projects, CSS for beginners tutorials, and practice HTML and CSS projects.
While web design is classified as visual design (which also encompasses UX design, UI design, graphic design, digital design, and product design), web designers who can code, particularly those with advanced skills such as Sass, Bootstrap, and JavaScript, are in extremely high demand.
If you’re transitioning or breaking into tech, understanding how to code and being able to put your designs into functional prototypes and user interfaces will boost your chances of being recruited as a full-time or freelance web designer. The best approach to making a lot of money while still being able to deliver what clients and employers want is to have a whole package of designer and programmer wizardry.
Finally, the two jobs are dependent on one another to deliver high-quality results. The fundamental contrast is that developers focus on the technical parts of the project, such as programming and coding. Designers are responsible for the aesthetic and intellectual work needed to create a successful UX and UI.
What are the job duties?
Web designers and developers collaborate to create and manage a website that meets the needs of all stakeholders, but their roles are distinct.
Web designers work on the vision for a website, including the user experience, color scheme, graphic design, and, in certain cases, content. They design a look and feel that complements the website’s many functions.
Developers take a website designer’s vision and turn it into code. Frequently, the developer will suggest improvements that will improve the site’s performance and take use of new features. They guarantee that the site works on various browsers and mobile platforms and decide how to keep it secure.
What is the work market like?
You should be able to discover good job prospects in web design and development. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classifies web developers and digital designers in the same category and predicts considerable demand for the field—demand both web designers and developers is expected to grow by 13% over the next ten years
How to Boost Your Salary
Whether you work as a web designer, web developer, or something else, you can raise your compensation by learning new skills, obtaining a certification or degree, and negotiating your existing salary.
Developing new abilities
Because design and coding require different skill sets, few designers will become good developers and vice versa. However, both can benefit from understanding more about the work of the other and the organizations where they work. For example, the marketing teams frequently desire optimum search engine optimization from the design and functionality of the website. Understanding how the firm offers its products and jobs can help designers and developers construct better sites while servicing internal clients more effectively.
Some designers and developers aspire to advance to more senior positions. Managing developers is not the same as being a developer, and building goods is not the same as designing websites. As you learn more about what your coworkers do, try to discover the skills they possess. If you want to advance, figure out what skills you already have (but need to document) and what skills you can learn elsewhere.
Companies that create software and operating systems frequently offer their own training programs that can help get you started.
Obtaining certification or a degree
Designers and developers have a plethora of software tools at their disposal to help them with their work, but they must first understand how to utilize them. Certification programs can teach you the fundamentals as well as new platforms and approaches. Some are free, while others are not; some provide a brief look, while others examine websites with rigor.
Web designers typically hold two- or four-year degrees in computer programming or graphic design, whereas web developers typically hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Workers in both industries will learn a lot on the job when new tools enter the market.
Site developers and designers that desire to advance to more senior positions on their teams may require additional skills such as project management. In addition to your web project portfolio, you can demonstrate your interest and commitment by taking classes or participating in experiences that highlight business abilities.
But which career is better, web design or web development?
Depends. Are you a naturally talented designer?
If you are exceptionally talented, you could pursue design, mockups, wireframes, and so on.
However, learning both would be far superior. because companies and clients nowadays would rather have the entire product than a portion of it. That is someone with a core skill set, say in web design, but with some skills in web development and vice versa.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do!!
