Choosing the right company to build your website is not a simple endeavor. You will encounter many technical terms that you may not be familiar with. While you can not be expected to know every term, you will find that learning and understanding the basic terms will make your job much easier. Today we address Web Designer vs Developer: What is the Difference?
What is a web designer?
To put it as simply as possible – the web designer determines how the site will look. This person is also likely to be your contact through the first half of the project.
To begin, the web designer typically works with the client to collect the information that will be included on the site. Together the designer and the client will determine who the ideal customer is for this business, what kind of information will they be seeking, what kinds of things are important to them, and what factors influence their decision making.
After considering these factors and many others, the designer will create a template layout that the client will give feedback on. This template will illustrate the overall look of the site, including colors, fonts, and primary elements such as a header image, navigation bars, link color, and footers. When the client is pleased with the overall look and has given design approval, the project is given to the developer to build.
Most web designers over the age of 30 grew up designing for print. The transition to digital can be difficult and it is important that the designer you choose understands the differences. You will be working with this person a lot, collaborating and compromising. It is important that you trust their judgement, that you are comfortable with each other, that you feel free to share your concerns and ask questions.
What is a web developer?
A web developer is a programmer who specializes in the development of websites. They take the site from static design to fully functioning.
The best developers are good problem solvers. There are hundreds of different platforms from which a website can be built, and no single platform is the best in all situations. Whichever platform you choose, hire a developer that has a lot of experience using that software, because even when you have determined which platform makes the most sense for your purposes, the decisions that the developer needs to make are far from over. It is important that they are well versed and knowledgable about the options.
Let’s say, for example, you want a photo gallery on your website. For that one bit of functionality alone, there are thousands of different options. A good developer will be spending off hours testing different options so when someone hires them to build the site, they will know which solution will work best for your situation. A good web developer is constantly learning, testing, and adapting.
Should you hire a web designer or a web developer?
For best results, we recommend hiring a web design and development company, one that has both disciplines on staff, who will each handle the part of the project for which they are most qualified.
At Trevellyan.biz we have both web designer and web developer on staff. This allows each of us to handle the part of the project for which we are most qualified. If you’d like to learn more about our web development, please call (518) 392-0846.