Web developer vs web designer

On January 04, 2023

Web designers and web developers sometimes difficult to understand the difference between them, as these two professions are complementary. Moreover, the same person can be both a web designer and a web developer we call him a full-stack web developer. So that you can see more clearly, we come back to each of these two domains and their common points and their differences.

The web designer

To fully understand the job of the web designer, it is necessary to mention the tools that he will generally use. It is essentially graphics software and apps, the best known to the general public are Adobe XD, Figma, Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator. Very often, the web designer will work using a graphic tablet allowing him to draw by hand, not on paper, but directly on the computer.

By definition, the web designer takes care of the graphics and design of a site. He is a very creative person who is able to select the shapes, colors, and typography that suit the site. To sum up, the web designer takes care of the look of the website, that is to say, its external appearance.

The web developer

The web developer will mainly use a simple open-source editor like VS Code, SublimeText, Notepad++, or others. He will enter lines of code in a specific computer language. There are several. The most often used by web developers are usually the following: HTML, CSS, jQuery, and PHP.

The web developer builds the foundations of the site. From a blank sheet, it happens that the site is functional, that it offers a good browsing experience for the Internet user, and that it integrates specific and useful functions for the site.

To simplify, the web developer takes care of the skeleton of the website, that is to say, its interior appearance.

Create an attractive and functional website

If these two domains do not necessarily interact on the same aspects of the site, they both have the same final objective: to ensure that the site attracts a maximum of Internet users thanks to its design and its ergonomics.

To achieve such a result, it is essential to work together. Most often, it is the web developer who will integrate the design elements created by the web designer into the code of the site.

2in1 Full-Stack Web Developer

Nothing prevents a person from being both a web designer and a web developer. Once they have acquired the techniques of each of the two domains, the person can offer this versatility. Web development requires a certain logic and knowledge of different computer languages, while web design requires creativity and knowledge of creative software.