Difference Between a Designer and a Developer

Many people assume that designers and developers perform more or less the same role, and it is easy to see why. Many designers also claim to have knowledge of development, and vice versa. However, they both have very different roles, and it is important to know the difference before you choose a professional to start work on your new school website.

When you look at a website, what you are looking at is the work of the web designer. The visual aspects of the site – the colour scheme, fonts, images, graphics – are all decided by the designer, who has specialist knowledge of how they all combine to create the best overall result.

Designers create the layouts of the pages. They make use content that you provide to fill out the pages and create the designs around it. They are concerned with usability, which means ensuring that the navigation is clear and simple so that visitors can find their way around with ease.

Some designers have specialist skills in certain areas. For example, some may be experts in typography, while others may specialise in creating logos. Designers will often work closely with you to ensure they get your vision across. They will ask you questions, show you examples and provide you with updates on the website so that you can play an active role in the process.

Overall, they are creative individuals who are committed to making your site beautiful, elegant and a pleasure to use.

Developers have a very different – but equally important – role, and there will often be at least one developer in the team when you hire a web design company.

Functionality is the biggest consideration for the developer. They need to ensure that everything works smoothly behind the scenes so that the user experience is enhanced. They are involved with the back-end, the things that your website users may not be aware of but which are essential to the smooth running of the site.

Developers tend to be more technical than designers. They know how to write code in a variety of languages including CSS, HTML, JavaScript and more. They also work with web forms and create databases – again, these are things that you may not realise when using the site, but they make a big difference to how it runs.

Developers will also test the usability of the website to find glitches and fix them before they become a problem for users.

The short answer is both. Designers and developers have very different roles, but their overall aim is essentially the same: to create a functioning, attractive website that is a pleasure to use.

Most designers and developers know a bit about each other's skills. Designers may know a bit of coding, and developers may be able to do some design. At the very least, they understand the importance of both of the areas when it comes to creating a website.

Although web designers and developers have very different roles, it's important that you have both working on your website to create the best results. That's why we have both experienced designers and developers working at CSI Media.

By working closely together on a daily basis, our designers and developers consistently create websites of the highest quality to ensure you get the website you want.