Difference between Web design and Web Development | How To Tell Them Apart

Most people are unable to tell the difference between web design and web development, so they use them interchangeably. In reality, there’s a big difference in the meaning of the two terms. Let’s take a look at the key difference between the two, so that you’re better equipped and more knowledgeable when planning for your website needs.

Web Design – The Customer Face Front for Websites

Web design is literally the face of your company’s website for your customers. Web designers concern themselves with the aesthetics and interface of your website – because customers form opinions about how your website looks and how easily they can use it. Smart web design companies are able to utilise basic and advanced principles of design to build a website that not only looks fantastic, but providers your customers with seamless user experiences.

Web designers concern themselves with balanced layouts, colours, consistency and unity of a website. A good website design and good customer usability means better conversions for your business – so web design is a vitally important aspect of your website building process. Web design includes creating logos, videos and graphics for your website.

Web Development – The Backend Muscle Behind Every Website

You can’t have a good looking website design without the development that goes into it. The less flamboyant of the two, web development entails the interactions, data processing and programming on the websites. It is literally the backend muscle that holds different elements of your website together. Web developers focus on how a website works and how customers can achieve their objectives on it.

Smart web developers are well aware of how web forms work and have the ability to maintain the functionality of a website efficiently. Web development brings an added level of functionality to any website. This could be anything from a registration system to a live chat option. Developers usually don’t look at the visual appeal, but focus on writing technically sound and clean code.

The Blurred Lines – Telling the Difference Between Web Design and Web Development

To find someone great at both isn’t easy.  While most web designers will have adequate knowledge of Javascript, HTML, CSS, JQuery and PHP and most web developers will know elements involved in the design process, it’s important that you learn to tell the difference between web design and web development when you’re looking for someone to work on your website. Web designers generally don’t do the programming, while web developers don’t get involved in the graphics – each aspect of web design and development has enough work on its own.

At the end of the day, it’s important to keep in mind that both web developers and designers have a singular goal in mind. They want to create a resonant website for brands that appeals to users in every way imaginable. In order to achieve this, web design and web development must work in an immaculate union, because every website needs to function and look its best to be truly successful. The imagery, visuals and colour need to echo the brand’s sentiments, while the website interface must be sound enough to encourage a call to action from visitors.

Web design and development are quite literally two sides of the same coin – one cannot exist without the other. There’s no point of a great looking website without proper functionality. Similarly, no user will be attracted to a poorly designed website that has no attractive appeal. Development and design work hand in hand, but it is important that you are able to tell the difference between web design and web development when it comes to the needs of your website.

Most companies today offer web designers and web developers to plan the layout and functionality of the website. Summit Web is a Perth-based web design company that offers a multitude of exceptional services that cater to all the needs of your website. Whether you’re looking for web design, web development or SEO services, we can provide specialised experts to not only meet, but exceed your website expectations EVERY TIME! Work with Summit Web and empower your brand’s website with skilled professionals that echo the difference between web design and web development.