In order to hire the right person (discipline) for the job, let's get some terms that are often confused out of the way. If you're unsure about whether to hire a web designer or web developer for your project, this article will provide the clarity you need to make an informed decision. Hopefully by the end, you'll be armed with enough knowledge to know what you're looking.
What is the difference between a Web Designer vs. Web Developer?
In general a Web Designers strategize, crafts the visual hierarchy and feel of websites and web pages, often integrating text with multimedia elements such as audio, images, graphics, and video clips. Their role involves crafting the overall visual design and structure of a website or web page using UX/UI methodologies.
A web developer is a person who codes, builds, and maintains websites and web applications. They use a variety of programming languages and technologies to create the structure, layout, and functionality of websites. Typically, web developers work with front-end technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the user interface and back-end technologies like databases and server-side scripting to handle data and logic.
Designers & Developers are often lumped into the same job description even though each require very different skill sets, adding to the overall confusion for each role.
In short, web designers are focused on the aesthetics and user experience, while web developers deal with the functionality and the nuts and bolts of the website. Just as a house needs both a talented architect and a skilled builder, a successful website requires the combined efforts of web designers and web developers.
How to Hire a Designer and Developer
When you're ready to bring your web design dreams to life, finding the right designer or developer is crucial. Think of it like picking the perfect teammate for your big game. First and foremost, experience matters. Just like you'd want a good teammate in sports , you'll want a professional designer or developer that's willing to work with you.
Ask as many questions as possible and pay attention to how they respond. Effective communication is key. You need someone who listens to your ideas and can explain their work in simple terms, just like a great teammate who understands the game plan and can share it with you.
So, when hiring a designer or developer, focus on their experience and their ability to work well with you. Also look for the following:
- Are they actively trying to solve YOUR problem?
- How smooth is the communication between the two of you?
- Are they responsive to your requests?
Where Do You Find Web Designer to Hire?
We made a list of places to hire designers & developers here.
So which one should you hire? A Web Designer or Web Developer?
The general rule of thumb is if you already have design on hand, whether it's a purchased template or free, you'll only need a Web Developer to execute / code the design.
But if you don't have anything on hand and you need someone create the layout, colors and implement you company branding onto a site, you'll need Web Designer first.
Just remember, not all designers can develop and not all developers can design.
What is UX-UI, why does my website need it?
User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) might sound a bit technical, but they're super important for your website. UI and UX Design are often confused as the same topic, however they are vastly different disciplines but complimentary to each other.
Think of UX as how your website feels when people use it and it's basically in the name. There are many tasks within UX, such User Research, User Surveys, Journey Maps, and User Flows just to name a few. All these UX tasks are meant to gather actionable data to craft an over all User Experience for your website.
UI, on the other hand, is how your website looks or the elements that your users will interface face. The UI is usually driven by the UX research, as well as web standards set by Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for accessibility.
So, making sure your website has good UX and clear UI is ensuring that the user visiting doesn't get confused navigating through your content, and the website follows accessibility norms for impaired users.
