Difference Between a Web Designer vs a Developer In Ottawa
What is the difference between a website designer and website developer In Ottawa?
There are many web designers and web developers in Ottawa. During my time working in the industry, there have been misconceptions about web design and development. Where should we draw the line between what is considered web design vs. web development. Web design consists of designing the visual components of a web page. It also includes working with structural coding languages like HTML5 and CSS3. Web designers will work with familiar design tools and software. These include tools such as: Figma, Sketch, and Photoshop. They will also create web pages in structural languages such as HTML5 and CSS3.
Web designers are responsible for the visual component of a website creation; while web developers are responsible for the website's functionality.
Web Design Software Tools and Structural Languages
In 2022, web designers will usually design their layouts in software. These may include tools such as Sketch or Figma, and they will use Photoshop to set up proper image sizing. There are popular tools on the market today that allows web designers to create websites. These tools need a minimal understanding of coding languages such as HTML5 and CSS3. HTML5 stands for Hyper Text Markup Language and CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. Together, these structural languages create the visual presentation of a web page. Web designers will work with these languages to design and create the visuals of the page; both in design software and on the web browser.
Among the tools that are out there for web designers to use, Webflow is a very popular choice to create an online presence. It is being currently taught in the Graphic Design program in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Webflow allows web designers to create websites right in the browser by using Cloud based software. Webflow is a drag and drop page builder that outputs semantically well written code for you which front-end developers will love. It relies on traditional conventions for building websites with proper structure. Working in Webflow creates an environment that simulates coding web pages from scratch. To use the tool, a web designer must understand how HTML5 and CSS3 works at the fundamental level, where this learning process can be learned through Webflow University. Then Webflow can export the code where it can be used in further development. This code can be used in content management systems. These include: WordPress, Craft CMS, Joomla, Drupal, and others.
Among the tools that are out there for web designers to use, Webflow is a very popular choice. It is being currently taught in the Graphic Design program in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
While Algonquin College teaches Webflow, it is not necessary to have a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science in order to create internet applications. You can acquire the technical expertise through study to gain programming experience and web design skills by following online courses. Through this learning process you can become either a web designer, a web developer, or a software developer. If you are going to apply to work as a programmer, it is advised to at least have a high school diploma.
The Difference Between a Web Designer and a Web Developer
Web Designers and web developers differentiate in the following: web designers focus on the presentation of websites; while web developers and web programmers focus on functionality. Web Designers focus on the overall look and aesthetic of a website. While a web developer focus more on how a website and web applications should operate and function. The difference in technical skills is that a web designer will use tools such as: Figma, Sketch to design the user interface. They will also use Photoshop to edit images as well as HTML5 and CSS3 for basic coding. A web developer will work with programming languages such as JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, C#, Java, and more. A web designer will focus on the presentation and visual elements of a website. While a web developer will focus more on functionality rather than solely presentation. Structural languages are visual languages that focus on presentation to create a seamless user experience. Working with these languages will allow you to place content on a page and decide how it should look. Web programmers that are typically involved in full stack web development use coding languages that focus on logic breakdown of functionality to integrate sound software engineering principles into their workflow. Programming languages determine how web applications should interact and function; both on the front-end and back-end. In addition to technical skills, communication skills are also equally important alongside full stack web development.
With current trends as they are, the lines are sometimes blurred between web design and web development. A tricky area where this may be the case is when using page builders. Webflow is a page builder and design tool that focuses on building both static and dynamic websites and follows best practices in coding standards. However, there are other page builders to consider. You might have heard of things like Elementor and wondered what that’s all about.
All About Page Builders and How They Fit In
Elementor is a page builder that is a plugin build on top of a larger ecosystem of internet applications. In this particular ecosystem, we are referring to WordPress, which is known as a CMS, which stands for content management system. WordPress allows both web designers and web developers to work on the platform and is used in website development. For web designers, WordPress offers templates known as WordPress themes. These themes allow designers to manipulate elements on a page by dragging and dropping content to form the website through the user interface. They can do this without needing to program any logical component, as you would normally do so in software development. In some cases even e-commerce websites can be built this way with WooCommerce. Elementor is a plugin that is a page builder within WordPress that allows web designers to design the pages on screen. Many web agencies in Ottawa, Ontario, use page builders such as: Elementor, WP Baker, and Avada, to design web pages quickly.
WordPress Developers
WordPress developers are familiar with programming languages used with WordPress. such as JavaScript and PHP. Rather than relying on existing themes, these web developers can create their own themes from scratch. The difference between these developers vs. the designers is that the web developers have a deep understanding of programming and know how to write the PHP code from scratch. When a developer can write code that displays the user interface as well as demonstrate technical expertise to communicate with the database, this work is referred to as full-stack web development. Web designers, on the other hand, leverage themes in WordPress, where the PHP code is already written for them. To use existing themes in WordPress requires going through a bit of an experimentation and learning process.
With my current experience in Ottawa, I have found that most web agencies and front-end developers work with WordPress or Drupal when creating internet applications. They leverage the speed of page builders to speed up their website development workflow and process. Back-end developers can create work with databases to create relational database design when working with larger frameworks like Laravel. This is in an effort to create robust software which requires deep understanding of programming languages as well as excellent communication skills to work within a team.
There are few firms out there that create custom WordPress themes from scratch. These would be referred to as web development or software development agencies that follow best practices. At Skylight Designs we can develop the WordPress theme from scratch, use a page builder when it makes sense, or develop a hybrid approach.
Conclusion
To conclude, web designers are responsible for the visual component of a website creation; while web developers are responsible for website functionality. However, these professions are closely tied together, and often times you will find a single person fulfilling both roles.
If you would like a professionally designed Website for your Business, please Contact Skylight Designs at (613) 501-4487.
