What is the Difference Between Web Design and Web Development?

In today’s technologically advanced world, there can be no business that does not have an online presence, and the development of a company website is a crucial step in this process. However, the terms such as web design and web development are sometimes used synonymously although in actual sense, they refer to two very critical stages in the development of a website. Whether a person is looking for a website developer in Ottawa or wants to know their options regarding web development Ottawa, it is quite important to know the difference between the two fields in order to make the right choices for the project.

Web Design: Creating the Look and Feel

Web design is more related to the looks and feel of a website or an internet page. Basically, it’s about the design of a website that is perceived by users. Web designers are in charge of design and formats such as colour, page format and styles among others. They make sure the UX is smooth, unproblematic and can simplify the navigation throughout the website for the visitor.

Some of the common methods which web designers apply include Adobe XD, Figma, and Sketch to design mockups and wires. These are developed to determine the layout with regards to the design and how visitors are to go about the website. Another aspect that is usually crucial is the responsive design, which means that the site should be equally nice looking and easily navigable on a smartphone or a tablet.

Web Development: Designs Come Alive

Once a design is set, it then takes the developers’ job to implement that design using codes. Web development refers to creation of the content of a website and how the website will be structured. Web designers design the look and feel by creating layouts of the site and turning the ideas into graphical models; while Web developers on their part utilize various languages including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP take the designs and build the web application out of it.

Web development is typically split into two categories: web design and development which is both front-end and back-end development.

• Front end development is generally associated with the client’s side, which is the part of the website, which the viewer of the website notices. It consists of designing basic animations, buttons, call for actions and other interactive devices by using commands in HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.

• Back-end development has to do with the servers that support the website and make it work. This may encompass dealing with databases, users’ identity, and other affairs of the site to make it load faster among others.

Web developers create and design a website that not only has a great look and feel, but also has good performance providing a nice experience to the users.

Why It Matters for Your Business

If you are considering building a new website or redesigning an existing one, you need to know the difference between the web designer and a web developer or if you are going to need both. For instance, if you are outsourcing a web developer in Ottawa you may prefer to source a team that deals with web design and development. This is where a full service company like Bernum can be fully beneficial as it can help in making a website aesthetically appealing as well as efficient.

Conclusion

Following the above explanation, this brings out the conclusion that web design and web development are two different aspects that go hand in hand, and irrespective of the differences they are equally important. Web design is concerned with the layout and style of the webpage while web development is the act of ‘building’ the webpage through coding. That distinction will assist in your formulating the right decisions when you next embark on your next website project.