Web Developer vs. Designer: What You Need to Know

So, what are the differences between a web developer vs. designer?

Think of it this way: web designers are the artists, creating the look and feel of a website, while web developers are the engineers, making everything work behind the scenes.

Designers mostly focus on aesthetics—colors, layouts, and user experience.

While developers handle the code that brings those designs to life.

Got it? Great! Thanks for reading! …Just kidding, there’s a little more to it than that.

Let’s try to get a deeper understanding of the specifics of these two roles. which one to hire, and which one may be the best career choice for you.

What Does a Web Developer Do?

A web developer is like the architect and builder of a website, responsible for constructing the functional framework that brings a site to life.

They work with code to ensure the site runs smoothly, efficiently, and securely. Web developers fall into three main categories:

• Front-end developers handle basically everything users see and interact with, focusing on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create a quality user experience. They make sure that buttons work, pages load quickly, and everything looks great on different devices.
• Back-end developers manage the behind-the-scenes infrastructure, including things like servers, databases, and application logic. They use languages like PHP, Python, Ruby, and Java to process data and make the magic happen when you click “Submit.”
• Full-Stack Developers are like the jack-of-all-trades, bridging both front-end and back-end development to build complete web applications from start to finish.

Whether they specialize in one area or wear many hats, web devs focus on turning a site’s design into a fully functional digital experience.

Think of them as the tech-savvy problem solvers who ensure your site not only looks good but also works flawlessly.

What Does a Web Designer Do?

A web designer is the creative force behind the visual and interactive elements of a website.

They’re responsible for crafting the look and feel that captivates users and communicates a brand’s unique identity.

Unlike developers who work with code, web designers focus on aesthetics, user experience (UX), and user interface (UI) design.

They typically handle things like:

• Visual Design: Using tools like Adobe XD, Figma, or Sketch, they create wireframes and mockups that outline the site’s layout, color scheme, typography, and imagery. Their job is to make the website visually appealing and aligned with the brand’s personality.
• User Experience (UX) Design: Web designers think about how users navigate the site, ensuring it’s intuitive and easy to use. They design with the user journey in mind, from the homepage to the checkout page, aiming for seamless interactions.
• User Interface (UI) Design: UI design focuses on the finer details—buttons, menus, and icons—making sure every clickable element is visually consistent and engaging.

Simply put, web designers transform ideas into visually stunning and user-friendly experiences.

They’re the ones making sure your website not only functions but also leaves a lasting impression.

Think of them as digital artists who blend creativity with strategy to turn visions into reality.

Web Developer vs. Designer: Education Options

If you want to get into the fields of web design and development, there are different education paths depending on the skill set you want to gain.

Whether you’re drawn to the creative side of web design or the technical coding challenges of web development, there are multiple ways to learn.

Here’s a short breakdown of SOME of the education options for both web designers and web developers.

Education for Web Designer

Web designers often need a blend of creativity with some technical skills, and there are several routes to gain the expertise needed to do the job.

From formal degrees to online courses and being self-taught, here’s how aspiring designers can get started:

• Formal Degree: Some aspiring web designers pursue a degree in graphic design, digital media, or web design, which typically covers topics like visual design principles, typography, color theory, and UX/UI design. A degree program often includes hands-on projects and design critiques that help build a portfolio.
• Online Courses & Boot Camps: Online platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and Skillshare offer affordable courses on web design fundamentals, software tools (like Adobe Creative Suite or Figma), and UX/UI principles. Boot camps like General Assembly and Springboard offer immersive, intensive programs designed to quickly get you up to speed and land a job in the industry.
• Self-Taught/DIY: Many web designers start by learning on their own through free resources like YouTube tutorials, blogs, and design communities. Building a portfolio of personal projects or mock designs can go a long way in demonstrating your skills and landing your first client.

Education for Web Developers

Web development on the other hand is often more code-centric, requiring a focus on programming languages and technical skills to build websites with advanced functionality and applications.

Similar to what we discussed with web design, web development has several paths to acquire the skills you’ll need.

• Formal Degree: A traditional computer science or software engineering degree is a common route for those looking to become web developers. These programs often cover algorithms, data structures, databases, and, of course, programming languages like JavaScript, Python, and PHP. However, a degree isn’t always necessary, especially as the field is more focused on your coding ability and problem-solving skills.
• Online Coding Boot Camps: For those looking to dive into coding quickly, boot camps like Codecademy, FreeCodeCamp, or Flatiron School offer accelerated programs that teach web development in months. These often cover full-stack development, front-end (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), and back-end (databases, server-side languages) programming, giving students the skills to build fully functional websites.
• Self-Taught/DIY: Similar to web design, many web developers are self-taught through online tutorials, coding practice sites like LeetCode or Codecademy, and resources like GitHub. The web development community is full of free and paid resources to help you learn and grow at your own pace.

Web Developer vs. Designer: Career Paths

When building a career as either a web designer or a web developer, the paths can differ based on the skills and expertise required for each field.

While both roles involve creating websites, the daily responsibilities and job opportunities vary.

Let’s take a closer look at the types of jobs you might find in each area.

Jobs for Web Designers

Web designers focus on creating visually appealing websites that provide an intuitive user experience.

Their roles are centered around layout, color schemes, typography, and overall design aesthetics.

Examples of Jobs for Web Designers

• UI/UX Designer: Focuses on creating an intuitive and enjoyable user experience by designing interfaces and enhancing usability.
• Graphic Designer: Specializes in visual design for web pages, including logos, illustrations, and other graphics.
• Web Design Consultant: Works as a freelance designer or contractor, providing design expertise for various projects and clients.
• Brand Identity Designer: Creates a website that aligns with a brand’s identity, from logo design to color choices and typography.
• Motion Graphics Designer: Focuses on adding animations and dynamic visual effects to web pages to enhance user interaction and engagement.

Jobs for Web Developers

Web developers are more like the architects who bring the designs created by web designers to life.

Their role involves coding, building, and maintaining websites, making them function properly across different browsers and devices.

Examples of Web Developer Jobs

• Frontend Developer: Focuses on the client side of websites, ensuring the design looks great and functions well on a user’s devices.
• Backend Developer: Works on the server side, creating the infrastructure that supports web pages, such as databases and server scripts.
• Full Stack Developer: A jack-of-all-trades who handles both frontend and backend tasks, responsible for the full development of websites.
• Web Application Developer: Builds more complex websites and web-based applications, requiring advanced coding skills.
• DevOps Engineer: Works on the deployment and maintenance side of web applications, ensuring smooth performance and updates.

Web Developer vs. Designer: Salaries and Job Outlook

When thinking through a career in either web design or web development, salary expectations and job outlook are two pretty big factors.

Both fields have a range of opportunities and earning potential, but salaries can vary depending on tons of factors like experience, location, and the specific type of work being done.

In addition, the job market for these roles is really dynamic, with growth expected in both areas.

Take a look at the breakdowns below, but keep in mind these are averages compiled from various online sources, and your actual results may vary.

Web Designer Salaries by Experience

Web Developer Salaries by Experience

Popular Tools and Platforms for Web Designers

Web designers rely on a wide range of tools and platforms to bring their creative visions to life.

From website building to graphic design, many tools are used in combination to ensure the final product is both visually stunning and highly functional.

Check out some of the most popular options:

Website Building Platforms

• Showit: Known for its easy drag-and-drop interface and seamless WordPress integration, Showit offers unparalleled design freedom, making it ideal for designers who want complete control over their site’s look.
• WordPress: A versatile platform with countless themes and plugins, widely used for creating everything from personal blogs to complex e-commerce sites.
• Squarespace: Famous for its sleek, professional templates and easy-to-use interface, it’s a go-to for creatives and small businesses.
• Wix: Offers a robust drag-and-drop editor with extensive design flexibility, ideal for both beginners and experienced designers.

Design and Prototyping Tools

• Figma: A cloud-based design tool popular for real-time collaboration and intuitive user interface (UI) design.
• Sketch: A vector-based design tool favored for its simplicity and an extensive range of plugins tailored for UI/UX designers.
• Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator: Industry standards for creating and editing graphics, logos, and visual elements.
• Adobe XD: A powerful platform for designing and prototyping user experiences with seamless integration into the Adobe Creative Suite.

Graphic and Asset Resources

• Canva: An easy-to-use tool for creating everything from social media graphics to marketing materials, perfect for quick visual assets.
• Unsplash & Pexels: Go-to sources for high-quality, royalty-free images that enhance web design projects.
• Font Awesome: A popular library of scalable vector icons that can be easily integrated into web projects for a polished look.
• Site Palette: A tool to generate color palettes from any website, making it easy for designers to capture and replicate a site’s color scheme for cohesive and visually appealing projects.

Why Designers Love Showit

With this being a Showit blog, we obviously want to talk a bit more about why our designers enjoy using our platform—shocking, we know.

But seriously, Showit is the true drag-and-drop web builder platform that allows you to customize as much or as little as you want.

You can work from one of our professionally designed templates, or from a blank page.

No code needed, just creativity!

If you want to learn more, check out this blog on 9 features designers love about Showit. Or, if you want to give it a shot, we offer a 14-day free trial so you can see for yourself.

Popular Tools and Platforms for Web Developers

Web developers also rely on a wide range of tools and platforms to streamline coding, improve efficiency, and create seamless user experiences.

These tools range from code editors and version control systems to backend frameworks and testing environments.

Check out these examples of some popular tools developers use regularly:

Code Editors and IDEs

• Visual Studio Code (VS Code): A highly customizable code editor, popular for its vast library of extensions and debugging capabilities.
• Sublime Text: Known for its speed and simplicity, Sublime Text is a favorite among developers for quick coding tasks.
• JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA: An advanced Integrated Development Environment (IDE) preferred by Java developers, with powerful features for code analysis and project management.

Version Control Systems

• Git: The most widely used version control system, allowing developers to track changes, collaborate, and manage multiple versions of their code.
• GitHub: A cloud-based platform for hosting repositories, enabling collaborative coding, code review, and version control with built-in CI/CD tools.
• GitLab: Similar to GitHub but offers integrated DevOps features, making it ideal for managing the entire software development lifecycle in one platform.

Backend Frameworks

• Node.js: A popular runtime for building scalable server-side applications using JavaScript.
• Ruby on Rails: A framework that emphasizes convention over configuration, enabling developers to build robust applications quickly with minimal code.
• Django: A high-level Python web framework known for its “batteries-included” approach, providing built-in solutions for common web development tasks.

Frontend Libraries and Frameworks

• React.js: Developed by Facebook, React is widely used for building dynamic and responsive user interfaces.
• Vue.js: A lightweight, progressive framework that’s easy to integrate into existing projects, making it a popular choice for front-end development.
• Angular: A robust framework developed by Google for building enterprise-level, single-page web applications (SPAs). Their website is also a great example of scrollytelling which we talked about in this article.

Database Management Systems

• MySQL: A widely used relational database system known for its reliability and ease of use.
• MongoDB: A NoSQL database that stores data in flexible, JSON-like documents, making it ideal for handling large volumes of unstructured data.
• PostgreSQL: An advanced, open-source relational database known for its performance and support for complex queries.

Web Developer vs. Designer: Which One Should You Hire?

If you’re planning to get a website built, understanding whether to hire a web developer or a web designer is crucial.

Each role brings a distinct skill set to the table, and the right choice depends on the specific needs of your project.

In a lot of cases, web designers and developers collaborate to bring your vision to life.

Hire a Web Designer If:

• You need a visually appealing and user-friendly interface.
• Branding, color schemes, typography, and layout are top priorities.
• You’re focused on creating an engaging user experience that reflects your brand’s identity.
• Your site requires a fresh, modern redesign to attract and retain visitors.

Hire a Web Developer If:

• Your project involves complex functionality, databases, or back-end systems.
• You need custom features like e-commerce integration, user logins, or dynamic content.
• The focus is on building a website from scratch with unique technical requirements.
• You require ongoing maintenance, security updates, and performance optimization.

When to Hire Both

• For a large-scale project requiring both stunning visuals and robust functionality.
• If you’re launching a new brand that needs both a design concept and technical implementation.
• When developing an interactive website where design and development must work seamlessly together, like a web app or an advanced e-commerce platform.

Web Developer vs. Designer: Which Career Path Should You Take?

Choosing between a career as a web developer or web designer depends on your interests, strengths, and long-term goals.

Both fields offer a wide range of opportunities, but they each require different skill sets and mindsets.

Here’s some info to help you decide which path is best for you:

Here’s Why You Should Become a Web Designer

• You’re passionate about creativity, visual storytelling, and user experience.
• You enjoy working with tools like Photoshop, Figma, and website builders.
• You’ve got a good eye for aesthetics, layout, and branding.
• You prefer focusing on how things look and feel rather than how they function behind the scenes.
• You’re interested in UX/UI design and digital branding.

Here’s Why You Should Become a Web Developer

• You love problem-solving, logical thinking, and building complex systems.
• You enjoy coding in languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, or PHP.
• You’re intrigued by how websites function under the hood.
• You prefer working with databases, APIs, and technical frameworks.
• You want to develop custom features, web applications, and backend solutions.

How Web Designers and Web Developers Work Together

While we’ve spent a lot of time discussing the differences between these two roles, in reality, they often work hand in hand.

Here’s how they work together:

• Design Concept to Functionality: The web designer typically starts by creating the visual design of the site, including layout, colors, fonts, and imagery. Once the design is approved, the web developer steps in to transform the design into a working website by coding it using programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The designer’s vision becomes a reality thanks to the developer’s technical skills.
• User Experience (UX) and Usability: Web designers focus on the user experience (UX) by ensuring the website is easy to navigate and visually appealing. Developers ensure that the website is fully functional, responsive, and performs well across devices. Both roles need to collaborate closely to ensure the site is intuitive and works smoothly.
• Regular Communication: Good communication is key to a successful collaboration. Web designers may need to adjust their designs based on technical limitations or possibilities suggested by developers, while developers may need to tweak the functionality to better align with the designer’s vision.
• Feedback and Revisions: As websites go through the development process, designers and developers often provide feedback to each other. For example, a designer may suggest improvements to the user interface, while a developer might highlight potential issues with website speed or mobile responsiveness.
• Final Testing and Launch: Once the development is complete, both designers and developers work together on testing the website, ensuring everything functions as expected, from visual elements to technical features like forms, shopping carts, and interactive elements. Once it’s tested, they launch the site, ensuring it meets both the design standards and technical specifications.

Web Developer vs. Designer: Some Final Thoughts

This article is by no means here to answer every question ever about these 2 fields. They are both great careers to enter into or to advance in if you are already in them.

The goal here is to help you see the types of work each one of these fields is responsible for and how they work together to create much of what we interact with every day online.

If you want to get into one of these fields, that’s fantastic.

If you are a business owner looking to hire someone to help build your website, hopefully, this gives you an understanding of who you will need to hire.

If you want to try your hand at designing a website for free, start a 14-day free trial of Showit and play around with our drag-and-drop design tool.

If you’ve just scrolled to the bottom, hi there! Feel free to ask us any questions in the comments and we’ll do our best to answer them.