When people ask me what I do for a living I tell them I am a web developer. But I also hear the term web designer used a lot as well. So is there really a difference between the two or is it just semantics? There is a distinct difference in my opinion and both serve a very valuable aspect to your successful web site. A web designer is a graphically orientated person who will focus on the look and feel of your web site. They will ensure that the design, layout and, imagery represent your company’s personality. You will hear them use terms like “warmth of colors” and “consistent look and feel”. They will make sure that the key items “stay above the fold”. These are right side of the brain folks who stress the graphical part of your web presence.
We web developers are the programmers of the group. More geek than artist we concern ourselves not so much with what your data is and how it looks but how you will manage it. We look at the structure of the site content, where will it come from and where will it go. How will we store it and retrieve it. We strive to separate the content from the design as best we can. Let me give you an example of a typical interaction between the designer and the developer. A few years back I was working with a very talented designer who had developed a great look for a customer’s new web site. I was brought in to make the design functional. The designer had built the web site menu using a very specific font. He felt that this font was integral to the site design. I of course could have cared less. I converted the menu to a text based menu and replaced the font with the standard Arial font. The designer was not happy with me. He said I had ruined his design and demanded that I use the font he had selected. I argued that the only way we could maintain the font was to use images for the menu items. By doing this we would be reducing the customer’s functionality. I was building a Content Management System that would allow the customer to manage the menu. If I had to change this capability to use images I would have had to modify the whole the functional design, increasing the customer’s cost and limiting their site flexibility. I told the designer he was the one that needed to relay this information to the customer. Once he saw my position and the added cost he realized the Arial font would be fine. We worked together to find the balance between the look and feel of the site and its functionality.
To me that is the distinction between the two disciplines. Designers make it look nice and professional. Developers make it functional and dynamic, thus reducing the total cost of ownership for the site over the life of the project. Designers are needed in the early design stages to help develop that look that delivers the image you want for your site. The developers will be there in the end making the site work. Both serve a valuable purpose and are needed for your project. Now sometimes you can get lucky and find a person that can do both. I can do some graphics work and I have designed some sites that I am proud of but I pale in comparison to some of the really talented designers out there. So when you are ready to launch your new corporate site overhaul make sure you have the designer and developer skill sets covered for a successful project.
