Creating websites is one of the jobs that will continue to flourish for a very long time, especially because more and more businesses are taking to the Internet. As demands for well-built and functional websites increase, so as the skills required in website design and development. Here are some of the things every website designer and developer should know in order to succeed in their field of interest.

The Difference between Web Design and Web Development

Many consider website design and development as the same discipline. The truth is that there’s a fine line of difference separating the two, although they are both needed in website creation and maintenance. Web design deals with the front end part of the website, which includes the appearance of each webpage and the user experience. It is the customer-facing part of the website.

Website development, on the other hand, refers to the coding of the design. It consists of two facets—front-end and back-end development. Front-end development focuses on the building of the website’s visual design in code. Back-end development, on the other hand, comes into play when there’s a need for more advanced programming and interactions on the website. Knowing the difference, business owners who are looking to have their own website can tell which types of service they need and where to get them from.

Basic Design Principles

Designing is a form of art, and art is founded on a number of principles. Balance and contrast top the list. A web designer should know how to make the right proportion between heavy and light elements and shading in each page to achieve balance. A balanced website design can definitely attract more traffic than a disheveled and irregular one. Using complementary colors to attain emphasis is also crucial. Other principles, such as consistency and unity, must be taken into account as well.

Responsive Design

More and more people are using mobile devices to browse the Internet. Apart from being portable, these devices are more affordable and can serve other basic purposes that typical personal computers do not. If you want to reach out to a larger audience, you need to invest in a mobile responsive website, one that can adapt to the size of the visitor’s viewport.

A visitor who has trouble viewing the content of a certain website when opened through their mobile device will most likely jump to another website. You surely don’t want that to happen, so satisfy them by designing your website to be accessible even through a smartphone or a tablet.

A well-designed website can do wonders for a business, which is why website design is a flourishing industry. Those who are seeking to enjoy the benefits of website design and development should understand these facts and principles.

Sources:

What is the Difference Between Web Design and Web Development, ThoughtCo.com

9 Things You Need to Know to Be a Successful Web Designer, SkillRush.com