Difference between Web Developer and Web Designer

Key Difference: Web developers and Web designers are two important key roles in the industry of web development. A web developer is basically responsible for the look and feel of a website. On the other hand, a web developer is the programmer who adds functionality to the website.

Web development has become an important sector in terms of job profiles. Two such key roles are web developers and web designers. Both are important in the industry of web development. Website designers are actually graphic artists who are responsible for the designing aspect of a web site. He deals with the web page layout and other such graphical elements present on a page.

A website designer has to be familiar with programs like Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Fireworks, etc. These software assists in providing a framework to work upon to the web designers.

A web developer deals with the programming aspect associated with the web applications. Unlike a web designer, web developer deals with the back-end aspect of the websites. A web developer possesses skills in software programming.

He deals with coding of a website. They start with building websites right from the starting. They improvise and use latest technologies to enhance the functionality and performance of a website. They work on the source code of the website. The main function of a web developer is the develop and improve websites.

Thus, a web designer and web developer are different from each other. They both have different duties and responsibilities. Many times a web developer also works as a web designer and in that particular context, both can be used interchangeably. A web designer has to be creative and imaginative to create good and appealing designs for a website. On the other hand, a web developer must possess good logics in order to provide the right functionality to a website.

Comparison between Web Developer and Web Designer:

	Web Developer	Web Designer
Definition	A person who use coding techniques for developing a website	A person who works on graphic programs and deals with look and feel of a website
Key focus area	Back end of a website	Front end of a website
Key quality	Technical and logic	Creativity and imagination
Educational requirement	Generally, needs a course in web development (web technologies like HTML, XML, Java, SQL, etc.). It is always good to possess some experience.	Generally, needs a course in graphic design.
Required knowledge	Comprehensive knowledge of operating systems, databases, servers, etc.	Expertise in programs or software like Adobe Photoshop, Flash, Coldfusion, etc.