What the difference between web design and development | 7 Differences

There is a bit of confusion between these two concepts, they confuse each other and seem the same, but they are not. There are notable differences between web design and development. Therefore, in this post, I show you 7 differences between web design and web development.

More than 80% of job requests, I still fall short, when they ask us for "a website" they are thinking about the image of a design, colors, photographs ...

And it is normal, it is not something strange. The external part of a website (the design) is what you see, what makes a person like or dislike the website, stay or leave immediately.

What the difference between web design and development

However, a website needs programming or web development. Either for a website to be dynamic, for its sections to be displayed, for when searching from a search result, or for entries to be viewed chronologically. This part is not visible, this is inside, but it is just as important as the design.

I would define it in a very easy way. The design is the exterior, the drawing of the tailored suit, and the development is the interior, the fabric, the cut, the stitches, the trims, the hems, the buttons, etc. This makes the suit do its job, from the sketch on paper to make a person comfortable with the suit on. From idea to reality.

Web Development VS Web Design

Next, you can see the 7 differences between web design and web development.

The Atlanta web design creates the aesthetic appearance, the color range of the website and without development, it would be totally static.
The development makes that appearance fulfills the functions for which it was created. For example, if the website designed is in e-commerce, the articles can be seen, bought, and paid for.
In web design, the usability of the site, the spaces, that the site "breathes", that the reading is comfortable, and that the user experience is pleasant is taken into account.
The development, however, is intended to serve the user what you are claiming. Either a cover where the latest entries are collected, a search result, or an archive of a category.
The development is responsible for the functionality required for the purpose for which was created the website. The web design is also focused on the purpose it was created, but no technical functionality, it is only aesthetic.
In general, it is not usually the same professionals who design and develop the website, or at least that would be ideal. They are totally complimentary but very different professions. To explain it a little more clearly, the designer translates an idea into a design and the developer takes the design and transforms it into a functional website.
Design is the first thing a client wants to see when placing an order, how the "guts" are made. It can be something inconsequential, for the most part, you just want it to work and fulfill its mission.
For a user to stay on a website, the design has to attract their attention, be attractive, and above all easy to navigate. But the site must be fast and work properly, this will make the visitor stay longer on that website. A beautiful design is useless if it takes a long time to load or is poorly programmed.
Web design and development is extremely important that they are integrated and go hand in hand to achieve a good user experience. Professionals in both fields must work for a single purpose, that the visitor to the website wants to visit it again.

Development and web design with WordPress

On WordPress focused web design and development, the line is even finer. A WordPress theme, whether free or commercial, we are going to choose for its appearance and functionality, without thinking that it is designed and that it is development.
The way to change the appearance is installed and displayed in the administrator. The theme, although it seems that it is all design, has an important part of development. The plugins are mostly development, but their usability and visual aesthetics are also noticeable. The development is only going to be seen inside WordPress because the company that has developed it or the developer has wanted to take care of this detail.

When custom development is carried out, there are clear differences. The design is approved first and then the development, yes or yes, has to accompany the design, it must be integrated and not everyone can go their own way.

In conclusion

I hope that the 7 differences between web design and web development have helped you to differentiate them and understand that they are very different but complementary areas. And, if you need help with the design or development of your website, do not hesitate to contact us.

The developer must understand the design to implement the functionalities necessary to make the design "come to life.