The concept of web design and development has been around for about as long as websites have existed. It wont to have a way simpler definition because website creation wont to be a way simpler process.
When you compare the primary website, which came call at 1991, to modern websites, you'll really see what proportion websites have evolved. Today, creating and maintaining an internet site is more complex, and involves a whole ecosystem of roles and skill sets.
For designers, it are often difficult to understand exactly where you fit into this ecosystem. this text outlines the main aspects of the web site creation process, offering a transparent picture of your role, the roles of others, and therefore the skill sets involved.
What is web design and development?
Web design and development is an umbrella term that describes the method of making an internet site . just like the name suggests, it involves two major skill sets: web design and web development. Web design determines the design and feel of an internet site , while web development determines how it functions.
Because there isn’t always a tough line that separates the 2 roles, the titles are often used interchangeably. because the web continues to evolve, so do the roles.
In the almost 30 years since the primary website was created, numerous job titles have emerged to explain various skill sets wont to create an internet site , with more beginning per annum . These titles often overlap, and their meanings change from company to company. It’s enough to form your head spin.
Design vs. front-end development vs. back-end development
To keep it simple, let's separate website creation into two categories: what the users sees, and what the user doesn't see.
What the user sees takes place during a browser and involves design and front-end development. Design defines a website's colors, layout, font, and images — all the things that goes into a website's branding and usability — and requires tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks, and Sketch.
Using coding languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript to implement that style is named front-end development. These languages make it possible for users to interact with buttons, images, text, contact forms, and navigation menus. And they're integral to responsive and adaptive design.
Some designers code and a few front-end developers design. Some designers don't touch a bit of code. and a few front-end developers stick with coding and zip else. Helpful, right?
What the user doesn't see takes place on a server and involves back-end development.
A website needs a rear to store and organize all the info that comes through the front. So if a user buys something or fills out a form, they're entering information into an application on the front of the web site. which information is stored during a database that lives on a server.
A website works the way you would like it to because the front and back ends of an internet site are always communicating. A back-end developer is just like the conductor. they create sure applications, databases, and servers work together harmoniously using languages like Ruby, PHP, .Net, and Python along side frameworks like Ruby on Rails and Code Igniter.
Elements of web design
In his essay, The Politics of Design, the long-lasting designer Paul Rand wrote, “Design may be a problem-solving activity. It provides a way of clarifying, synthesizing, and dramatizing a word, a picture, a product, or an occasion. ”
Web designers are constantly solving problems for his or her users. Websites should make it easy for users to travel where they need to travel and do what they need to try to to . A frustrated user is a smaller amount likely to stay around, including come to an internet site .
That’s why each web design element is in commission of creating the web site as easy to use as possible: so people visit and interact with the web site over and once again .
Layout: The layout is that the arrangement of a website’s header, navigation menu, footer, content, and graphics. The layout depends on the web site ’s purpose and the way an internet designer wants the user to interact with the website. for instance , a photography website would prioritize big beautiful images, while an article site would prioritize text and letter spacing.
Visual hierarchy: A user should be ready to access the knowledge they have by glancing at an internet site . this is often where visual hierarchy comes in. Visual hierarchy is that the process of determining which aesthetic aspects of the web site should stand out using size, color, spacing, and more.
The headings during this article are a basic example of visual hierarchy. They quickly allow you to , the reader, know what this text is about.
Navigation: Navigation helps a user get from point A to point B using navigational tools like site architecture, menus, and search bars. Simple, effective navigation helps users find the knowledge they’re trying to find quickly and simply .
Color: Color gives an internet site personality, makes it stand out, and shows the user the way to take action. the color palette could be determined by a brand's existing identity or by the content of an internet site (like how this plant website uses hues of green). a uniform color palette helps give order to an internet site.
When an equivalent elements in UI look different in several parts of the app / website, this might confuse your users. Maintaining a uniform design approach allows users to use their previous knowledge when interacting with a product.
