I’m sure you see both of these terms used a lot and often wonder if there is a difference. And I use the phrase ‘website design’ in my company name as well. So is there a difference after all?
In my opinion, yes there is.
Web or Website Design
This is the method of designing how a website should look visually. So the colours to be included, the fonts to be used, where the images should sit, whether the menu is vertical or horizontally placed and the general styling used throughout. Often when designing a website from scratch, several page layouts will be created to demonstrate the options eg a Home page often looks very different to the pages where you would have your Terms and Conditions for example. Here are some layouts I designed for a recent client to show the difference and including a mobile view as well as this was a responsive website.
Once the design has been agreed the Website Development starts.
The ‘development’ part of a website is taking the designs and turning them into a website that works. So html and css code is written so that when a page title is hovered over in the menu with your mouse, it highlights by underlining or changing colour. And then when this link is clicked on, it takes you to another page. or it might be setting up a members login area or a gallery. Or adding scrolling images or a news section. All of this installation and set up and writing of code is the development in essence.
In larger agencies, you often have designers and developers working on their own sections of the project. But smaller organisations like me have to be able to do both parts of the job which I see as an asset. As I design I am also thinking about how it will actually translate into the functional website as well.
However, often both ‘design’ and ‘development’ are phrases used to describe the whole process. Much like a Hoover is incorrectly but acceptably used to describe any vacuum cleaner!
If you’d like me to design and/or develop a new website for you then please get in touch!
