What is the difference between web design and web development?

[Davidsaga]

Hi Friends,

 

I am totally confused about various programming languages and software for developing a website. I am please to know the essentials of above in order to get A to Z details of a website development.

 

PLEASE HELP!!!

 

Thanks and Regards

Davidsaga

[benjaminmorgan]

Here are the roadmaps for each.

Web Design Roadmap: http://killersites.com/roadmaps/web-designer.php

Web Developer Roadmap: http://killersites.com/roadmaps/web-programmer.php

 

The main difference is that the designer focuses more on design aspect while the developer focuses more on the programming with Javascript and PHP and learning more than the basics of each language.

[LSW]

That pretty well covered it.

 

There was a time where a web designer made the site look good, created the interface then handed it off to a developer to actually make it work. Now these jobs are mutual. "Web Designers" here use languages like PHP now, programmers like me create not only the web based program, but the interface as well.

 

So is really situation based. When I create a Flex application I do it all, however my current work re-writing old programs we use is more back-end work as the Division Webmaster is responsible for making the web page that they reside in fit the new state look & feel. But I am an Analyst/Programmer and not a web developer officially.

 

My definition, it is a state of mind/personality:

• If you spend more time worrying about what the web site looks like and then force the content to fit the design, you are a web designer.
• If you worry more about the content structure, code that validates and the design being just a Look & Feel, just a matter of making content look more pleasant, you are a web developer.

One designs a site and one develops a site, but in the end they both create web sites, just in different ways. I am a developer.

[LSW]

[i decided to move this as it is more a beginners question "Where do I start/What do I learn", while the business of web design was created for freelance type questions for those wanting to start their own web design businesses. No biggy, just fits here better for anyone with the same type questions. - LSW]

I guess you asked about languages as well. I thought we used to have a pinned thread along those lines, I guess I will need to make one,

 

Base Knowledge:

• HTML (HTML 4.2 now, but HTML 5 will become standard in another year or so, you can code it now if you like. XHTML is only for use with XML based languages like MathML)
• CSS (CSS3 I guess)
• XML (This more a data structure than an actual language, but can be useful in web sites)

 

Scripting Languages:

• JavaScript (most common)
• Action Script (if you get into Flash)
• VBScript (Old fashioned)

 

*Soft Web Programming Languages: (Simple Web Sites)

• PHP (most common)
• Perl
• Python (more rare)
• VisualBasic (Old fashioned)

 

*Hard Programming Languages: (Industrial/Corporate/Commercial web sites)

• Java
• C#

 

Technologies:

• Classic ASP (a structure, not a language. Generally Visual Basic. Not recommended)
• .NET (Modern ASP & can be used with the above languages, aka PHP.net, C#.net. C# being the current industry standard)
• Ruby on Rails (becoming more popular)
• Flash Builder (The program formerly known as Prince Flex. Flash based technology)
• 'CMS' Content Management System (You need to understand what they do and how they help you and the customer, includes Drupal & WordPress as examples)

 

* I decided to break these up, Soft meaning basic web use. Hard being those languages to create robust Web Applications for more serious development of applications for web or desktop development.