Is a web designer the same as a front-end developer?

At least partly, both of these terms appeared due to the urge for rigid separation between various IT jobs at the dawn of front-end web development, when the internet was still small, developers/designers didn’t do half of their nowadays duties, and the boundary between client/server functionality was firm and rigid. A web designer generally makes design amendments to the web environment, and a front-end web developer enhances the code. Nowadays, the behavioral level of the server environment has become increasingly dependent on the client’s behavior on the front end. In addition, front-end developers are more sapient in the web design technicalities — that’s why they’re often tightly involved in the conceptual design side.

Is coding necessary for web design?

Most web designers need at least some basic knowledge of programming languages (HTML, CSS, JS, Flash) because web design has become increasingly intertwined with front-end web development. The front-end is going to be more and more behaviorally dependent. Web design, defining the outlook of the web pages or applications, is no exception to this trend. If you’re a web designer working by yourself, you will probably come across some vacancies where employers can’t distinguish between the duties of a front-end developer and a designer, needing both, preferably united in one person, since it’s cheaper. If you’re a coding-proficient web designer, you can be a perfect choice (but don’t forget to ask for more money).

Is front-end developer a good career choice?

Yes, it’s a good career choice. Now, the IT world is constantly expanding. Every new startup needs an application, and all the applications need a well-thought front-end. With the shortening of our attention span, the competition in the app world becomes even sharper: the apps with a counterintuitive interface don’t keep up with our opponents. They’re instantly erased and forgotten — and their authors are devoid of income. People responsible for appealing and simple interfaces are front-end developers and web designers. All that said, front-end developers won’t be let on the bench if they’re proficient and trend-aware.

Are front-end developers designers?

As it often happens, we’d like to choose a “yes, but” answer — so we don’t seem too radical. Let’s underline the key difference between front-end developers and designers. Both are responsible for the outer look of web pages and applications — although web designers mainly think in terms of textures, colors, symmetry, balance, and other non-computer categories, and front-end developers perceive design elements in terms of code and programming possibilities. Nevertheless, the two professions have much in common, and if a web designer is an apt coder, they have an open road to front-end development.

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