Last updated on May 7th, 2025
When did you first learn about web design vs web development? For many these two terms may sound similar, however, in reality website design and web development are different.
In this blog, we will discuss about design and development so you can choose the right one. Web design is what attracts visitors while the development part takes care of its functionalities for better user engagement and improved user experience.
Before you set out to create a website, know these key differences.
What is web design?
Website design is about the visual appeal a website renders. It focuses on how a website looks and feels, engaging visitors. The web designing encompasses layout, UI (User Interface), color, font, and overall user experience (UX).
To decipher the web designing meaning further, simply remember that it’s the front end that interacts with the users or visitors.
What is web development?
Website development is all about keeping a website functional. So, while a website designer first works on making it a visually perfect site, the web developer aka specific software developer codes and takes care of how it works.
Companies typically have web developers as a subset of their software engineering department. However, not all software developers or engineers are essentially web developers.
Decoding web development meaning takes you to the development of codes for the back-end and front-end, enhancing user experience both visually and functionality-wise.
Web developers can be categorized into two sections. They can work as front-end developers or back-end developers. A front-end developer is responsible for writing code to bring a web designer’s concept to life. A back-end developer manages a site’s database.
Key differences between web design and web development
Web design and web development are overlapping terms. A developer might have design skills and a designer might have HTML and CSS skills. That’s common but the core skills of these two are different. So, here we will highlight the key differences. Let’s check out.
Web design means creating visual assets vs web development means writing the codes
The foremost difference between web design and web development is — while web design deals with the visual appeal and aesthetics of the site, adding to the user experience (UX), web development looks after its functionality.
Similarly, web designers create the aesthetics of a site and web developers create the codes for better functionalities. While web designers use Photoshop, Sketch or Figma for wireframes and mockup creations, web developers use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build functionalities.
Web design is low-cost than web development
As compared to web development, we design costs less. While a web designer may charge up to $30-$35 per hour, a web developer may charge up to $45 and more per hour depending on the needs.
You may now ask, why web development is costlier than web designing. Well, it’s the technical aspects involved and the coding that make it more expensive.
Coding plays a key role in making a website user-friendly. The developer ensures that the site’s interface is just perfect for the users with every interaction, browsing, and navigation simplified.
Similarities between website design and website development
Here are some key similarities between web design and web development for consideration.
Render engaging user-experience
When we talk about similarities between web design and web development, both focus on providing an engaging user experience. User experience means customers connect positively with the site, leading to a strong association with the products and services.
If your website fails to render user engagement, customers won’t mind fleeing to the competitors’ sites. While design simplifies navigation on your website, development ensures it’s functioning well during customer interaction. A website that doesn’t work properly, no matter how good the design is, will compel users to go somewhere else.
Web designers and web developers work together to build a unified site
If you think you just need the website design, then that’s not the case. You need to get a web developer’s help to build a cohesive website. A website designer and a developer work together to ensure the site has a great design and functionalities.
When do you need a web designer or web developer?
In most cases, clients either need a web designer or a web builder to work on a website. But there are instances when clients need both the designer and developer working on a site at the same time. Here are some conditions when you need both the designer and developers.
When creating a custom website
A custom website refers to the one that’s created from scratch. When you create a website from scratch, you don’t need a website template. Web design and web development are two different sections. However, one cannot function without the other.
That’s why, when contacting a web design service agency, ensure it is capable of handling the developer’s responsibilities as well. Such an agency should have an in-house team of web developers to create a nice functioning website.
Therefore, after completing the design part, the designer will hand over the site to the developer, who will then build the site to make it fully functional.
While a simple website can be created using a website builder and its drag-and-drop features, a complex website will need custom coding. That means both a designer’s and a developer’s expertise will be required separately to build a website.
When creating a website using a web builder tool
Even if you hire freelancers for website design requirements, they contact a web developer to do the coding work.
You can hire a website designer to create the design and then hire a web developer to code that design into a functional website.
How to build a website using a web builder but no designer or developer
If you do not have the budget to pay an expensive fee to a professional website designer and developer, there are still alternatives to explore. There are many CMS (Content Management Systems) and website builder tools that you can take advantage of.
You can use platforms like WordPress, Shopify, Weebly, and Squarespace, offering no-code solutions. Each of them comes with pre-built website templates. You can easily customize a website design template using drag-and-drop features and plugins. These sites also provide templates for mobile bank app designs. You can customize each template according to your app needs.
However, a disadvantage of these widgets, modules, and plugins is that you will have limited design and function choices.
As far as brand assets are concerned, you can use a logo maker, poster maker, business card maker, and many other tools. Alternatively, you can launch a logo design or any graphic design contest, too.
So, these are the significant differences between web design and web development. Consider their key points and characteristics before hiring a designer or developer.
Wrapping Up
Web design and web development are crucial aspects of a website. While the design makes the site look impressive and stand out, the development ensures it functions appropriately. A custom website needs to create a great user experience.
