Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/5fNmWej4tAA Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash 

Creating a stunning new website takes both design and development skills. But what’s the difference? Most business owners don’t have the time to figure it out, nor do they have a team on staff to do so. That’s where Charley Grey comes in!

Not only do we have an expert team at our fingertips, but we also have the skills, years of experience, and eye for creating new websites that convert visitors into customers. Yet, it’s not uncommon for many of our clients to have questions about the differences between web design and web development. So, to quickly answer all of the questions we are regularly asked, here is how the two differ from one another.

Web Design

Web design involves the aesthetics and usability of your website. Experts who work in website design know all the ins and outs of critical programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign and use these platforms to create mockups and layout designs of what your website will look like. There is also a great deal of thought and planning that goes into web design. Not only do web designers have to know basic design programs and features, but they also have to know all of the design principles and theories that go into creating a stunning new website for your business.

Design Principles

Balance

Balance is critical in any design but is especially crucial for your website. When it comes to the balance of any site, designers refer to dark and large colors as heavy elements and small and lighter shades as light elements. For your website to draw people in and make them stay, your design should balance these two elements.

Emphasis

This design principle is founded on the simple fact that some elements deserve to be “highlighted” so that they stand out. What this doesn’t mean is that you should highlight everything on your website and web pages. If you highlight everything, you will end up highlighting nothing, and people won’t venture further into your website. Instead, focus on key elements and words that you wanted emphasized and either change the color, boldness, or font style for more visually appealing text and details.

Contrast

Color theory is a term that you’ll likely hear when working with a web designer. This basic yet critical principle takes the color wheel and uses it to create branding and design with purpose. Colors that are opposite from each other are considered complementary colors and create perfect contrasts to one another. It’s important to have just enough contrast to draw your audience in, but too much can scare them away.

Unity

When laying out what your website could look like, web designers will place various elements and features in certain places to create harmony on each web page. Based on the Gestalt theory, unity of a design takes how human brains visually organize information and then group like elements together to make it easier for the brain to remember information. With unity, your website will stand out and be impressive to visitors.

Consistency

It doesn’t make sense for all of your web pages to be different. There are some areas of your pages that can be and should remain the same. For example, you don’t need a different header or footer on each page, nor should you try to use different elements. Stick to a few basic features and your brand’s color scheme to easily create consistency throughout the site.

Web Development

Once all of the design and layout are done and approved, your website then enters the development stage. Here is where developers, or programmers, take the design and turn it into a fully functioning website. Programmers will use HTML, JavaScript, CSS, PHP, and other programming tools to code the website so that it looks and operates exactly as you’d expect. Some advanced web developers will use platforms such as WordPress or Joomla to streamline the development process. Not only does this give clients more access and capabilities on the backend, but these programs make it easier for developers to make small changes and manage the website.

Web development also includes implementing content sliders, active links, buttons, and other interactive elements. Programmers are responsible for ensuring that all of your site’s components and features do what they’re supposed to and take your visitors to the pages you want them to see.

Let’s Design & Develop Your Website

Charley Grey has been designing, developing, and managing websites for small to mid-sized businesses since 2006. We pride ourselves in providing our clients with stunning sites that convert and lead to more sales. When our clients do well, we do well! We do all of this by implementing organic SEO, which strengthens your position online and converts visitors into paying customers. So, let’s get started with your web design and web development today! Call us at (317) 207-2015.