Written by Mark Peter
Introduction.
Web Development and Web Design-A Closer Look
Web development refers to the activities and tasks associated with developing websites for hosting via the internet or intranet. Going into more detail, web development brackets all the actions, updates, and operations required to build, maintain, and manage a website to ensure its performance, speed, and user experience.
Web development is the coding or programming that enables website functionality and basically deals with non-aesthetic aspects of building a website. There are three kinds of web developer specialization, namely front-end developer, back-end developer, and full-stack developer. Front-end developers are usually responsible for the visuals and behavior that happen in the user browser, while back-end developers handle the behavior of the servers and functionalities.
Web design on the other hand refers to the design of websites that display on the internet. It is mostly associated with the user experience aspects of website development and was previously focused on designing websites for desktop browsers until other user needs arose, with mobile and tablets becoming increasingly important. The goal of web designers is often to make sure the site is both visually pleasing and user-friendly and has an encouraging feeling for visitors to stay as long as possible.
Web design involves many skills and disciplines in the production and maintenance of websites and is used to describe the design process relating to the front-end design of a website. A good web design is easy to use, aesthetically pleasing and suits the user specification. We must take into serious consideration the simplicity and ease of a website and that is why it is necessary to have passed through a certain level of learning before going through with client work and we possess the skill set required for this process.
What skills are required?
Technical Skills
The journey to becoming a web developer and web designer requires that you become proficient in a majority of different technical skills and the most essential ones include:
- Coding: You’d need to know how to use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to work as a Web developer, especially on the front end since each of these languages plays an important role in creating websites. The coding requirements for Back-end Web Developers are pretty similar as they should know both HTML and JavaScript besides one or two back-end languages, but CSS is not a necessity.
- User Experience: You’d also need a successful skill in understanding how users interact with the final product, which is the website. As a web developer, it is necessary to keep in mind that users are the main reason a website is created and the website should engage the user with qualities of aesthetics, instructiveness, and user friendly.
- Testing and Debugging: Web developers must possess the ability to validate code and verify that the code is free of bugs, and if there are any bugs present, be able to fix errors from the code. In many scenarios, a different person usually does code verification, but it is still always necessary for persons who want to program or perhaps the program already know how to check and debug code.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): As web designers, it is always important to focus on making the layout, speed, performance and structure of your website SEO friendly. This would require knowledge of the essentials of optimization and search engine operations.
- Web Server Management: Another technical skill web designers are not really proficient with is web server management. Understanding the basic functioning will help prevent downtime while solving problems in an easy, quick, and smart way.
Non-Technical Skills
As an individual considering a career in web development and design, you should put into consideration a few vital non-technical skills, which are sometimes referred to as “soft skills”. Unlike how technical skills can be learned, non-technical skills are personal skills.
- Focus: The ability to focus is a very important skill to possess. Paying attention to all the tiny details is a tasking thing to do, but it would be almost impossible for someone who gets distracted pretty easily. The good news is we can develop this skill over time with more practice time set aside, so if the focus does not come naturally, then work to be focused.
- Attention To Detail: Anyone interested in the web design and development process should be attentive to little details. The details are mostly the work when it comes to coding and if you cannot pay attention to as many little details along the way, you’ll end up a huge, unnecessary amount of time.
- Good Communication: This is another important skill for web developers and designers to possess. Creating a website doesn’t just fall on a single person, it involves a variety of people including clients, designers, writers, and customers. It is very necessary to possess very proficient communication skills as this would build career progress along the line.
Conclusion
Web development and designing is a skill that requires a lot of effort and there’s nothing that would say otherwise. A web designer or developer requires to possess some specific set of useful skills what a true professional would require is the ability to be sincere, committed, and passionate about the job.
Do you need a degree to get a good position as a web developer or designer? No, you do not. There is no specific degree for a web development career although a bachelor’s degree in computer science was usually the starting point for many individuals. Certainly, a very large amount of good reasons to go for a college degree are available, but getting a degree to land a job in web development is not one.
FAQs
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Do I need a degree in web development?
No, you don’t, but having one will usually give you an edge in the way you approach things.
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Is a degree worth it?
A degree can lead to several opportunities and several career paths.
- What does it take to be a web developer or designer?
- How do I go about beginning a career in web development?
- What is the skill required in starting out as a web designer or developer?
- Is it necessary to enroll in a Bootcamp?
