Web design includes the visual layout and usability of a website, ranging from the choice of colors and images through how information flows and guides users from points A to B. The design comprises the overall user interface (UI), which is the functionality enabling visitors to move around the site and find what they are looking for. This guides the user experience (UX), which determines how long a visitor remains on the website and whether they engage with the company or not.
Web development, however, while occasionally used as an umbrella term that includes website design, typically refers to technical aspects of a website and the code that enables it to work. It ranges from choosing a language to build a site, such as HTML, CSS or JavaScript, to creating systems it runs on. The purpose of web development is to combine a client's requirements with visual aspects imagined by the designer, to bring the website to life.
Web development processes typically involve creation of complex code to build necessary applications that work in a browser. These are pieces of software that run on a website to enable visitors to perform a function. Some examples of web applications include:
AndPlus has developed complex web applications that provide functionality for clients to deliver on promises to their own customer bases. Examples of these are:
These examples show the difference between web development and web design, and how development goes further towards creation of a site.
By now it should be obvious when you’re looking for a website that does more than display your logo and a list of products and services, you need a web developer. This team will create a custom application that lives in your web browser. An efficient web developer will make the application accessible through all devices, including your mobile phone.