When you decide to build a website, one of your first challenges is figuring out who to hire. You might hear the terms web designer and web developer used interchangeably — but they refer to two very different roles. Hire the wrong person first, and you risk wasting both money and time. In this article, I’ll break down what web designers and web developers really do, how their roles overlap, and guide you on who to bring in first, depending on your project.
Who is a Web Designer?
A web designer shapes the visual identity of a site. Their job revolves around aesthetics, user flow, and brand consistency. Think of them as the architect who sketches the blueprint: they plan how a site looks, feels, and guide visitors through it.
They don’t just pick pretty colours and fonts — they design with purpose. They care deeply about usability, ensuring that every element on a page helps the user achieve their goal (whether that’s making a purchase, reading a blog, or signing up for a newsletter).
Key Responsibilities
- They create wireframes or mockups, offering a skeletal layout of a page’s structure. These can either be simple sketches or polished designs.
- They craft prototypes that simulate user interactions, experimenting with navigation and interface behaviour.
- They choose colour palettes, typography, icons, and images — everything must align with the brand’s identity.
- They work on UX (user experience), mapping how users will move through the site, and optimising for intuitive journeys.
- They ensure responsive design — the website must look good and function well across devices (desktops, tablets, phones).
- They collaborate with developers closely so that the final site stays true to their design vision and remains technically feasible.
Common Tools & Skills
Designers rely on tools like Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, Photoshop, and Illustrator to bring their ideas to life. They also need a strong foundation in design theory, such as colour theory, typography, layout principles, and basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to communicate effectively with developers. On the soft-skills side, they must listen carefully to clients, manage feedback, and blend creativity with usability.
What is a Web Developer?
While a web designer crafts the vision, a web developer makes that vision work in the real world. Developers write the code that powers your site. They build the structure, enable functionality, and ensure everything performs smoothly. Without them, the site remains a static design — not usable, not interactive.
There are different flavours of developers: front-end, back-end, and full-stack.
- Front-end developers bring visual designs to life in the user’s browser, using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Back-end developers work on the “behind the scenes”: servers, databases, APIs, and application logic.
- Full-stack developers straddle both worlds, handling everything from design implementation to backend infrastructure.
Key Responsibilities
- They convert design mockups into real, interactive web pages by writing clean and efficient code.
- They build server-side logic, such as database integration, user authentication, APIs, content management, etc.
- They test functionality across devices and browsers to ensure compatibility.
- They optimise performance by speeding up page load times, reducing lag, and enhancing stability.
- They implement security measures to protect against vulnerabilities.
- They maintain the site once it’s live, fixing bugs, updating code, and scaling infrastructure as needed.
Common Tools & Technologies
Developers use programming languages, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and potentially back-end languages like PHP, Python, or Node.js. They also rely on frameworks (React, Vue, Angular), databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB), version control systems (like Git), and maybe content management systems (CMS) like WordPress.
Key Differences Between a Web Designer and a Web Developer
The divide between designers and developers often comes down to focus, skills, and deliverables.
- Focus: Designers concentrate on how the site looks and feels — the aesthetics, the journey, the interaction. Developers focus on how it works — the logic, speed, functionality.
- Skills: Designers blend creativity with UX thinking; developers apply programming logic and technical problem-solving.
- Deliverables: A designer’s deliverables include wireframes, mockups, and style guides. A developer hands over a working website, codebase, server setup, and database.
- Workflow involvement: Designers typically start early, defining structure, look, and user flows. Developers come in once the design becomes concrete, or sometimes in parallel when designs need to adapt to technical constraints.
Who Do You Need First?
Deciding who to bring on board first depends heavily on where you are in your project.
For a New Website
If you’re starting from scratch and want something custom-built, hire a web designer first. They’ll help you define your brand identity, create user journeys, and design a visual layout, all without yet worrying about how to code it. After designing, you bring in a developer to build the functional site.
However, if you’re using a pre-built template (for example, on WordPress or Shopify), you might start with a developer (or even handle some of the setup yourself) because the design is mostly figured out already.
For a Website Redesign
If your site feels outdated or clunky, hire a designer first to refresh the visual identity and rework the UX. But if your primary concern is performance, security, or moving to a new platform, a developer might take the lead.
For E-Commerce Projects
E-commerce sites usually need both design and development early. You’ll want a designer to create an intuitive shopping flow, and a developer to integrate inventory systems, payment gateways, and other custom functionality.
Considering Budget
Designers and developers come with different cost implications. Designers often charge according to concepts, mockups, and revisions, while developers may bill for features, integrations, and ongoing maintenance. If budget is tight, you might begin with one expert and bring in the other later — but for many projects, hiring both is worth the investment.
When You’ll Need Both at the Same Time
For more complex or custom projects, you’ll probably bring both a designer and a developer on board together. This includes:
- Large websites or web applications
- Branding overhauls that require interaction design
- SaaS platforms, enterprise portals, or membership sites
In these scenarios, strong communication between designer and developer matters. A good designer understands technical constraints, and a good developer appreciates design intent. Their synergy ensures that the end product feels polished and works without glitches.
Tips for Choosing the Right Professional
- Ask to see portfolios: For designers, look for a variety of styles, good UX work, and responsive layouts. For developers, inspect past projects, code (if possible), and performance.
- Define your project scope clearly: Be precise about what you need — number of pages, features, integrations, and design preferences.
- Check their process: How do they handle feedback? How frequently do they communicate? You want someone who aligns with your working style.
- Understand the timeline and maintenance model: Websites evolve. Ask how updates, bug fixes, and future scaling are handled.
- Get a detailed contract: Include deliverables, timelines, and payment milestones to avoid misalignment later.
Common Misconceptions
- “Designers always code.” Not always. Many designers do not write production-level code — they hand off designs. On the other hand, some may have basic HTML/CSS skills, but that doesn’t make them developers.
- “Developers don’t care about design.” That’s not true either. Good developers respect UI/UX principles, especially when implementing pixel-perfect designs or optimising for user experience.
- “One person can do it all.” In small or simple projects, you could hire a full-stack developer who also designs. But for more complex efforts, keeping the roles separate usually produces better outcomes.
Conclusion
Web designers and web developers play distinct but complementary roles. Designers sculpt the visual and experiential blueprint, while developers bring that blueprint to life through code. Which one you hire first depends on your project’s nature: brand-new site, redesign, or e-commerce build.
For most new sites, start with a designer to flesh out the vision. Once the concept has shape, bring in a developer to build it. In situations where complexity demands, consider hiring both at the same time — and make sure they communicate openly.
Getting the right mix of design and development expertise will set you up for a website that not only looks great but performs beautifully.