I've always had a general idea of what web design was, and i've done a little myself, but I was wondering if web design was the actual visual design, the code, or both of them in whole?
Nobody will give you a straight answer, cause it's both. : ) So when talking to people, you need to specify whether you mean visual design or code design.
As said, there isnt a set definition for it and so it can be simply making the PSDs (TIFF/ JPG etc) or can be taking them and cutting them up/ coding the HTML/ CSS to make the actual page. I personally would say that it is including the writing the HTML/ CSS however if you get into the corporate world design is simply the design and not the HTML There is a reasonably strong argument that it should simply be the design and not the markup as to be creative and make pleasing designs is a very different skill set to writing markup language or going further and programming an application that uses the markup as its user interface.... that said there are plenty of companies that employ both types of people and even more who are "jack of all trades" (you can make your own mind up on if they are masters of none, or all)
Hi It depends from individual to individual depending upon which all spheres the person specialises in. For me , web designing includes designs, markup, web development (using php etc..), client side languages like Javascript , graphics using photoshop and illustrator ... Some other person might specialise only in creating web applications while other only in creating page PSD layouts. Web design is a very vast area which has many subparts as listed above. Regards Rooney
For me, web design includes all graphics and all front end coding. So, HTML + CSS and possibly some Javascript. Web development for me is the back end programming, so languages such as Java, PHP, ASP and ASP.NET I don't really think there is an exact definition though.
surely it is the entire works. after all you cannot create the desired webpage look without knowing the coding and construction behind the design.
To create the look you technically only need to know how to use a pen and paper.... after all it is about "designing" a webpage not "creating" one, hence web designer rather than web creator. It is useful for someone who designs sites to have an understanding of how it works behind the scenes so that they dont design something impractical to use however they dont need to know the strengths/ weaknesses of position:relative; -v- position:absolute;
It anoys me when all these arty farty web designers make all these flash websites but they have poor usuability and are rubbish for SEO.
Hence the comment, split the work, designers design and programmers program. Jack of all trades can do both but neither to the standard of an expert in a single field. Hence most of our clients are designers and no end owners
I know what you mean, but i never seen anyone as ever possibly being an expert in their field, i dont think that if someone can design and then code to bring it all together that their not quite hitting it, i think that person has the best of both worlds, the freedom to design while understanding any restrictions they might have while trying to code it, if anything making them more practical, as they wont find themselves trying to be all arty only to find that when they try and make the site work that its impractical or near impossible. To see yourself as an expert in a field is like saying that nothing more can be learned, its like saying your outside everyone elses world. Labels like expert, guru etc are for ego filled people who think they cant be taught anymore.
Designers come up with the "look and feel" of the site in photoshop/illustrator/whatever - and then hand it off to the developer to make it an actual site. You can find people who do both (I knew a guy at one of my first jobs who was quite good at both) but they're much harder to find than someone who's good at one or the other.
@skaterkee hahaha. Thats such a similar frustation with me too. I detest these 'arty farty' flash sites which take an eon to load and have no usability what so ever. Checkout the Smashing magazine's recent top 9 portfolio designs. Most of them were just flashy and usability sucked so bad. @pipe Absolutely fantastic post. I think one can be a designer as well as a developer because it is very advantageous and often rare to be good at both. And if you ARE good at both, its really hitting the Bulls' eye. As pipes said, if a person knows both the spheres of design as well as development, he/she gains a new dimension of thinking. One is able to relate the two together and you dont really need to communicate with a 2nd person to try and create a linking b/w the design and development. Its just communicating with yourself which is as smooth as it can get. So, i love doing both as its like having a sniper rifle for long range and a burst SMG for short range (courtesy Counter Strike ). Regards Rooney
An expert doesnt mean that there is nothing more to learn but that you are exceptional at it.... typically the higher an expert you are the smaller the area of your knowledge/ skill is. I have to say that I have never known anyone who I would say was an expert at both design and development. Certainly there are some that are reasonable at both, most are better at one than the other but give their output to a single subject matter expert and they can almost always suggest improvements (though design is always subjective)