A website is one of the most important business tools in the modern business environment, and you will hear a lot about companies that do web design and web development in Singapore when you go searching for an agency to build your website. In this article, we will give you a guide to web design and web development.
One of the greatest hurdles individuals and businesses face is in telling the difference between these two terms. Read on to the end of this guide and know all there is about web design and web development in Singapore.
Web Design vs. Web Development: Key Differences
The first step of creating a website for your brand entails designing the various elements. Therefore, web design will always come before web development. It is only after designing that you can start developing the website.
As discussed in this article, web design is creating an aesthetic appearance of a Singapore business website. Web design is the general appearance of a website. On the other hand, web development ensures that the website functions properly. It is only after web development that a website visitor can access and utilize the contents of a website.
In web design, only some specific software tools and programs are used. They include Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Sketch. These programs are just designing tools. A good web designer should have good logo and graphic designing skills. He/she should also keep up with the latest design trends.
Web development is also known as web programming, and it involves both non-design and design aspects. However, most web developers focus on the non-design aspects of the website.
There are three types of web developers:
- Front-end web developer
- Back-end web developer
- Full stack web developer
Front-End Web Developer
This is a web developer who is focused on the design aspects. The developer is responsible for inputting the images, icons, colours, and all the elements that will help the website user have a seamless user experience when navigating the site.
Front-end developers need to learn and master various programming languages or technologies such as CSS, JavaScript, HTML, and JQuery. While these have similar roles to web designers, they will give out a well-organised and clean website.
Back-End Developer
On the other hand, these developers are responsible for making the front-end design functional by doing back-end programming. This type of developer needs excellent problem-solving skills and with a passion of how the website works more than how it looks. These types of developers use programming languages such as Python, PHP, and Ruby among others.
Full Stack Developer
Web development is the art of using the created web design to make a fully functioning website. So, it is only after designing that you can start developing your website.
A web design is just like a static picture. A web developer will take this picture and make a functioning website using it a blueprint. The developer will create a real interface that effectively engages and communicates the intended message to the target audience.
Most companies that do web design and web development in Singapore have two teams of web developers; front-end web developers and back-end web developers. Front-end web developers use various programming languages such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), JavaScript (JS) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to create a functioning website.
Moreover, some front-end web developers may opt to use content managements systems (CMS) such as Joomla or WordPress. These content management systems will further enhance web development. They also give the website owner a chance effectively manage and control his/her website without necessarily contacting the developer.
A back-end web developer will make sure that you have the correct database and server connection. If your website’s content is made up of dynamic data, you will need a back-end web developer. An example of a dynamic data is a web page which informs the visitors to submit a form, to download a document, or to save some information.
A back-end web developer will use various server languages like ASP.NET or PHP. He/she will also use database queries of languages such as SQL and MySQL. These languages will make sure that your website always has an efficient and reliable database and server connection always.
Most web design and web development agencies in Singapore have web developers who can transform a static website layout into more dynamic website layout. They can do this with the help of content and image sliders, font families, animations, form interfaces, and active states for links and buttons.
Web Designer
Web design refers to the general appearance of a website and its usability. A web designer will use several design programs to create an aesthetic appearance of a website. The most common design program used in web design is Adobe Photoshop.
For a web designer to create an appealing and user friendly website, he/she must first understand the objectives of his client. From these objectives, the web designer will prepare an information hierarchy which will guide him/her through the entire designing process.
Moreover, there are specific principles which a web designer must follow to create a good business website namely:
- Balance – The design of the website must be balanced. The web designer should use light and heavy colours in the right proportions.
- Emphasis – Based on the objectives of his client, the web designer should emphasize certain elements of the website. This involves making some specific elements of the website to stand out. The emphasized elements are the most important sections of the website.
- Contrast – A web designer should be able to use contrast to bring attention to some specific website’s sections. Contrast can be applied in web design by using varying colours, shapes, textures and font sizes.
- Consistency – The web designer should apply consistency throughout the website. This will improve the user experience and navigation.
- Unity – Unity refers to the relationship between various individual sections of the website and the website as a whole. A good web designer should ensure that each individual section is in harmony with the other website elements.
The Languages Used For Web Design and Web Development
In the sections above, we have looked at the languages or technologies that you need to learn to become a web designer and web developer in Singapore. Let us now take a deeper look into what they represent and mean.
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PHP
This is one of the most common languages used in web development mainly because it is easy to learn as well as it is scalable. Web developers use it as an object-oriented as well as a function-oriented programming language.
It might take you some time to learn PHP, but it is one of the easiest languages you can use to develop web applications. Besides this, it is also a server-side programming language. This means that it can be used to manage server-side requests as well as handles the response sent by the server.
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JavaScript and JQuery
This one runs on the client’s computer, and it aids in reducing your traffic and use of your machine’s processing power. A majority of the websites uses JavaScript to form animations, validations, timers, AJAX requests, among other client-side operations. JQuery, on the other hand, is a JavaScript library that is used to simplify the operations.
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HTML and CSS
This is an abbreviation for “Hypertext markup language,” and it is the standard markup language used for designing the website’s user interface. CSS stands for “Cascading Style Sheet,” and it is used to define the styling patterns for various HTML elements on a web page.
However, these two languages are code heavy, and there are new tools that take away the need for endless coding. For example, Adobe Mouse, allows you to incorporate stunning features to your websites such as parallax scrolling.
While these tools make website design and development faster and easier, it is always worth the effort to learn the basics. This way you can customise a client’s website as well as style dynamic content.
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SQL
This is short for Structured Query Language is essential for running the queries, which are also known as commands, to create, perform, as well as update the operations on a database. A database in website programming acts as the book-keeper of everything that goes into the website. SQL commands are triggered on request using PHP scripts running on the server.
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Python
This is a high-level object-oriented programming language. Unlike other programming languages, Python uses simple easy-to-use syntax, and this makes it easy to learn for everyone. It is used for programming, testing, microchips, building video games, virtually everything.
The syntax has a high resemblance to English, and it uses words such as ‘in’ and ‘not’ and this makes it easy to read the code. It also has strict punctuations which mean that you do not have to deal with confusing braces in your code.
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Ruby
This is a dynamic and simple open-source programming language that has a focus on productivity. Much like Python, Ruby is similar to English, and it is easy to read for beginners. It is perfect for backend web development, and it first started out making games in Japan.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both web design and web development require that you continuously improve your skills since web design and web development in Singapore is highly competitive. However, being a web designer and developer takes time and unique skill.
A majority of the firms offering web design and web development in Singapore hire both developers and designer. This is because finding a full stack developer is extremely rare. This way, they can seamlessly put out high-quality websites without risking a drop in quality from either department.
How to Get Started In Web Design and Web Development in Singapore
As a beginner, it might be overwhelming when you try and choose between the two. However, the good news is that there people who have gone ahead of you who will help you along the way. In this section, we will look at how you can get started on the right foot in web design and web development in Singapore.
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Learn to Code
This is especially important for web developers and web designers who are involved with interactive websites. However, it all comes down to your preferred coding language and platform. For example, the Linux Apache MySQL (LAMP) is mostly used for running websites.
Unlike years past, you do not need to go to college to learn how to code. With a website such as Code Academy, you can learn how to code for free. However, the best way to learn how to code is not consuming endless hours of theory at once, but by doing.
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Join Online Web Design and Web Development Communities
The greatest thing about web design and development is that there is a multitude of people who are willing to help you out. However, trends in web design and problems in web development are constantly changing.
This has led to the formation of online communities where designers and developers can help each other. When it comes to web development, there are several forums that could help you get started as well as help you out when you get stuck.
You could try communities such as Stack Overflow, the Mozilla Development Network, The New Boston, among others. These communities will help identify the problems in your code as well as suggest solutions to your problems.
Web designers also require a community to support them when they hit a dead end with their projects. While they might not be as popular as the web development communities, you should search for web design communities and forums. Whichever you choose between web design and web development in Singapore, you should not do it alone, join at least one online community.
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Get Into Action
Once you have learnt how the languages work and how to code, then you are on your way to building websites. The joy is that you can build the websites from scratch or previously written code. For web development, you can get more information from this article.
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What Do Web Designer And Web Developer Do?
Web design and web development professionals have entirely different duties. This is why most agencies specialising in web design and web development in Singapore hire both web designers and developers. But what are their duties?
Web developers as we said earlier mainly focus on the back end of the website. For those who deal with front end development, the website still needs to go to a web designer for fine tuning to the required standards.
Web developers would mainly take on tasks such as:
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- Testing the different aspects of the website to ensure it remains functional
- Build a functional shopping cart for e-commerce websites
- Build photo galleries
- Create an architectural structure of a website
- Give websites the ability to collect information from visitors
- Building up website security
There are different types of web design, and it will dictate what web designers do on a daily basis. They include:
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- Background control web page UI design
- New product promotion design
- E-commerce visual design
- Activity project web design
- Enterprise official website design
Web designers will contend with doing these types of tasks on a daily basis, and on one day is the same. However, to expedite these duties, you will need to improve your skills such as
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- Layout design
- SEO rules
- Colour combination
- Photoshop
- Interaction design
- Basic coding language
- Principles of visual design
However, there is an increase in the number of website builders that allow you to design a website from scratch without doing any coding. While this is an easier way out, it will pay off to learn and master at least one front-end coding and editing software.
More so, you can learn web design at home as long as you have an internet connection. There are online classes you can enrol to, some which are free, while you will need to pay for others. The tools you will need in your quest of becoming a web designer include Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Mockplus. There are other tools you could use, but these three are the easiest to learn.
Web development is the term used to refer to the body of tasks that go into the development of a website. Web development is also known as web programming and for people learning web development; the process involves all the design and non-design aspects of a website.
However, as a web developer, you can expect to engage in web content development, web design, network security configuration, client-side/server-side scripting, among other tasks.
However, you can expect to spend most of your days writing markup language or coding or
- Monitor website traffic
- Create and test website applications for
- Add audios, videos, images, and other graphics to the web content
- Write code for the website using HTML, XML or other programming languages
- Work with other graphic designers to best develop a suitable web design layout
Other web developers will spend most of their time creating simple plain text pages to complex web-based and social media applications. If you are looking to learn web development, then brace yourself for a long and exciting journey.
Web developers have been in existence since the first web page, but it is much easier to become a web developer today than it was back then.
There are many areas you need to cover to be a competent web developer, but in this article, we focus on the essential lessons to hack learning web development in 2019. However, the best web developers in the world always strive to improve their skills and so you should build on these six essential lessons.
Identify What You Want To Do
Before you embark on a project, it is necessary that you know what you want to achieve. Besides, there are thousands of people that are looking to become web developers in 2019 alone, and so you must ensure that you set yourself apart.
Whether you want to learn web development for yourself or to build a career around it, you need to have a defined goal.
There are two major areas of web development that you can learn
The frontend part of a website is the section that a user interacts with after the page loads. It requires that the developer input the colours, icons, images, and all other elements of a typical web page. Frontend developers have one goal in mind, to help the user navigate the website as easily as possible. The technologies or languages used for frontend development include HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, and JQuery.
The backend part of a website is more concerned with the functionality of the different components of the site. Backend web development requires a person with heightened problem-solving skills as well as has an interest in 5t6he functioning of the website or application. The programming languages needed for backend web development includes PHP, Python, and Ruby.
Most people prefer to specialise in one of the two types of web development, but there are also people who are proficient in both. The main take away here is to focus on your interests, and you will be on your way to being a web developer.
Scout For Free Re-courses on the Internet
Learning web development in 2019 is easier than it has ever been for those people who came before you. A decade or so ago, anyone that wanted to become a web developer had to enrol in a college, but there is no need for that today.
There are thousands of online resources you can use to learn all there is to know about web development. More so, these resources are coupled with free YouTube tutorials that help you along the way.
The great thing about web developers is that they are always willing to help. It could be. It does not matter whether you are a university graduate or self-taught, you will always have people helping you along the way for free.
There are thousands of hours of content you can get from YouTube and other platforms such as Lynda and Udemy. It is best that you start with the basics then work your way up. However, after a few months, you will start going into the more complex part of web development, but you can always ask for help.
You can use social media networks such as LinkedIn or forums such as Reddit, StackOverflow, and Quora to connect with other developers. Such platforms bring together web developers who have gone through the formal system as well as self-taught web developers. These forums will come in handy in your journey of becoming a web developer.
Disregard the Imposter Syndrome
It is difficult to judge your skill level and ability in comparison to the people already in the industry and fully practicing web development. There is a vibrant online community of web developers, and one thing you will note is that every one of them does common processes a bit differently.
When you know this fact, you are less likely to feel the stress associated with the imposter syndrome. It can make you doubt the achievements you have made in web development, it also comes with the fear that you will be found out that you are not properly learned and labelled a fraud.
The truth is that there is no textbook answer as to what a web developer is, and there is no one who can belittle your accomplishments. To test your web development skills, look at the projects that you are working on or those projects you have managed to complete no matter how small.
Besides, even the most qualified web developer today must keep practicing and improving their skills. As we said, there are endless resources on the internet, and you could use those to clear your pending projects.
Use Libraries
With the burgeoning community of web developers, no one is building things from scratch; instead, they are using a library. In web development circles, a library means a code that was written by someone else and the developers use them to kick-start their projects much faster with more efficiency.
Sometimes this could feel like cheating, and it will surely make you doubt your abilities as a web developer. However, everyone is contributing to the entire community of web developers and using the libraries is highly encouraged in the industry.
To beat the imposter syndrome, you can use as much code from other people as you want in your project. However, you need to know how to tie it all together and that in itself is a skill. However, be sure to share your code since it could come in handy for other web developers.
Learn All There Is To Learn
Given the advancements in technology, it is proper to say that no one knows everything. However, when you are starting, you will feel like everyone knows everything while you do not. The most important aspect of being a web developer is to keep on learning and improve your skills to make you a better web developer.
Constant learning is a crucial part of thriving in the profession, and this makes everyone in the web development profession a student in different stages because learning never stops. For example, the guys who studied and excelled at web development three years ago are using a different set of tools today.
If they had stopped learning, they could not have been web developers today. The thing is that web development is a fast-paced profession. Your dedication and ability to learn is all you need to learn web development in 2019 and beyond.
Improve On Your People Skills
Most aspiring web developers envision that they will only sit behind a desk and work all day, but that is only a small part of being a web developer. You will have to meet with potential clients to discuss the functionality and design needs of the website.
This will call for you to work on your people skills as it will come in handy during price negotiations. More so, you do not want to confuse the client with industry jargon, and they end up taking their business elsewhere.
Conclusion
Web design and web development in Singapore have come a long way. This means that trends are often changing and for an aspiring web designer or web developer, they will need to get involved with more experienced developers and designers.
The above guide will get you started on the right note when starting in web designing or development. You can choose to go into employment, but for a freelancer, it is best if you learn all about web development and designing in to become a full stack developer.
Web design and web development is not a walk in the park. Instead of going through the process of learning web design and development, you can contact us for professional web design and development services in Singapore.
