Website Development vs. Website Design

As a Chicagoland business owner, you know you need a website. Perhaps you have an old site in need of updating, or maybe you’re just starting and need a brand new website to help draw in traffic from Hinsdale and the surrounding suburbs. Through your research, you’ve probably seen information about both web development and web design. We’re looking at website development vs. website design to help you better understand the purpose of each of these jobs and what these services can offer.

Website Development

Front-end and back-end web developers make websites functional. They use coding languages, such as HTML, Javascript, CSS, and others to make the web pages and the design files operational and visible to the public.

Front-end developers work on the public-facing side of the website and are responsible for creating the code that determines how a website displays. They bring the wireframes, mockups, and layouts from the web designer to life. Back-end developers manage data, which is then provided to a front-end developer.

Website Design

laptop and notebook sitting on a wooden table with a wireframe drawn in the notebook with a pen

Web designers develop, as you might have guessed, the design of a website. They use programs like Photoshop to create site layouts and the visual elements that go on each page. They make sure each page looks right, is aesthetically pleasing, and is user-friendly. Some of the responsibilities of web designers include:

  • Designing logos
  • Designing graphics
  • Branding
  • Choosing color schemes
  • Formatting and layout
  • Typography
  • Web page wireframes

Do You Need Web Design or Web Development?

It might be better to work with a website designer for onsite, aesthetic needs, such as updating your current website. If your Elmhurst company needs a brand-new website, you’ll likely need to work with both a web developer and a web designer. The other option is to work with a company that does both. EQ Technology Group in Oak Brook offers website design and development services for companies from SMBs to large corporations to ensure that you have an up-to-date, user-friendly website optimized for SEO.


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