Designer vs Frontend vs Backend in Web Development

Siddharth Rastogi
4 min readApr 5, 2021

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Hello, In this story, we are going to understand Frontend and Backend Development. What type of work lies in the particular field to develop the website?

Frontend and Backend are the most common terms and specializations in Web development. Mainly in all companies and organizations, there are two types of people, in which they are specialized either in Frontend or Backend. So for this, we need to understand the difference between them.

Ok, so let’s begin with the basics of Web Development.

What is Web Development?

Web development is the work involved in developing a Website for the Internet.

Web development refers to the main non-design aspects of building Websites includes markups, scripts, programming to create features. We can achieve in many ways like we can develop the website using different programming languages stack. Web developers mainly focus on the logic, functionalities, interface, etc., according to the need.

We have two sides, and each side has its importance. One is at the Client-side level, and the other is at the Server-side level.

Client-side is nothing but Frontend, and Server-side is Backend.

Types of Web development

Three types of career path in the Web Development that are Frontend, Backend, and Full-stack.

Frontend

It is the front part of the website, which users interact to see and takes an action. It is responsible for behavior and visuals that run in the user browser. Frontend includes HTML (used to present the information), CSS (for styling the data information), and JavaScript (to interact with the users like event handlers). These are the basics of making any interface interactive.

To make the task simple and more attractive interface, we have different types of frameworks available. Frontend developers usually use Bootstrap for styling the website. If the application uses the API to render or display the data, then in best practices, JavaScript frameworks are there to connect the Backend with Frontend through API to make the job easier.

These JavaScript frameworks have methods to make the code in small component types or modules, so maintenance is easy. Examples of these frameworks could be Angular, React, Vue, etc.

So, One must know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to become a Frontend developer, also necessary to learn the frameworks to make more interactive and fast pages.

Designer

The frontend developer is not a designer. It is a misunderstanding, some people think both are the same, but no, it is not. The designers are the ones who draw the designs using applications like Figma, Adobe XD, Photoshop, and so on.

Designers are responsible to provide mobile-friendly designs in the form of images or designs. And also provide the vector graphic elements that are used in the website. Sometimes, they provide the CSS styling of the components or modules.

Backend

The content or data that can be seen on the front part of the website is processed with some logic or calculations is termed ad Backend. It is not directly visible to users and can be done only on the backside of the website. It is all about making these apps render server-side.

In backend development, some frameworks make the job easier to develop applications. For PHP, we have a Laravel framework that provides the MVC pattern, and similarly, for Ruby, we have Ruby on Rails and many more. The pattern makes the flow very easy and helps to communicate with the Frontend part of the website through APIs.

It includes Database, API, Server-side languages, operating systems, frameworks. Programming languages that are used in the backend development are Python, Java, PHP, MySQL, Ruby, dotNet, and so on.

Full Stack

Now, Full-stack includes both the Backend and Frontend parts of the website. Developer can not be only dependent on any of the single stack of development. Those developers can have a piece of good knowledge of both stacks.

In most cases, Backend developers are Full-stack developers if they have good knowledge of styles, and design then we should say, Full Stack Developer. Few Frontend Developers support the work of Full-stack.

Which type of development is best to start?

Both fields have their importance to make the web application. Both are very demanding in organizations, startups. Let’s see some necessary points for both to make it better understandable for best fit your interest, skills, goals, and passions.

The Frontend development is for you only if you are:

You can read our full article here.

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Siddharth Rastogi

I am a full stack developer, I have an expertise in Web Development. I write tech stuff and share my knowledge with others through blogs & articles.