What is the difference between website design and development?

Written by Lynsey Campbell

Introduction.

You’ve been quoted £5,000 for a “website build” – but what exactly are you paying for? Here’s the thing: most business owners don’t realise they might be hiring the wrong person entirely. Imagine you hire someone to create your dream website, only to discover they can make it look brilliant but can’t actually make the contact form work.

Think you need both a web designer and a web developer? Maybe not. Let’s clear up the confusion once and for all.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

The actual difference between web designers and web developers
Quick test: Do you need a designer, developer, or both?
The accessibility checklist neither should ignore
Red flags that scream “wrong hire”

We get it – tech speak is a pain.

That’s why at Scoot, we speak plain English and handle both web design and web development under one roof. No juggling freelancers or translating between teams.

TL;DR: the complete comparison.

Aspect	Web designer	Web developer
What they do	Create visual layouts, choose colours, design user journeys	Write code, build functionality, manage databases
Focus area	How it looks and feels	How it works and performs
Key skills	UX principles, typography, creating and applying visual styles	HTML/CSS/JavaScript, backend languages, API integration
Tools used	Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD	VS Code, GitHub, Chrome DevTools, frameworks
You need them when…	Site looks dated, poor user experience, brand refresh needed	Need booking systems, ecommerce platforms, slow loading, broken features
Accessibility duties	Colour contrast, font sizes, visual hierarchy	Semantic HTML, keyboard navigation, ARIA labels
Red flags	Won’t review existing site, mobile costs extra, no user questions	No version control, can’t explain clearly, platform snobbery

Bottom line:

Designers = visual aspects. Developers = technical aspects. Your website needs both. If you’re planning a new fully functional website that actually looks good, we recommend budgeting anywhere from £3,000 upwards for a future-focused solution.

Differences between website design and development.

Web designers create what you see. Web developers make it work.

That’s the simplest way to put it.

Web designer: the visual architect.

A web designer focuses on the look and feel of your web design. They’re obsessed with making sure visitors don’t bounce off your home page in horror.

What they actually do:

Plan user journeys (where people click and why)
Create mockups and wireframes (rough sketches that help plan your website layout)
Choose colour schemes that won’t make your eyes bleed
Select fonts that match your brand personality
Ensure mobile layouts that keep users engaged on smaller screens
Build style guides to keep everything consistent
Tools they use: Figma (our favourite!), Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch

Full stack developer: the technical builder.

Here’s where web developers differ from their web designer counterparts – they take those visual elements and use their technical skills to turn them into a functioning website. They speak in code – literally.

What they actually do:

Write HTML, CSS, JavaScript (the building blocks), and other coding languages that will make your website work
Connect databases so your contact forms actually send emails
Make sure pages load faster than you can say “bounce rate”
Set up content management systems (like WordPress)
Implement payment gateways that keep your customers’ data safe
Fix bugs when things need tweaking
Handle hosting and domain setup
Ensure your site works on every browser (yes, even Internet Explorer)
Tools they live in: VS Code, GitHub, Chrome DevTools, various frameworks like React or WordPress

The grey area: where lines blur.

Here’s where it gets messy. Some professionals wear both hats:

UX/UI designers – They design with development in mind. They know what’s possible to build and design accordingly.
Front-end developers – The unicorns who code AND have an eye for design. They handle the visual coding aspects of the user interface (what users interact with).
Full-stack developers – Jack of all trades who can design, develop and probably make you a coffee while they’re at it.

Quick reality check.

Many “web designers” you’ll meet today know some code. Most developers have some design sense.

But asking a pure designer to set up your ecommerce platform payment system is like asking a painter to rewire your house.

Could they figure it out? Maybe. Should you risk it? Absolutely not.

The James Frew website we built at Scoot? That needed both web design and development working in harmony – striking visuals for the users, plus complex functionality for API integration and smooth operational flow.

So, do I need a web designer or a web developer?

Stop second-guessing yourself. Answer these questions and you’ll know exactly who to hire.

You need a web designer if…

Your website problems sound like this:

“It looks like it was built in 1995”
“People can’t find what they’re looking for”
“Our competitors’ sites look so much better”
“The user interface feels clunky”
“It doesn’t match our brand anymore”

Website designers focus on solving these visual and usability nightmares.

They’ll sort out other visual elements, from hero images to button styles. A successful web designer transforms confused visitors into happy customers through smart visual design.

You need a web developer if…

Your wishlist includes:

“I want customers to book appointments online”
“We need a members-only area”
“The site takes ages to load”
“Our forms don’t actually send emails”
“I want to sell products directly”

This is where web developers play their part.

They’ll handle the complex programming languages needed to make these features work. Whether it’s writing code for a booking system or integrating payment gateways, they live for this stuff.

The skill breakdown.

Here’s how designers and web developers typically divide their technical expertise:

Visual designer toolkit	Average web developer arsenal
Colour theory and typography	HTML, CSS, JavaScript (the basics)
User experience mapping	Advanced programming languages (PHP, Python, Ruby)
Brand identity creation	Database management
Responsive design principles	API integrations
Prototyping and wireframing	Security protocols

But here’s the catch:

Web developers specialise in different areas. Some handle only the parts you see (front-end), others work on behind-the-scenes functionality (back-end). Similarly, you’ll meet different types of web designers too – some focus purely on aesthetics, others on user experience.

The real question isn’t just “designer or developer?” It’s “which type of designer or developer?”

Your three options

Hire separately – Get a designer for mockups, then a developer to build. Works well if you love project management.
Find a unicorn – Someone skilled in both.
Work with an agency – Like Scoot, where designers and web developers collaborate daily. You get both skills without the headache of coordination.

The 30-second decision maker

Just need a facelift? Web designer.
Just need functionality? Web developer.
Need a brand new functional website or fixing something broken? You’ll need both.

The accessibility checklist you shouldn't ignore.

Accessibility isn’t optional – it’s the law. Both web designers and web development specialists need to nail this, or your site excludes 20% of potential customers.

Designer accessibility duties

The web designer’s job includes making visual aspects work for everyone. This includes:

Colour contrast ratios of at least 4.5:1 for normal text
Clear visual hierarchy so screen readers understand your content structure
Alt text spaces in designs for every image

UI designers must think beyond making things visually appealing. Can someone with colour blindness tell your error messages from the success ones?

Developer accessibility duties

Web developers build the technical framework that makes accessibility real:

Semantic HTML that tells screen readers what’s what
Keyboard navigation so every feature works without a mouse
ARIA labels for complex custom web applications
Skip links to jump past repetitive navigation

Back-end developers handle form validation messages and error handling. Front-end development includes focus states and proper heading structures.

The overlap zone

Here’s where web designers work with developers:

Testing with real accessibility tools
Ensuring the site functions smoothly for keyboard users
Checking the website’s appearance at 200% zoom
Validating colour choices in real browsers

Search engine optimization loves accessible sites, too. Google rewards a clear core structure and proper semantic markup. It’s a win-win that neither role can achieve alone.

Red flags to keep an eye out for.

Run for the hills if you spot these warning signs. Take it from us, we’ve heard them all and know how to spot them from a mile off.

Universal red flags

No contract or unclear pricing
Won’t provide references or portfolio pieces
Promises unrealistic timelines
Defensive about past work
“Trust me, I know what’s best” attitude

Remember, building websites requires collaboration. If they’re difficult during the sales process, imagine working with them for months.

Designer red flags

“I don’t need to see your existing website.” Any designer who won’t review your current site is designing in a vacuum. They should analyse what’s working (and what isn’t) before touching prototyping tools.
“Mobile design costs extra.” It’s 2025. If they’re not designing mobile-first, they’re stuck in the dark ages. Every quote should include responsive design as standard.
“I’ll make it pretty first, then we’ll figure out functionality.” The site’s layout and interactive features must work together from day one. Pretty but broken helps nobody.
Zero questions about your users: UX designers obsess over user behaviour. If they’re not asking who visits your site and why, they’re just decorating, not designing.

Developer red flags

“I don’t use version control systems.” This is like a chef not washing their hands. Git isn’t optional – it’s how professionals build and maintain websites safely.
Can’t explain their process in plain English. Yes, back-end web developers work with complex coding languages. But if they can’t explain what they’re building without jargon, communication will be a nightmare.
“WordPress is for amateurs.” Snobbery about platforms shows inexperience. A good software developer uses the right tool for the job, not the fanciest one.
No testing environment. They want to make changes to your actual website? That’s like performing surgery in your living room. Professionals test everything offline first.

Get web designers and web developers in one perfect partnership with Scoot.

So there you have it – designers make it look brilliant, developers make it work brilliantly. Most projects need both to work in harmony. Choose based on your actual needs, not assumptions.

Key takeaways:

Designers handle visuals and user experience
Developers manage functionality, databases and technical features
Budget a minimum of £3,000+ for a professional UK website
Both must prioritise accessibility – it’s not optional
Watch for red flags: no portfolio, unclear pricing or poor communication
Consider agencies when you need both skills under one roof

At Scoot, we’ve taken the guesswork out of this decision. Our designers and developers collaborate daily on everything from simple sites to complex platforms. No web designers vs developers here – just one straightforward partnership.

Still confused about what you need? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Scoot. We’ll help you figure out exactly what your website needs to succeed.

Get in touch